At the opposite end of the convection current in the Earth's mantle that creates oceanic crust at the mid-ocean ridge, are trenches, where oceanic crust is diving down into the mantle. The Atlantic Ocean is expanding. The Pacific Ocean is shrinking.
The youngest crust is nearest the mid-oceanic ridges, where new crust is formed from upwelling magma.
Ocean trenches were discovered as a sign of destructive plate margins. These plate margins cause oceanic crust to subduct below the continental crust at the oceanic-continental boundary, and force the oceanic crust to move down into the Earth's mantle and melt into basaltic magma. As this is happening, magma at oceanic ridges is creating new oceanic crust at the mid-oceanic ridges. Overall, these two processes cancel each other out and so the total amount of oceanic crust is staying aproximately the same. Therefore the Earth is not growing. Hope this helps :)
Just as new oceanic crust forms at mid-ocean ridges, old oceanic crust is destroyed at subduction zones.
The Earth some times oceanic crust is formed by the process of mid oceanic ridges. this process occurs when magma comes from the mantle and cool below oceanic body & form new crust.
At the opposite end of the convection current in the Earth's mantle that creates oceanic crust at the mid-ocean ridge, are trenches, where oceanic crust is diving down into the mantle. The Atlantic Ocean is expanding. The Pacific Ocean is shrinking.
The youngest parts of the Earth's crust are found in the oceanic crust. This crust is continuously being created at the mid-oceanic ridges.
Because - the Earth's crust is forced back below the surface at the edges of the tectonic plates These areas are called subduction zones.
at ocean ridges
They can be found in Oceanic Ridges.
Subduction and folding.The seafloor ,may be "spreading" in the center but that doesn't necessarily mean it's getting bigger; at the edges it may be slipping underneath a continental plate (subduction) or piling up on itself to form mountains (folding).
The youngest crust is nearest the mid-oceanic ridges, where new crust is formed from upwelling magma.
The Earth's oceanic crust is very thin at the mid-ocean ridges, and gradually thickens as it moves away from the ridges. The continental crust is thickest under mountain ranges. The average depth of oceanic crust is around 5 miles. The average depth of continental crust is 22 miles.
Ocean trenches were discovered as a sign of destructive plate margins. These plate margins cause oceanic crust to subduct below the continental crust at the oceanic-continental boundary, and force the oceanic crust to move down into the Earth's mantle and melt into basaltic magma. As this is happening, magma at oceanic ridges is creating new oceanic crust at the mid-oceanic ridges. Overall, these two processes cancel each other out and so the total amount of oceanic crust is staying aproximately the same. Therefore the Earth is not growing. Hope this helps :)
The youngest rocks in the crust are found on and near active volcanoes, such as those at mid-ocean ridges.
Mid-ocean ridges are the birthplace of oceanic crust. Trenches represent the destruction and burial of oceanic crust. They are at opposite ends of the Earth's convection currents that move through the asthenosphere.
As new oceanic crust forms at mid-ocean ridges, old oceanic crust is destroyed at subduction zones.
Just as new oceanic crust forms at mid-ocean ridges, old oceanic crust is destroyed at subduction zones.