Continent-Continental convergence results in?

• A. Two continental plates collide, neither subducts, buckling to form mountain ranges such as the Himalayas.
• B. One plate subducts beneath the other, creating a deep trench and volcanic arc.
• C. A transform boundary forms with horizontal sliding and crust destruction.
• D. Oceanic crust is created at the boundary.

Answer: (A)

When two continental plates collide, the crust is buoyant and tends not to subduct. Instead, the collision crushes and thickens the crust, causing it to buckle and be uplifted into tall mountain belts. This is exactly how the Himalayas formed and are still growing today. The key idea is that continental crust resists sinking, so convergence leads to crustal thickening and mountain building rather than subduction.

Other boundary types produce different results: subduction happens when one plate dives beneath another (often oceanic crust beneath continental or another oceanic plate), creating deep trenches and volcanic arcs. Transform boundaries involve plates sliding past each other horizontally, producing earthquakes but not large-scale creation of mountain ranges or new crust. New oceanic crust forms at divergent boundaries as plates move apart and magma rises to fill the gap.