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A **convergent (destructive) boundary** forms when two tectonic plates move toward each other. At this boundary, the denser oceanic plate's leading edge is forced downward into the asthenosphere, creating a subduction zone. The asthenosphere, the upper layer of the mantle, consists of deformed rocks extending from depths of 100 to 700 kilometers. As the plates interact, they form an accretionary wedge, a mass of sediment and deformed materials that accumulates along the plate boundary. When the subducting oceanic plate reaches depths exceeding 100 kilometers, the increased pressure and temperature release gases that melt part of the mantle. The newly formed magma rises toward the surface, often solidifying in underground magma chambers.
