How do plate tectonics cause volcanoes?

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There are several ways plate tectonics cause volcanoes, or at least create ideal geological circumstances for volcanoes to form. Basically you have convergent and divergent plate boundaries. Convergent boundaries are where one plate is being driven down under another, to be recycled in the Earth’s mantle. read more

The Gorda Plate is subducting under the North American Plate north of Cape Mendocino and is the cause of the state's two active volcanoes, Mt Shasta and Mt. Lassen. Immediately north, the Juan de Fuca Plate is subducting under North America and is responsible for the Cascade Range Volcanoes. read more