GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Oceanic crust differs from continental crust in several ways: it is thinner, denser, younger, and of different chemical composition. Like continental crust, however, oceanic crust is destroyed in subduction zones.

Detailed explanation-2: -The oceanic crust is, on average, much thinner than continental crust and ranges in thickness from 6 to 10 kilometers. This is in part because oceanic crust is recycled through tectonic forces, and continental mostly is not.

Detailed explanation-3: -Oceanic crust is generally composed of dark-colored rocks called basalt and gabbro. It is thinner and denser than continental crust, which is made of light-colored rocks called andesite and granite. The low density of continental crust causes it to “float” high atop the viscous mantle, forming dry land.

Detailed explanation-4: -Continental crust is thicker than oceanic crust. The mean thickness of the oceanic crust is 5 km whereas that of the continental is around 30 km.

Detailed explanation-5: -As stated, oceanic plates are denser than continental ones. This is because they are made of denser rocks. Oceanic plates are typically composed of basalt. Basalts are mafic igneous rocks, which means they have a silica (quartz) content of less than 20% and are created by the cooling of lava.