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Why does continental crust rise higher above the surface of Earth than oceanic crust?
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What are the 2 types of crust that cover the earth's surface?
Continental crust and Oceanic crust.
What is meant by continental crust and oceanic crust?
They are two different types of crust. Continental crust is heavier than Oceanic crust, so when the two collide, the Continental crust 'subducts' under the Oceanic Crust. 'Crust' referring to the tectonic plates, the surface of the Earth we stand on.
What is the name of the thin rocky layer on the surface of earth?
The crust, which is subdivided into continental crust and oceanic crust.
What are tectonicsplates?
Tectonic plates.Tectonic plates are plates underneath Earth's surface that move very slowly. There are oceanic and continental plates. Of course, oceanic plates are plates under the ocean, and continental plates are plates underneath ground, or continents. Each of the plates carry the things above them, land or ocean. When two continental or oceanic plates collide, it causes a fold in Earth's surface, and an earthquake. Now, when a continental plate draws near and nearly collides with an oceanic plate, something called subduction occurs. Subduction is basically when the oceanic plate dips down below the continental plate, causing a trench.
Why does water float on Earth's surface?
Oceanic crust is denser than continental crust, it floats lower in earths mantle.
Mountains are part of which earth sphere?
The lithosphere - rocks(or geosphere)The Earth's solid surface is the lithosphere. It includes continental and oceanic crust as well as the various layers of the Earth's interior.
Who is Alfred Wegener and what was his Hypothesis about how Earth's continents have moved?
Alfred Wegener was a scientist who proposed the theory of continental drift and the idea of isostasy. The idea of isostasy stated that continental blocks drifted upon oceanic blocks (continental blocks had a lower density than oceanic blocks, which explained why it was higher than oceanic blocks).
Is oceanic crust is usually thicker than continental crust?
No. Oceanic crust is heavier and denser than continental crust, but is actually thinner. Continental crust is believed to actually extend down into the magma of the mantle (upon which crust floats) more deeply than oceanic crust, similar to how a huge ice cube will not only be larger above the surface of water than a smaller ice cube, but will extend more deeply into a glass than a small ice cube ... so not only does continental crust extend higher on the surface (since it is continental crust, it has dry land above the ocean floor), but the 'bottom' of the crust also extends deeper into the earth. Oceanic crust is thus thinner than continental crust, but made of denser, heavier rock (which is why it subducts under continental crusts where continental and oceanic plates converge).
In the theory of plate tectonics what makes up a typical plate that move across Earth's surface?
A section of both continental and oceanic lithosphere
What is continental and oceanic crust?
The continental crust is the land. The oceanic is under the ocean.
How are convergent plate margins characterized?
Convergent plate margins are characterized as collision zones between plates and may involve continental to continental crust, continental to oceanic crust, or oceanic to oceanic crust. Those that involve oceanic crust result in subduction of the more dense plate into the Earth's mantle. Continental to continental plate collisions result in uplift of the surface features and mountain building and the margin may eventually become welded together.
Why is it important to understand how oceanic and continental crusts move?
The top layer of the Earth's surface is called the crust (it lies on top of the plates). Oceanic crust (the thin crust under the oceans) is thinner and denser than continental crust. Crust is constantly being created and destroyed; oceanic crust is more active than continental crust.
