The folding of the Pacific plates that accompany the sinking of
Indonesia during the 7 of 10 scenarios involves, as we have
explained, the Mariana and Philippine plates tilting and
flattening westward. This is nothing more than an existing
trend, so is just a matter of the plates moving along faster in
the direction they are already going. The Mariana Trench is a
zone where the Pacific Plate is subducting under the Mariana
Plate. The Pacific Plate curves down at this point, plunging
under the Mariana Islands which ride on the Mariana Plate. The
trench will be suddenly closed, so that rather than a trench
there will be the Pacific Plate scraping along the Mariana
Plate, and giving the Mariana Islands a temporary boost up as
the plate tilts during this process. The Mariana Plate, thus
tilted, will slide its western edge down along the Philippine
Plate, as the Mariana Plate subducts under the Philippine Plate
and this process will now be accelerating. The Philippine Plate
likewise tilts its eastern side up, drop