An interactive diagram showing how an oceanic plate subducts beneath another plate, carrying hydrated minerals and water into the mantle.
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Tectonic Subduction and Deep Water Cycling
Visualizing Subduction Zones
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Here is a cross-section of a subduction zone. Notice the oceanic plate on the left, which is denser and heavier. It slides underneath the lighter continental plate on the right. As this plate dives, it carries water with it—not as a liquid, but trapped inside the rocks themselves. Watch how the plate bends and descends into the mantle.
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