Andesite is one of the two intermediate rocks types you have identified. It has been named aft where it was first studied-in the Andes Mountains of western South America. Given what you know about the origin of the of inter-mediate rock types, why does andesite occur in the Andes, i.e., along the zone of contact with the South American continent and the Pacific Ocean? The Occurrence of Andesite in the Andes

The Occurrence of Andesite in the Andes

Andesite is a type of intermediate rock, which is a product of magmatic processes that occur when two tectonic plates collide. It is characterized by its gray color and visible planar structures of minerals. This rock type is named after the Andes Mountains in South America, where it was first studied. Andesite is found predominantly along the zone of contact between the South American continent and the Pacific Ocean, and its presence in the Andes can be explained by the tectonic processes taking place in the region. The Andes Mountains are located in an area of convergent plate tectonics, where two plates are moving toward each other. The Nazca Plate is moving eastward and subducting beneath the South American Plate. As the two plates collide, the oceanic crust of the Nazca Plate is forced down into the mantle layer, undergoing intense heat and pressure (Gross, 2018). This process, known as subduction, releases water and other materials from the oceanic crust, which then melts and produces magma. This magma rises to the surface, where it cools and crystallizes to form an andesite (Rosenberg, et al., 2019). Cont…