answersLogoWhite

0

Old sea floor rocks are much younger than old continental rocks! This is because the oceanic lithospheric plate forming the seafloor tends to be recycled at places known as subduction zones where it is forced below less dense (commonly continental) lithosphere.

As such the oldest continental rocks tend to be 2-3 billion years old whereas oceanic crust neve tends to be more than a few hundred million years old.

User Avatar

Wiki User

14y ago

What else can I help you with?

Continue Learning about Earth Science

Are rocks on the seafloor older then the continental rocks?

No. Continental rocks are much older. New sea floor is constantly being create and destroyed. At mid-ocean ridges, the sea floor spreads and magma from deeper in the Earth pushes up to create new ocean crust. At places where ocean plates contact continental plates, the ocean plate is often pushed underneath the continental plate, in a process called subduction. As the ocean plate is pushed back down into the Earth, the heat and the pressure melt it down, destroying it. Since continental plates are very rarely subducted, and, with the exception of places like Iceland where a mid-ocean ridge actually rises above sea level, generally rocks on the continent will be older.


The oldest rocks on the seafloor are much younger than the oldest rocks on the continents?

The rocks on the seafloor are generally less than 200 million years old due to the process of seafloor spreading and subduction, which recycles old rocks. In contrast, some rocks on the continents can be over 4 billion years old, dating back to the formation of Earth's crust. This difference in age is attributed to the dynamic nature of plate tectonics.


Which has the younger rock the continental crust or oceanic crust?

The oceanic crust is generally younger than the continental crust. The oceanic crust is continuously being formed at mid-ocean ridges through volcanic activity, while the continental crust is much older and has undergone more complex geological processes over time.


Rocks in continental crust are as old as years.?

Rocks in continental crust can be as old as about 4 billion years. This is because the continental crust is made up of a mixture of ancient rocks that have been around since the Earth's early history. By studying these rocks, scientists can learn more about the planet's evolution and geological processes.


Why is the age of a fault younger than the rocks in which it was found?

The fault must be younger because it cuts across the existing rocks, indicating that it formed after the rocks were already in place. This suggests that the faulting event occurred after the deposition of the rock layers.

Related Questions

How would the age of the oldest rock on the continents compare with the age of the oldest rock on the seafloor?

The sea floor is young (the rocks are made at the mid oceanic ridges and spread out form there) while most of the continental rocks are older. This is because the continental crust floats on top of the oceanic crust and is therefore not recycled.


Are rocks on the seafloor older then the continental rocks?

No. Continental rocks are much older. New sea floor is constantly being create and destroyed. At mid-ocean ridges, the sea floor spreads and magma from deeper in the Earth pushes up to create new ocean crust. At places where ocean plates contact continental plates, the ocean plate is often pushed underneath the continental plate, in a process called subduction. As the ocean plate is pushed back down into the Earth, the heat and the pressure melt it down, destroying it. Since continental plates are very rarely subducted, and, with the exception of places like Iceland where a mid-ocean ridge actually rises above sea level, generally rocks on the continent will be older.


The oldest rocks on the seafloor are much younger than the oldest rocks on the continents?

The rocks on the seafloor are generally less than 200 million years old due to the process of seafloor spreading and subduction, which recycles old rocks. In contrast, some rocks on the continents can be over 4 billion years old, dating back to the formation of Earth's crust. This difference in age is attributed to the dynamic nature of plate tectonics.


How much older are the oceanic rocks than the continental rocks?

Oceanic rocks are generally younger than continental rocks, with oceanic crust averaging about 200 million years old and continental crust averaging about 2.5 billion years old. This is due to the process of seafloor spreading at mid-ocean ridges, where new oceanic crust is constantly being formed and pushing older crust away.


Why is the seafloor young?

The seafloor is continuously being created at mid-ocean ridges through seafloor spreading, where tectonic plates move apart and magma rises from the mantle to create new oceanic crust. As a result, the oldest seafloor is only about 200 million years old, much younger than continental crust which can be billions of years old.


Are ocean floor rocks older or younger than the continental rocks?

Because seafloor is always being created and hence is usually newer; anything older is no longer "seafloor", it has become land. In contrast, the oldest rocks are well within a continent, are on land far from shore, and have had long enough to move away from the sea while during tectonic drift. Nearly all of the oceanic crust is recycled by the processes of plate tectonics in a roughly 160 million year cycle. Only oceanic crust is subducted into the mantle as it is denser than continental crust.


What age is the oldest rocks from the seafloor?

The oldest rock are up to 125 million years old.


Rocks in ocean crust are as old as how many years?

Rocks in ocean crust are generally as old as 200 million years. The oldest oceanic crust is found near continents, which can be around 250 million years old. However, most of the oceanic crust is continually being formed and destroyed through seafloor spreading and subduction, so rocks are often much younger.


Is the continental rocks 4 billion years old?

yes.


How old are rocks in ocean crust?

The age of rocks in the ocean crust depends on where the rocks are collected. Scientists collected rock samples from the sea floor. They found out that rock samples that were closer to mid-ocean ridges were younger than the samples farther away from the ridges. So pretty much you could get rocks that are thousands of years old to over millions of year old.


Which has the younger rock the continental crust or oceanic crust?

The oceanic crust is generally younger than the continental crust. The oceanic crust is continuously being formed at mid-ocean ridges through volcanic activity, while the continental crust is much older and has undergone more complex geological processes over time.


Rocks in continental crust are as old as years.?

Rocks in continental crust can be as old as about 4 billion years. This is because the continental crust is made up of a mixture of ancient rocks that have been around since the Earth's early history. By studying these rocks, scientists can learn more about the planet's evolution and geological processes.