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At the opposite end of the convection current in the Earth's mantle that creates oceanic crust at the mid-ocean ridge, are trenches, where oceanic crust is diving down into the mantle. The Atlantic Ocean is expanding. The Pacific Ocean is shrinking.

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How do ocean trenches help explain why crust added at ocean ridges doesn't make earth any larger?

Ocean trenches were discovered as a sign of destructive plate margins. These plate margins cause oceanic crust to subduct below the continental crust at the oceanic-continental boundary, and force the oceanic crust to move down into the Earth's mantle and melt into basaltic magma. As this is happening, magma at oceanic ridges is creating new oceanic crust at the mid-oceanic ridges. Overall, these two processes cancel each other out and so the total amount of oceanic crust is staying aproximately the same. Therefore the Earth is not growing. Hope this helps :)


Why does new crust form but the earth doesn't get larger?

New crust is constantly being formed at mid-ocean ridges through volcanic activity. However, the Earth does not get larger because as new crust is formed, older crust is subducted back into the mantle at subduction zones, maintaining a relatively constant amount of crust on the Earth's surface.


The youngest parts of Earth's crust is what?

The youngest crust is nearest the mid-oceanic ridges, where new crust is formed from upwelling magma.


How does earth renew its crust?

The Earth's crust renews itself through the process of plate tectonics. New crust is created at mid-ocean ridges where magma rises to the surface and solidifies, pushing older crust aside. This continuous cycle of creation and destruction helps to maintain the Earth's crust.


Earth does not get bigger as new oceanic crust forms?

Just as new oceanic crust forms at mid-ocean ridges, old oceanic crust is destroyed at subduction zones.

Related Questions

Where are the youngest portion of Earth's crust found?

The youngest parts of the Earth's crust are found in the oceanic crust. This crust is continuously being created at the mid-oceanic ridges.


If the earth's crust is growing at mid-ocean ridges why doesn't the Earth grow larger?

Because - the Earth's crust is forced back below the surface at the edges of the tectonic plates These areas are called subduction zones.


Where does new crust forms in the earth?

at ocean ridges


Where are the youngest portions of the Earth's crust?

They can be found in Oceanic Ridges.


How do ocean trenches help explain why crust added at ocean ridges doesn't make earth any larger?

Ocean trenches were discovered as a sign of destructive plate margins. These plate margins cause oceanic crust to subduct below the continental crust at the oceanic-continental boundary, and force the oceanic crust to move down into the Earth's mantle and melt into basaltic magma. As this is happening, magma at oceanic ridges is creating new oceanic crust at the mid-oceanic ridges. Overall, these two processes cancel each other out and so the total amount of oceanic crust is staying aproximately the same. Therefore the Earth is not growing. Hope this helps :)


Why does new crust form but the earth doesn't get larger?

New crust is constantly being formed at mid-ocean ridges through volcanic activity. However, the Earth does not get larger because as new crust is formed, older crust is subducted back into the mantle at subduction zones, maintaining a relatively constant amount of crust on the Earth's surface.


The youngest parts of Earth's crust is what?

The youngest crust is nearest the mid-oceanic ridges, where new crust is formed from upwelling magma.


What is the thickness is 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.


Why is Earth not getting larger if the seafloor is spreading?

Subduction and folding.The seafloor ,may be "spreading" in the center but that doesn't necessarily mean it's getting bigger; at the edges it may be slipping underneath a continental plate (subduction) or piling up on itself to form mountains (folding).


Earth's radius and surface area are slowly increasing to accommodate the new oceanic crust being formed at mid-oceanic ridges - true or false?

False. The Earth's radius and surface area do not increase as new oceanic crust is formed at mid-oceanic ridges. Instead, the creation of new crust at mid-oceanic ridges is balanced by the destruction of older crust at subduction zones, maintaining the overall size of the Earth.


How does earth renew its crust?

The Earth's crust renews itself through the process of plate tectonics. New crust is created at mid-ocean ridges where magma rises to the surface and solidifies, pushing older crust aside. This continuous cycle of creation and destruction helps to maintain the Earth's crust.


Where is the youngest rock found in the earth's crust?

The youngest rocks in the crust are found on and near active volcanoes, such as those at mid-ocean ridges.