What is a destructive plate margin?

A destructive plate margin is formed where the oceanic plate meets the continental plate, and undergoes subduction due to the greater density of oceanic crust. As it is subducted, the oceanic plate melts within the mantle, creating convection currents in the molten magma in the asthenosphere (area beneath the crust). This is an example of a convergent boundary, where two plates come together, and can be characterised by the presence of deep ocean trenches and fold mountains, as well as a high frequency of both earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. One example of a destructive plate margin site is Kobe, the coastline of Japan, with the resultant friction from the subduction of one plate beneath another leading to frequent earthquakes (2011, Tohoku).