Test your knowledge with these top questions!
What process creates magma in an oceanic island arc above a subducting slab?
In oceanic–oceanic subduction, fluids from the descending slab lower the mantle wedge’s melting point, generating magma that feeds the island arc.
Endemic species thrive on isolated islands primarily because of long-term:
Geographic isolation restricts gene flow with outside populations, allowing unique evolutionary lineages to adapt.
Continental islands differ from oceanic islands because they rest on:
Continental islands like Greenland sit on continental shelves and split off from landmasses through plate tectonics.
Atolls form when a ring-shaped coral reef surrounds a central:
As a volcanic island slowly subsides beneath the water, surrounding coral reefs build upward around a central lagoon.