Why are sedimentary rocks on the bottom of the oceans younger than similar rocks found on the continents?

Answer 1

== == Sedimentary rocks on the bottom of the oceans are younger because the ocean floor is constantly recycling itself. Oceanic plates are being added to at the oceanic ridge, and being destroyed by subduction when colliding with continental plates. Sedimentary rocks on continents are definitely subject to erosional forces, but not generally to plate destruction forces.

Answer 2

Some of the rock that composes the sea floor is sedimentary, meaning that it was most likely formed by erosion of the continental rock (thus it is much younger). Also, the sea floor is constantly growing and shrinking at faults that create new rock and remove some old at the continental shelf. Thus, the ocean floors tend to be much younger than that of continents, which generally do not get created and destroyed as effectively.

Answer 3

Well this isn't really a question, but yes, this can be true. This is because of underwater volcanic activity, which continuously renews the rock surfaces of the sea floor. Volcanoes erupt as a result of pressure being released from the slight shifting along fault lines under the sea. The continental plates either slide past one another, clash together, or pull apart. Old rock is subducted under and new oceanic plate material is generated by upwelling of lava at ridges that are spreading or from underwater volcanoes. This is the force behind slow continental drift. Sedimentary rock also forms at the sea floor as sediment falls to the bottom.

Answer 4

The Oceanic Plates are younger than the continental because they are "recycled"; think of the oceanic ridges, such as the mid Atlantic oceanic ridge, that is where a hot spot under diverging plates (plates moving apart) push magma up, causing new young ocean floor to spread from this spot, and pushing the old floor into trenches and other continents, being destroyed. Another point to remember is that the ocean crust is thicker the farther away from the ridge; this is because it has had more time to build itself up compared to the more thin young crust.

Answer 5

oceanic crust is constantly being subducted and replaced with new material at places like the mid Atlantic ridge.