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Because of sea level and of mountains. It takes up or makes part of the crust.

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Q: Why does the crust vary in thickness from 5 to 50km?
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What percentage of the Earths crust is helium?

The Earth has a radius of 6,360 km. The crust varies in thickness from around 5-70 km with an average value of around 35 km. As such Earth's crust is between approximately 0.07 and 1.1 % of the total thickness of the Earth (average of 0.55 %).


How thick is the continental crust from the oceanic crust?

continental crust's thickness is 5-70 km state: solid Density:2.6-2.9 g/cm3 -<3..jessie


How thin is the earth's crust at the mariana trench?

The surface of the earth is made up of two layers:- the oceanic crust and the continental crust. The oceanic crust is between 6-10km in thickness while the continental crust may be up to 70 km thick. by SVM


How do the two types of crust vary?

Their main differences are in thickness, composition, density and age.Oceanic crust is thinner (5-10 km thick) than continental crust (20-70 km thick).Oceanic crust is composed of minerals that have higher concentrations of iron and magnesium (Mafic minerals) than those of the continental crust (which is richer in aluminum and silica - Felsic minerals).The rocks that make up the oceanic crust are typically more dense (3300 kg/m3) than those that make up the continental crust (2700 kg/m3).Oceanic crust is as a rule much younger than continental crust; the oldest oceanic crust is rarely over 200 million years in age, whereas the continental crust can exceed 3 billion years in age.


How much larger is the mantle then the crust?

The mantle is substantially larger than the Earth's crust. The crust varies in thickness, anywhere from 5-70 km, while the mantle measures at about 2900 km. Also, while the crust accounts for less than one percent of the Earth's over all volume, the mantle makes up a hefty 84%.

Related questions

What is a typical thickness of oceanic crust?

5 km thick


What is the thickness of the earth's crust?

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.


What is the thickness of the earths crust in miles?

The average is 9 miles.The average continental crust thickness is 22 miles thick. The maximum crust thickness is 56 miles underneath the Himalayas, and is 16 miles thick at its thinnest in various places.The average oceanic crust is about 4 miles thick.For the entire Earth then, the average crust thickness is 9 miles.To scale size, the earths crust would be about the thickness of 3 ordinary sheets of paper on a basketball. The thickness of a chicken eggshell would be 16 pieces of paper on a basketball, so the earths crust is 5 times thinner than a typical egg shell. And the crust is only as thick as the egg shell at its maximum thickness underneath Nepal.Sleep tight.


What is the thickness of the crust in miles?

The average is 9 miles.The average continental crust thickness is 22 miles thick. The maximum crust thickness is 56 miles underneath the Himalayas, and is 16 miles thick at its thinnest in various places.The average oceanic crust is about 4 miles thick.For the entire Earth then, the average crust thickness is 9 miles.To scale size, the earths crust would be about the thickness of 3 ordinary sheets of paper on a basketball. The thickness of a chicken eggshell would be 16 pieces of paper on a basketball, so the earths crust is 5 times thinner than a typical egg shell. And the crust is only as thick as the egg shell at its maximum thickness underneath Nepal.Sleep tight.


Thickness of the continental crust?

40 to 70 km thick


What is the thickness of earth's layers?

the crust is the thickness of earths layers


Which layer of the earth is 5 to 25 miles thick?

Continental crust can be 25 or more miles in thickness....


What percentage of the Earths crust is helium?

The Earth has a radius of 6,360 km. The crust varies in thickness from around 5-70 km with an average value of around 35 km. As such Earth's crust is between approximately 0.07 and 1.1 % of the total thickness of the Earth (average of 0.55 %).


How thick is the continental crust from the oceanic crust?

continental crust's thickness is 5-70 km state: solid Density:2.6-2.9 g/cm3 -<3..jessie


Thinnest layer of the earth?

crust


What earth layers ranges in thickness from 5 to 25 miles?

The thickness of the Earth's crust would fall in that range, the thin range in rift valleys, the thick end in mountain ranges.


What layer of earth ranges in thickness from 5 to 25 miles?

The thickness of the Earth's crust would fall in that range, the thin range in rift valleys, the thick end in mountain ranges.