What geological process occurs at convergent boundaries of tectonic plates?

At convergent boundaries of tectonic plates, the primary geological process that occurs is plate subduction. This process involves one tectonic plate being forced under another into the mantle, which often leads to significant geological activity including the formation of mountain ranges, earthquakes, and volcanic activity.

When two plates converge, one is typically an oceanic plate, which is denser, and the other is a continental plate or another oceanic plate. The denser oceanic plate will subduct beneath the less dense continental plate or the other oceanic plate. This subduction zone can lead to complex geological formations, like deep ocean trenches and volcanic arcs associated with the melting of subducted material.

Seafloor spreading, on the other hand, is associated with divergent boundaries where tectonic plates move apart from each other. Continental drift refers to the historical movement of continents and is a broader concept relating to the shifting of Earth's landmasses over geological time. Mantle convection, while a driving force behind plate tectonics, describes the flow within the mantle that moves tectonic plates rather than the specific interactions that occur at plate boundaries.

Thus, the process of plate subduction specifically characterizes the interactions at convergent boundaries, making it the correct answer for this