The crust is the outer layer of the Earth. ... Continental crust is typically 30-50 km thick , whilst oceanic crust is only 5-10 km thick. Oceanic crust is denser, can be subducted and is constantly being destroyed and replaced at plate boundaries.
What are the 3 main differences between the continental and oceanic crusts?
Continental crust is low in density whereas oceanic crust has a higher density . Continental crust is thicker, on the contrary, the oceanic crust is thinner. Continental crust floats on magma freely but oceanic crust floats on magma scarcely. Continental crust cannot recycle whereas oceanic crust can recycle it.
What is the difference between oceanic crust and continental crust quizlet?
The oceanic crust is thinner and denser , and is similar in composition to basalt (Si, O, Ca, Mg, and Fe). The continental crust is thicker and less dense, and is similar to granite in composition (Si, O, Al, K, and Na). ... The outer core
What are the similarities and differences between the oceanic crust and continental crust?
The continental crust is made mostly of rocks with a composition similar to granite (a light-colored rock you would expect to find in the Sierra Nevada), whereas the oceanic crust is made mostly of rocks with a composition of basalt (a dark- colored rock, like the rocks that make up the Hawaiian volcanoes).
What do the continental crust and oceanic crust have in common?
The continental crust is made mostly of rocks with a composition similar to granite (a light-colored rock you would expect to find in the Sierra Nevada), whereas the oceanic crust is made mostly of rocks with a composition of basalt (a dark- colored rock, like the rocks that make up the Hawaiian volcanoes).
Which is thicker continental crust or oceanic?
Continental crust is typically 40 km (25 miles) thick, while oceanic crust is much thinner , averaging about 6 km (4 miles) in thickness. ... The less-dense continental crust has greater buoyancy, causing it to float much higher in the mantle.
What is the similarities of continental crust?
Oceanic and Continental crusts are alike because they both shift and move and grow . They differ by there rock types. Oceanic crust is made up of dense basalt while continental crust is made up of less dense granite.
What is an example of continental crust?
The continental crust is the layer of granitic, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks which form the continents and the areas of shallow seabed close to their shores, known as continental shelves. ... About 40% of the Earth’s surface is now underlain by continental crust.
Which two terms apply to oceanic crust rather than continental crust?
Oceanic crust differs from continental crust in several ways: it is thinner, denser, younger, and of different chemical composition . Like continental crust, however, oceanic crust is destroyed in subduction zones.
What are 5 facts about the crust?
- The crust is deepest in mountainous areas. ...
- The continental and oceanic crusts are bonded to the mantle, which we spoke about earlier, and this forms a layer called the lithosphere. ...
- Beneath the lithosphere, there is a hotter part of the mantle that is always moving.
What type of crust is usually the oldest?
Cratons are the oldest and most stable part of the continental lithosphere. These parts of the continental crust are usually found deep in the interior of most continents. Cratons are divided into two categories.
Why continental crust is thicker than oceanic crust?
The continental crust is also less dense than oceanic crust , although it is considerably thicker. ... Because of its relative low density, continental crust is only rarely subducted or recycled back into the mantle (for instance, where continental crustal blocks collide and over thicken, causing deep melting).
What makes continental crust thicker?
The crust is thickened by the compressive forces related to subduction or continental collision . The buoyancy of the crust forces it upwards, the forces of the collisional stress balanced by gravity and erosion. This forms a keel or mountain root beneath the mountain range, which is where the thickest crust is found.
What is an example of oceanic crust?
An example of this is the Gakkel Ridge under the Arctic Ocean . Thicker than average crust is found above plumes as the mantle is hotter and hence it crosses the solidus and melts at a greater depth, creating more melt and a thicker crust. An example of this is Iceland which has crust of thickness ~20 km.
Why continental crust is granite?
Continental rocks are fractionated from this material during the processes of plate destruction at subduction zones. ... These granite bodies are formed by the remobilization of older continental crustal material that has been accumulating for as long as plate tectonic processes have operated on Earth.
What are the similarities between oceanic plate and continental plate?
Oceanic and Continental crusts are alike because they both shift and move and grow . They differ by there rock types. Oceanic crust is made up of dense basalt while continental crust is made up of less dense granite.
