Continental Plates are made of old rocks because they are never created or destroyed. For example, when an earthquake occurs, it can be caused by one tectonic plate going underneath another. The plate that goes underneath is always an oceanic plate because the rock is of a higher density.
So, in summary, continental plates are lighter than oceanic crust, so they are never destroyed (hence why they are made of old rock).
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Continental Crust is the layer of rocks that forms the continents and continental shelves. It is mostly made of granite or granitic rock.
Continental crust and continental crust are made of different types of rock. The rocks in the continental crust do not contain as many of the heavier elements as the ones in the oceanic crust do.
Tectonic plates are composed of both oceanic and continental crust. Oceanic plates are predominantly made of basaltic rock, while continental plates are primarily composed of granitic rock. The Earth's lithosphere, which includes the tectonic plates, is made up of these crustal rocks.
Continental plates are thicker and less dense. Continental plates are mainly granitic in composition. Oceanic plates are mainly basaltic in composition. The rock of continental plates is on average, much older than the rock of the oceanic plates. The oceanic plate underlies the oceans, and the continental plate makes up the land masses. Continental plates do not subduct at convergent plate boundaries.
Most tectonic plates are made of both oceanic and continental crust. Oceanic crust is primarily composed of basalt, a dense volcanic rock, while continental crust is made up of granite and other lighter rocks. These differences in composition play a role in the movements and interactions of tectonic plates.
Continental crust is made primarily of granite.
The two main types of tectonic plates are continental plates and oceanic plates. Continental plates are thicker and primarily composed of lighter, less dense rocks, while oceanic plates are thinner and made up of denser basaltic material. These plates interact at their boundaries, leading to various geological activities such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and the formation of mountain ranges.
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Oceanic plates are young and made of basalt and recent sediments. Continental plates are old and contain continental crust made of old rocks and they are usually considerably thicker than the oceanic plates
AnswerThe continental plates are made up of largely granitic rock, while the oceanic plates are largely basaltic rock. Certainly some other types of rock are included, but these are the largest contributors to the material or composition. A link is provided below for more information.
There are many different ryes of rocks in continental crust. Granite is one of the rocks that makes up continental crust.