answersLogoWhite

0

A tectonic plate.

User Avatar

Wiki User

16y ago

What else can I help you with?

Continue Learning about Earth Science

Where oceanic crust collides with continental crust is the?

subduction zone. In this area, the denser oceanic crust is forced beneath the less dense continental crust, leading to the formation of deep ocean trenches and volcanic mountain ranges. This collision can also cause intense seismic activity and the potential for tsunamis.


Which theory of plate movement relies on weight of the subducting crust?

Slab pull theory relies on the weight of the dense, oceanic crust sinking into the mantle at subduction zones. As the crust descends, it pulls the rest of the tectonic plate along with it, driving plate movement.


What does a slab of crust that is forced down form?

This would depend on the type of boundary: ocean-ocean, continent-continent, or ocean-continent. For ocean-ocean crusts, the slab of crust "forced down" is being subducted. Besides bringing water inside the rock and lowering its melting temperature, this could produce an ocean trench. For continent-continent convergence, the "subducted" plate does not go very far. Because of the buoyancy of continental crust and its lightweight nature (as compared to oceanic crust, which is very dense), the plates tend to buckle and create tall mountain ranges. For continent-oceanic convergence, such as the Western cost of South America, oceanic crust is forced down and is subducted underneath continental crust. This creates mountain ranges as well, and also forms the mechanism from which igneous intrusions can make their way to the surface of the crust.


Which theory of plate movement relies on the weight of the subducting crust?

The theory of plate movement that relies on the weight of the subducting crust is known as slab pull. As an oceanic plate descends into the mantle at a subduction zone, it pulls the rest of the plate behind it due to gravity. This process is a significant driving force in plate tectonics.


What is a result of a continental crust and oceanic crust collision?

Oceanic crust is formed primarily of basalts (density= 3.3 g/cm^3) and is therefore denser than that of continental crust, which is composed mainly of granite (density= 2.7 g/cm^3). This will result in a subduction zone, where the oceanic crust will be subducted underneath the continental crust and be recycled into the asthenosphere. At these locations its typically to see deep trenches and volcanic arcs.

Related Questions

How did continental crust form on earth?

The crust, is the surface of the Earth; therefore on the top. The above is true, however it is slightly more complicated than this! Crust is formed at mid ocean ridges where magma rises to the surface as tectonic plates move apart. It is also formed (perhaps counter-intuitively) at destructive plate margins where volcanism occurs and the lava adds to the overlying crust. Oceanic sediments build up at the boundary of the continental crust as the oceanic slab scrapes against the overlying continental crust as it subducts (this is known as an accretionary prism).


Where oceanic crust collides with continental crust is the?

subduction zone. In this area, the denser oceanic crust is forced beneath the less dense continental crust, leading to the formation of deep ocean trenches and volcanic mountain ranges. This collision can also cause intense seismic activity and the potential for tsunamis.


What do convergent plate boundary form?

Convergent plate boundaries can occur as a continental-continental, continental-oceanic, or oceanic-oceanic crust collision. A continental-continental collisions will typically result in a mountain range formation, such as the Himalayan Mountain Range. A continental-oceanic converging plate boundary will result in the more dense oceanic crust subducting beneath the less dense continental crust. The subduction zone leads to volcano formation from melting rock within the asthenosphere, beneath the continental crust. An example of this boundary is the west coast of the United States. An oceanic-oceanic converging plate boundary will typically result in one oceanic slab "sliding" beneath the other, due to only slight differences in density. This may form a volcanic island arc on the ocean floor, but may not necessarily reach above sea level.


Which theory of plate movement relies on weight of the subducting crust?

Slab pull theory relies on the weight of the dense, oceanic crust sinking into the mantle at subduction zones. As the crust descends, it pulls the rest of the tectonic plate along with it, driving plate movement.


What does a slab of crust that is forced down form?

This would depend on the type of boundary: ocean-ocean, continent-continent, or ocean-continent. For ocean-ocean crusts, the slab of crust "forced down" is being subducted. Besides bringing water inside the rock and lowering its melting temperature, this could produce an ocean trench. For continent-continent convergence, the "subducted" plate does not go very far. Because of the buoyancy of continental crust and its lightweight nature (as compared to oceanic crust, which is very dense), the plates tend to buckle and create tall mountain ranges. For continent-oceanic convergence, such as the Western cost of South America, oceanic crust is forced down and is subducted underneath continental crust. This creates mountain ranges as well, and also forms the mechanism from which igneous intrusions can make their way to the surface of the crust.


Which theory of plate movement relies on the weight of the subducting crust?

The theory of plate movement that relies on the weight of the subducting crust is known as slab pull. As an oceanic plate descends into the mantle at a subduction zone, it pulls the rest of the plate behind it due to gravity. This process is a significant driving force in plate tectonics.


What is a result of a continental crust and oceanic crust collision?

Oceanic crust is formed primarily of basalts (density= 3.3 g/cm^3) and is therefore denser than that of continental crust, which is composed mainly of granite (density= 2.7 g/cm^3). This will result in a subduction zone, where the oceanic crust will be subducted underneath the continental crust and be recycled into the asthenosphere. At these locations its typically to see deep trenches and volcanic arcs.


How earths crust move?

Earth's crust and the solid rocky and brittle upper mantle are known as the lithosphere. This is broken up into a number of different sections or pieces known as tectonic plates. Underlying the lithosphere is the asthenosphere made up of the softer mantle rocks that behave as a viscous fluid (like an extremely thick treacle). Heat within the earth causes the asthenosphere to convect. This movement causes the overlying lithosphere to move as well. Also where mantle material rises to shallower depths it undergoes a process known as decompression melting. This causes the formation of magma which rises to Earth's surface. This hot (and therefore lower density) material forms a raised area in the Earth's crust known as a mid-ocean-ridge. Gravity acts to try and pull the buoyant hot new crust back down and this force is transferred horizontally through the crust in a process known as "Ridge Push". As the material cools and travels away from the mid-ocean -ridge it sinks slightly back down due to it's increased density and so lower buoyancy. Ultimately this dense oceanic crust may meet a tectonic plate composed of continental crust which has a lower density and is more buoyant than the oceanic crust. Because of this the denser oceanic crust is forced down below the continental crust. This process is known as subduction. The force of gravity acting on the subducting slab is transferred into the rest of the slab acting to pull it towards the subduction zone. This process is known as "slab pull".


What layer of earth's crust is made of granite?

The continental crust is primarily composed of granite. This layer is thicker and less dense than the oceanic crust and is primarily found beneath the continents. Granite is a coarse-grained igneous rock that is commonly seen in many mountain ranges.


Where slab of oceanic lithosphere are subducted under continental lithosphere?

Oceanic lithosphere is subducted under continental lithosphere at convergent plate boundaries. This process occurs when the denser oceanic plate sinks beneath the less dense continental plate, creating deep ocean trenches and volcanic arcs. The subducted oceanic plate eventually melts and contributes to the formation of magma that leads to volcanic activity.


What process is triggered as the slab descends beneath the other plate?

Subduction is the process that occurs as the slab descends beneath the other plate at convergent plate boundaries. This leads to the recycling of old oceanic crust back into the mantle.


What is slabpull?

Slab Pull Force occurs when a denser oceanic plate is forced beneath a less dense continental plate or oceanic plate in a process called subduction. It's the force caused by suction of the cold dense lithosphere into the asthenosphere at destructive margins. Basically, because lithosphere is denser than asthenosphere, there is gravitational imbalance which is passed on to the crust. this causes the lithosphere to be sucked inwards at the oceanic trenches into deep asthenosphere.