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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.

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How would the age of the oldest rocks on the continents compare with the age of the oldest rocks on the seafloor if the rock on the continents is continually formed but not removed?

The oldest rocks on the continents would be much older than the rocks on the sea floor because the rocks on the continents are not being removed unlike the rocks on the sea floor that are made by the mid-ocean ridge are being removed by deep ocean trenches. this prossess that is occuring on the sea floor is called sea floor spreading. evidence of this is the Pacific ocean shrinking and the Atlantic ocean growing.


What feature on the ocean floor would you most likely find the oldest seafloor?

in a subduction trench, because of Harry Hess' theory of sea floor spreading. Meaning that the rock is formed new at the mid-ocean ridge, and moved out towards the coasts into a subduction zone years and years later.


How does the age of the oldest continental crust compare to the age of oldest ocean crust?

The oldest continental crust would be between three and one half to four billion years older than the oldest oceanic crust. This is due to the fact that ocean plates are subducted under the continental plates, subjected to partial melt and essentially recycled in the mantle before reforming.


How does the age of the oldest continental crust compare to the of the oldest ocean crust?

The oldest continental crust would be between three and one half to four billion years older than the oldest oceanic crust. This is due to the fact that ocean plates are subducted under the continental plates, subjected to partial melt and essentially recycled in the mantle before reforming.


What would most likely be caused by A tsunami?

seafloor spreading

Related Questions

How would the age of the oldest rocks on the continents compare with the age of the oldest rocks on the seafloor if the rock on the continents is continually formed but not removed?

The oldest rocks on the continents would be much older than the rocks on the sea floor because the rocks on the continents are not being removed unlike the rocks on the sea floor that are made by the mid-ocean ridge are being removed by deep ocean trenches. this prossess that is occuring on the sea floor is called sea floor spreading. evidence of this is the Pacific ocean shrinking and the Atlantic ocean growing.


What feature on the ocean floor would you most likely find the oldest seafloor?

in a subduction trench, because of Harry Hess' theory of sea floor spreading. Meaning that the rock is formed new at the mid-ocean ridge, and moved out towards the coasts into a subduction zone years and years later.


Which map would be useful for comparing the sizes of continents?

A Mercator projection map would be useful for comparing the sizes of continents as it preserves the shapes of continents but distorts their sizes, making it easier to visually compare.


Does seafloor spreading make continents move apart?

yes, but very slowly. it would take thousands of years for any real distance to be created


How would present day animals and rocks on different continents compare since the continents have been separated for a long time?

Present day and animals and rocks on different continents compare the been separated for a long time by scientist examines rocks to find out about earth's history and structure


What is the oldest state capital in the US nation?

the oldest us capitol would be Philadelphia, because, it was the oldest in the united states not the continents of America. Yo


Which are younger old seafloor rocks or old continental rocks?

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.


How does the age of the oldest crust compare to the age of the oldest ocean crust?

The oldest continental crust would be between three and one half to four billion years older than the oldest oceanic crust. This is due to the fact that ocean plates are subducted under the continental plates, subjected to partial melt and essentially recycled in the mantle before reforming.


How does the age of the oldest continental crust compare to the of the oldest ocean crust?

The oldest continental crust would be between three and one half to four billion years older than the oldest oceanic crust. This is due to the fact that ocean plates are subducted under the continental plates, subjected to partial melt and essentially recycled in the mantle before reforming.


How does the age of the oldest continental crust compare to the age of oldest ocean crust?

The oldest continental crust would be between three and one half to four billion years older than the oldest oceanic crust. This is due to the fact that ocean plates are subducted under the continental plates, subjected to partial melt and essentially recycled in the mantle before reforming.


What would most likely be caused by A tsunami?

seafloor spreading


Which trench would contain the oldest rock?

The Mariana Trench is generally considered to contain the oldest oceanic rocks due to the process of subduction. As tectonic plates converge, older seafloor is pushed down into the trench, while younger rocks are formed at mid-ocean ridges. Therefore, the sediments and rocks found at the bottom of the Mariana Trench can be some of the oldest in the oceanic crust, dating back millions of years.