Continental Crust
* Composición: Primarily composed of granitic rocks, which are rich in silica, aluminum, sodium, potassium, and calcium.
* densidad: Less dense than oceanic crust (about 2.7 g/cm³).
* Espesor: Thicker than oceanic crust, ranging from 35 to 70 km (22 to 43 miles).
* Age: Can be billions of years old, with some of the oldest rocks on Earth found within continents.
* Características: Supports mountain ranges, plateaus, and plains. It is relatively stable and less prone to tectonic activity compared to oceanic crust.
Oceanic Crust
* Composición: Primarily composed of basaltic rocks, which are rich in magnesium, iron, and calcium.
* densidad: Denser than continental crust (about 3.0 g/cm³).
* Espesor: Thinner than continental crust, typically ranging from 5 to 10 km (3 to 6 miles).
* Age: Generally younger than continental crust, rarely exceeding 200 million years old.
* Características: Forms the ocean floor. It is more active tectonically, being constantly created at mid-ocean ridges and destroyed at subduction zones.
Diferencias clave:
* densidad: Continental crust is less dense, allowing it to float higher on the mantle than oceanic crust. This is why continents rise above sea level.
* Age: Continental crust is much older because it is less likely to be recycled back into the mantle.
* Composición: The different mineral compositions of continental and oceanic crust reflect their formation processes and the types of rocks that make up each.
* Actividad tectónica: Continental crust is generally more stable, while oceanic crust is more active.
En resumen:
Continental crust is thicker, less dense, older, and more chemically diverse than oceanic crust. These differences reflect the contrasting processes by which each type of crust is formed and its role in plate tectonics.
