SUBDUCTION OF THE PACIFIC PLATE BENEATH NORTH AMERICA The Pacific Plate is slowly converging with and subducting beneath the North American Plate along the western edge of the continent. This tectonic collision creates a powerful subduction zone that extends from Alaska down through the western United States to Central America. It is one of the most active geological boundaries on Earth, forming part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. This ongoing process is responsible for frequent earthquakes, volca