Question

Which type of volcanism formed the Andes in South America?

Answer 1

Answer:

convergence between a continental plate and an oceanic plate

Explanation:

The Andean Mountain Range has been formed because of volcanic activity. This has happened because of a convergent plate boundary between two plates.

More specifically, the convergent plate boundary is between the continental South American plate and the oceanic Nazca plate. The Nazca plate is lower, denser, heavier, and it is moving below the South American plate, creating a subduction zone.

Where the boundary is between the two plates, the mantle manages to push through magma upwards through the cracks in the crust. This magma managed to get to the surface, lift up the land and create volcanoes, creating a continental volcanic arc parallel to the plate boundary, over time becoming the enormous Andean Mountain Range.