While some plates have persisted for hundreds of millions of years, others have vanished, sinking into the mantle in a ...

Sedimentary rocks originally deposited on the oceanic plate are scraped off and accreted to the western edge of the continent; the initiation of this process is indicated by the deformation front in ...

Related: Scientists discover Earth's inner core isn't just slowing down — it's also changing shape Others have suggested that the blobs are huge chunks of oceanic crust that were pushed into the ...

Researchers found that an inactive subduction zone under the Strait of Gibraltar may begin migrating into the Atlantic Ocean, commencing the shrinking process. The zone also brings a higher risk ...