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In 1990, after 20 years of searching, geologists found the oldest oceanic rocks by drilling into the seafloor of the western Pacific. These rocks turned out to be about 200 million years old, only about 4% of the Earth's age.

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Why is the earth 4.6 billion years old but the oldest sea floor is only 180 millions years old?

Just as new sea floor forms at mid-ocean ridges, new sea floor is forced back into the mantle at abduction zones. The oldest seafloor is at east and west the edges of the Atlantic Ocean, dating to the breakup of Pangaea.


On the ocean floor where is the oldest rock?

The oldest rock in oceanic crust is that which is found the greatest distance from a mid-ocean-ridge.


What is the general depth of an ocean trench compared to the ocean floor?

True


In which layer of the Earth is the ocean floor?

The crust contains the ocean floor and also the continents on Earth.


Why are the oldest parts of the ocean floor no older than about 200 million years.?

Because the oldest parts reach the continental crust and then the ocean floor sinks beneath the continental crust, into the mantle.


Why are the oldest part of the ocean floor no older then about 200 million years old?

The ocean is 4 billion yars old, however due to subduction, the oldest sediment found in the ocean's floor is 180 million years old.


Where would I find the oldest rock on the ocean floor?

The oldest rock on the ocean floor can be found in the central parts of the ocean basins, particularly in regions known as abyssal plains. These rocks are generally around 200 million years old or older.


which layer of the earth forms ocean floor?

Ocean Crust.


What other ocean floor feature is formed by movement of Earth's plates?

what other ocean floor feature is fromed by movement of earth's plates


How old are the oldest of the ocean floor?

Less than 200 Million years old.


Why the crust is thinner than the ocean floor?

The Earth's crust is thinner than the ocean floor because the oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges where heat from the mantle creates new crust through volcanic activity. This process creates younger, hotter, and thinner crust in the ocean compared to the older and thicker continental crust.


Where is the thinnest crust of the earth?

The thinnest part of the Earth's crust is typically found beneath the ocean floor in areas called oceanic ridges. These underwater mountain ranges have crust that can be as thin as 3 to 5 kilometers, compared to continental crust which is usually around 30 to 50 kilometers thick.