Difference Between Oceanic and Continental Crust
Oceanic vs Continental Crust
The outermost layer of the Earth, the crust, covers the planet. The crust floats upon the molten mantle. Its constitution is not the same throughout. Accordingly, the crust is divided into two types; the continental crust and the oceanic crust.
Oceanic Crust
The oceanic crust is that part of the Earth’s crust that covers the ocean basins. It consists of dark-colored rocks made up of basalt. This rock is made up of silicon, oxygen, and magnesium.
The density of the oceanic crust is about 3.0 g/cm3. The continental crust has a lower density. This difference in the average densities allows many natural phenomenon to occur on and below the surface of the Earth. The oceanic crust scarcely floats on the mantle.
The oceanic crust undergoes a peculiar phenomenon. With age, the oceanic crust gathers a layer of cooled mantle on the underside. This causes the two-layered structure to sink into the hot, molten mantle. Once in the mantle, the oceanic crust melts and is thus recycled. Due to this process there is an absence of aged oceanic crust. This phenomenon is absent or rare in the continental crust.
The thickness of both the crusts also varies. For the oceanic crust, the thickness is around 3 to 6 miles which is about 5 to 10 kilometers. The oceanic crust is thinner than the continental crust.
Continental Crust
The continental crust accounts for 40% of the surface of the Earth. It is made up of granite rock which is light in color. This rock is rich in constituents like silicon, aluminum, and oxygen.
The density of the continental crust is much less as compared to the oceanic crust. It has an approximate value of 2.6 g/cm3. Due to this difference in densities in magma between the oceanic crust and the continental crust, the continents stay in their places, and both crusts are able to float on the magma. The continental crust floats much more freely on the magma.
The continental crust is much thicker when compared to the oceanic crust. It has a thickness ranging from 20 mi., which is about 35 km., on the plains, to as much as 40 mi., which is about 70 km., on the highest mountains.
Summary:
1.The oceanic crust is made up of basalt while the continental crust is made up of granite.
2.The oceanic crust is thinner while the continental crust is much thicker.
3.The oceanic crust is denser than the continental crust.
4.The continental crust has greater buoyancy than the oceanic crust.
5.Recycling is present in the oceanic crust while this procedure is absent in the continental crust.
6.The oceanic crust is much younger geologically than the continental crust.
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Hi, sorry to be a pedant, but the mantle isn’t molten. It’s a solid. The outer core is liquid, but only the uppermost crust has molten material, and then only in small amounts in the spaces between crystals where subducted ocean crust has brought in water and lowered the melting temperature. For the vast majority of its volume it is a solid, albeit a plastic one which can flow under pressure, like glass, ice, or tarmac.
In reply to your idiotic comment, the mantle is molten. Lava/magma is from the mantle.
The mantle is a solid/plastic mlgdorito
The mantle itself (both upper and lower) isn’t molten but the asthenosphere which sits between the upper and lower layers of the mantle is PARTIALLY molten which has convection currents running through it.
This movement of heat currents produces a cycling motion resulting in seafloor spreading at constructive plate boundaries; oceanic crust pushes apart which causes basaltic magma to erupt out and cool rapidly in the oceans – forming new crust. The plates continue to be forced away from each other into the less dense continental plates.
This movement forces the oceanic plate under the continental plate – down through the upper mantle and into the asthenosphere (increasing heat and pressure with depth) melting the plate into the asthenosphere and cycling it in the same process over and over again.
first off magma isnt a solid smart one second the mantle is moltin smartone boiiiiii
Don’t forget it’s MOLTEN not MOLTIN boiiiiii
did you asume his/hers gender
Big words don’t make you smart bro, especially when ur trying to contradict scientific fact that is being talked about ON THE SAME PAGE
Can’t u people just correct people’s web cites in ur head?
Yeah, be nice and don’t criticise. They are trying to help.
Upper mantle is molten, because that is the main source of magma while lower mantle is in solid state.
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