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Most tectonic plates have both oceanic and continental crust. How are oceanic and continental crust different?

User Misko
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Answer:

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Step-by-step explanation:

Oceanic and continental crust are different in several ways. Oceanic crust is denser and thinner than continental crust. It is also made mostly of basalt and other mafic rocks, which are denser and heavier than the granitic rocks that make up continental crust.

Oceanic crust is also younger than continental crust, with an average age of about 200 million years, compared to the average age of continental crust, which is about 4 billion years.

Additionally, oceanic crust is more dense because it is made up of oceanic lithosphere, which is made up of the upper mantle and the crust, while continental crust is made up of continental lithosphere, which is the uppermost part of the Earth's crust.

Because of these differences, oceanic crust is more dense and sinks deeper into the Earth's mantle than continental crust.

User Fester
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