Subduction Zone Diagram Mug

This diagram illustrates the structure of the earth, focusing on the lithosphere (the crust and upper mantle) by showcasing the life of an oceanic slab. Oceanic crust is produced from basaltic magmas at the divergent plate boundary of the Mid-Ocean Ridge (left) and are transported along the conveyer belt of seafloor spreading to a subduction zone, where the dense slab of mafic crust subducts under the relatively buoyant continent! At the point of contact between the two tectonic plates an accretionary wedge is formed alongside an oceanic trench. As the slab descends into the mantle it is metamorphosed and dehydrated, producing magma and creating the serpentinized mantle wedge. Rising magmas generate volcanism and can lead to the establis...