What describes the process where tectonic plates collide and one is forced beneath the other?

The process where tectonic plates collide and one plate is forced beneath another is known as subduction. This occurs at convergent plate boundaries, where the denser oceanic plate sinks beneath the less dense continental plate or another oceanic plate.

During subduction, this movement leads to the formation of deep ocean trenches and volcanic arcs, as the subducting plate melts and may contribute to magma formation. The consequences of subduction are significant, often resulting in earthquake activity and the creation of new geological features over time. Understanding subduction is crucial in the study of plate tectonics and Earth's geological processes, as it plays a key role in the recycling of the Earth's crust and the dynamics of plate movements.

In contrast, uplift refers to the vertical elevation of Earth's surface, typically associated with tectonic forces but not specifically describing the interaction of plates. Compression is a force that can occur during convergent movements but does not specifically denote the action of one plate moving beneath another. Expansion generally describes divergent plate boundaries where plates move apart, which is the opposite of the subduction process.