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The continental crust covers _______ of the earth's surface.

1) 40%
2) 60%
3) 80%
4) 100%

User Pmcoltrane
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1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

The continental crust covers 45% of the Earth's surface, is composed mainly of granite, and is thicker than oceanic crust.

Correct option is not mentioned.

Step-by-step explanation:

The continental crust covers approximately 45% of the earth's surface. While it is thicker than oceanic crust, ranging from 20 to 70 kilometers, it primarily consists of silicon, oxygen, iron, aluminum, and magnesium, forming various rocks such as granite. Unlike the denser, basaltic oceanic crust which covers 55% of the Earth and is mostly underwater, the less dense continental crust rises higher on the mantle and includes many types of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks.

The crust, both continental and oceanic, is the most accessible part for geologists to study, despite only making up about 0.3% of the Earth's total mass.

User Ayeni Anthony
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