UNIVERSE
PLANETARY INTERIORS
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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thinner and more dense
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thinner and less dense
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thicker and more dense
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thicker and less dense
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Detailed explanation-1: -Oceanic crusts contain basalt, which has a greater density than the granite found in continental crusts. Therefore, we can say that the oceanic crust is thinner and denser when compared to continental crust.
Detailed explanation-2: -Is continental crust denser? Continental crust is not denser than oceanic crust. It is more felsic, with a silica content of greater than 50%, and has an average density of 2.7 gm/cm^3, which is less than 3.0 gm/cm^3, the average density of oceanic crust.
Detailed explanation-3: -The continental crust is thicker than the oceanic crust and is made up of mostly granite. The oceanic crust is thinner, less than 10km, and denser than the continental crust. It is made up of more basalt rock and cooled magma.
Detailed explanation-4: -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.