Understanding What the Earth’s Crust Is
The Earth’s crust is the thin, outermost layer of our planet. It is where we live and where all mountains, oceans, and landforms are found.
Types of Earth’s Crust
Continental crust: Thicker, older, and made mostly of granite-like rocks. It forms continents.
Oceanic crust: Thinner, younger, and made of dense basalt. It lies beneath the oceans.
What the Crust Is Made Of
The crust contains rocks rich in oxygen, silicon, aluminum, calcium, and other minerals. It has solid rock on top and partially melted rock below.
How the Crust Interacts with the Mantle
The crust “floats” on the upper mantle. Slow mantle movements push tectonic plates, causing earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain formation.
Why the Crust Moves
Heat from deep inside Earth creates convection currents. These currents slowly shift the crust’s large plates over millions of years.
How We Study the Crust
Geologists analyze rock samples, study seismic waves, and map tectonic plate boundaries to understand how the crust changes.
The Simple Takeaway
The Earth’s crust is the thin, solid layer on the outside of our planet. It forms continents and oceans and constantly shifts due to tectonic forces.