What is the term for the process where one tectonic plate slides beneath another?

The term for the process where one tectonic plate slides beneath another is subduction. Subduction occurs at convergent boundaries, where two tectonic plates collide. In this process, the denser oceanic plate typically sinks beneath a lighter continental plate or another oceanic plate. This movement leads to various geological phenomena, such as the formation of deep ocean trenches and volcanic activity, as the descending plate melts and interacts with the surrounding mantle.

Seafloor spreading refers to the creation of new oceanic crust at mid-ocean ridges as tectonic plates pull apart. Transform faulting describes the lateral sliding of plates past one another without significant vertical movement. Divergence pertains to the movement of tectonic plates away from each other, such as at mid-ocean ridges, which is a different process than subduction.