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Crust is produced at constructive plate boundaries, usually at mid ocean ridges. Here the plates are moving apart and magma wells up to form new basaltic rock. This means the youngest crust is usually part of an oceanic plate. When an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate, the denser oceanic plate sinks down in a subduction zone and ends up as magma again. The less dense continental crust is forced upwards and is preserved. Continental rocks are thus often very old.

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Oceanic crust is than continental crust.?

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What types of crust can be found in the lithosphere?

The lithosphere can have two main types of crust: continental crust and oceanic crust. Continental crust is thicker, older, and less dense than oceanic crust. Oceanic crust is thinner, younger, and denser, primarily composed of basaltic rocks.


Which type of crust is heavier and younger?

Oceanic crust is heavier and younger compared to continental crust. It is denser because it is composed of basaltic rocks, while continental crust is made up of less dense granitic rocks. Additionally, oceanic crust is continually being formed at mid-ocean ridges through seafloor spreading, making it much younger on average than continental crust.


Which type of crust is primarily made of basalt and is more dense?

Oceanic crust is primarily made of basalt and is more dense than continental crust. It is also younger and thinner compared to continental crust.


Are oceanic plates only made up of oceanic crust?

yes but oceanic crust is younger than continental crust because of deep sea trenches


What are the two types of crust that makes up the continents and ocean?

The two types of crust that make up the Earth's surface are continental crust and oceanic crust. Continental crust is thicker, less dense, and usually older than oceanic crust. Oceanic crust is thinner, more dense, and typically younger due to the process of seafloor spreading.


What type of crust is thicker Continental or Oceanic?

Continental crust is generally thicker than oceanic crust. Continental crust can be up to 70 km thick, while oceanic crust is usually around 5-10 km thick.


Oceanic crust is what than continental crust?

Oceanic crust is denser and thinner than continental crust. It is mainly composed of basalt, while continental crust is primarily made up of granite. Oceanic crust is also younger and constantly being formed at mid-ocean ridges through volcanic activity.


How does the age of oceanic crust compare to the age of continental crust?

Oceanic crust is generally younger than continental crust. Oceanic crust is continuously formed at mid-ocean ridges through volcanic activity and then gradually moves away from the ridge, undergoing processes that make it relatively young compared to the older continental crust.


What are two differences between the continental crust and oceanic crust?

The continental crust is thicker and less dense than oceanic crust. Oceanic crust is younger and primarily composed of basalt, while continental crust is older and made up of a variety of rock types, including granite and sedimentary rocks.


Why does the oceanic crust move below continental crust?

The basaltic oceanic crust is more dense than the granitic continental crust. Therefore, when the two meet at plate margins, the oceanic crust usually subducts beneath the continental plate.


What is the name of ocean crust?

The name of the crust beneath the oceans is called "oceanic crust." It is thinner and younger than continental crust and primarily composed of basaltic rocks.