What type of geological feature is most likely to be formed by convergent boundaries?

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Convergent boundaries are regions where two tectonic plates move toward each other, resulting in a collision. This interaction can lead to a variety of geological features, but one of the most significant outcomes is the formation of mountain ranges.

When two continental plates converge, neither plate is subducted due to their similar densities, and instead, they crumple and fold. This process creates extensive mountain ranges, as seen in the Himalayas, which were formed by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates. The immense force of the colliding plates causes the crust to thicken and uplift, generating prominent mountain features.

While volcanic eruptions can also occur at convergent boundaries, they are primarily associated with subduction zones where an oceanic plate is forced beneath a continental plate. Rift valleys are features formed by divergent boundaries, where tectonic plates move apart, and ocean basins are typically associated with these divergent boundaries as well. Thus, the formation of mountain ranges is the most characteristic feature resulting from the collision of plates at convergent boundaries.

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