Subduction Zone Volcanoes

About 75-80% of the world's active volcanoes sit above subduction zones, where one tectonic plate dives beneath another. As the descending plate plunges into the hot mantle, water trapped in its minerals is released. This water dramatically lowers the melting point of mantle rock above.

The resulting magma is thick, gas-rich, and explosive. It produces the classic cone-shaped stratovolcanoes like Mount Fuji, Mount St. Helens, and Mount Pinatubo. The entire Pacific Ring of Fire is lined with subduction zone volcanoes, creating an arc of explosive peaks from the Andes to Alaska.