In
plate tectonics, a
convergent boundary, also known as a
destructive plate boundary (because of
subduction), is an actively deforming region where two (or more) tectonic plates or fragments of the
lithosphere move toward one another and collide. As a result of pressure, friction, and plate material melting in the
mantle,
earthquakes and
volcanoes are common near convergent boundaries. When two plates move towards one another, they form either a subduction zone or a
continental collision. This depends on the nature of the plates involved. In a subduction zone, the subducting plate, which is normally a plate with
oceanic crust, moves beneath the other plate, which can be made of either oceanic or
continental crust. During collisions between two continental plates, large mountain ranges, such as the
Himalayas are formed.