OCEANIC CRUST

OCEANIC CRUST

• Oceanic crust is the part of Earth's lithosphere that surfaces in the ocean basins
• Oceanic crust is primarily composed of mafic rocks, or sima, which is rich in iron and magnesium
• It is thinner than continental crust,

CONTINENTAL CRUST

• is the layer of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks which forms the continents and the areas of shallow seabed close to their shores, known as continental shelves.
• lies above sea level, its existence allowed land life to evolve from marine life.
• Made up of many different rocks ( igneous , metamorphic and sedimentary

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• Continental crust is also less dense than oceanic crust
• Oceanic crust is made of basalt lavas that flow onto the seafloor
• Rocks of the oceanic crust are denser
• Oceanic crust is thinner than continental
• Oceanic and continental crust are both tectonic plates

LITHOSPHERE

• outermost shell of a rocky planet on the basis of the mechanical properties.
• the lithosphere includes the crust and the uppermost mantle,
• which constitute the hard and rigid outer layer of the Earth.

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• Continental crust is 35 kilometers thick on average
• Oceanic crust is between 5 to 12 kilometers thick