because stuff goes and hits some other stuff and.........BOOM..... oceanic lithosphere
Oceanic lithosphere gets older as it moves away from the mid-ocean ridges where new lithosphere is formed. This process, known as seafloor spreading, causes older lithosphere to be pushed further from the ridge, resulting in a gradient of lithosphere age with the oldest being farthest from the ridges.
New lithosphere is formed at divergent plate boundaries, where tectonic plates are moving away from each other. The process of seafloor spreading occurs in these areas, with magma rising up from the mantle to create new oceanic crust as it solidifies.
New oceanic lithosphere forms as a result of seafloor spreading at mid-ocean ridges. Magma rises from the mantle, solidifies at the mid-ocean ridge, and creates new oceanic crust. This process leads to the continuous expansion of the ocean floor.
Oceanic crust and lithosphere are formed at mid-ocean ridges through the process of seafloor spreading. Magma rises from the mantle and solidifies to create new oceanic crust at these divergent plate boundaries. As the new crust forms, it pushes the older crust away from the ridge axis, creating a continuous process of crust formation and movement.
It gets younger.
As the lithosphere cools, asthenosphere's hot rocks freeze onto their undersides. So lithosphere becomes thicker. As time goes on or within the time period of 10 million years, it even becomes thicker than asthenosphere.
As odd as it is to think of things this way, continental lithosphere is more buoyant than oceanic lithosphere. The oceanic lithosphere is more dense.
As odd as it is to think of things this way, continental lithosphere is more buoyant than oceanic lithosphere. The oceanic lithosphere is more dense.
As odd as it is to think of things this way, continental lithosphere is more buoyant than oceanic lithosphere. The oceanic lithosphere is more dense.
The lithosphere is composed of crust and hard upper mantle. The oceanic lithosphere would be hard upper mantle and basaltic oceanic crust.
The lithosphere is composed of crust and hard upper mantle. The oceanic lithosphere would be hard upper mantle and basaltic oceanic crust.
Oceanic lithosphere is dense enough to be forced down into the mantle. Continental lithosphere is not.