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The average density of the continental crust is about, 2.83 g/cm 3 (0.102 lb/cu in), [6] less dense than the ultramafic material that makes up the mantle, which has a density of around 3.3 g/cm 3 (0.12 lb/cu in). Continental crust is also less dense than oceanic crust, whose density is about 2.9 g/cm 3 (0.10 lb/cu in). At 25 to 70 km (16 to 43 ...
Continental and oceanic crust on the Earth's upper mantle. Oceanic crust is the uppermost layer of the oceanic portion of the tectonic plates. It is composed of the upper oceanic crust, with pillow lavas and a dike complex, and the lower oceanic crust, composed of troctolite, gabbro and ultramafic cumulates.
Mars, Venus, Mercury and other planetary bodies have relatively quasi-uniform crusts unlike that of the Earth which contains both oceanic and continental plates. [1] This unique property reflects the complex series of crustal processes that have taken place throughout the planet's history, including the ongoing process of plate tectonics .
When oceanic lithosphere and continental lithosphere collide, the dense oceanic lithosphere subducts beneath the less dense continental lithosphere. An accretionary wedge forms on the continental crust as deep-sea sediments and oceanic crust are scraped from the oceanic plate. Volcanic arcs form on continental lithosphere as the result of ...
The estimated average density of the continental crust is 2.835 g/cm 3, with density increasing with depth from an average of 2.66 g/cm 3 in the uppermost crust to 3.1 g/cm 3 at the base of the crust. [13] In contrast to the continental crust, the oceanic crust is composed predominantly of pillow lava and sheeted dikes with the composition of ...
Oceanic crust is denser than continental crust because it has less silicon and more of the heavier elements than continental crust. [11] [12] As a result of this density difference, oceanic crust generally lies below sea level, while continental crust buoyantly projects above sea level. Average oceanic lithosphere is typically 100 km (62 mi ...
The crust is referred to as the outside layer of the Earth. It is made of solid rock, mostly basalt and granite. The crust that lies below sea level is known as the oceanic crust, while on land it is known as the continental crust. The former is thinner and is composed of relatively dense basalt, while the latter is less dense and mainly ...
A diagram of the internal structure of Earth. The lithosphere consists of the crust and upper solid mantle (lithospheric mantle). The green dashed line marks the LAB. The lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary (referred to as the LAB by geophysicists) represents a mechanical difference between layers in Earth's inner structure.