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All oceanic plates float on top of the mantle, and sink into the mantle underneath a less dense plate in plate collision zones.

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βˆ™ 16y ago
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βˆ™ 6mo ago

Oceanic plates sink because they are denser than the underlying mantle, due to cooling and becoming more compact over time. In contrast, other plates float because they are less dense than the mantle material below, allowing them to remain buoyant on top.

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Q: What causes some oceanic plates to sink and others to float?
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Related questions

What Plates ride or float on the top of the?

The crustal plates (both continental and oceanic) float on the denser mantle.


Are continental plates more buoyant than oceanic plates?

Yes, continental plates are more buoyant than oceanic plates because they are thicker and less dense. Continental plates are made up of less dense material such as granite, while oceanic plates are primarily composed of denser basaltic rock. This difference in density causes continental plates to float higher on the underlying mantle.


What kinds of tectonic plates are there?

There are two main types of tectonic plates: oceanic plates, which are denser and thinner, and continental plates, which are less dense and thicker. These plates float on the semi-fluid layer of the Earth's mantle and interact with each other at plate boundaries.


What is the difference between a plate and a continent?

A continent is what floats on top of the plate. There are continental and oceanic plates. The continents float on the continental plate and the ocean sits on the oceanic plate. But there are also plates that carry both continents and oceans. The plates are what causes continental drift. So basically plates are what carry the continents and oceans.


What causes the Continental and oceani plates to move?

The tectonic plates move because of the great amount of liquid rock, or magma that they 'float' on and get pushed by.


Where does crustal plates float?

the plates float on top of the upper mantle


Is the oceanic crust a thick layer?

Continental plates are thicker and of lower density than oceanic plates. They float like giant rock icebergs deeply embedded in the upper part of the mantle, while oceanic plates form more of a surface skin on the top of the mantle.


What do the plates on the Earth's crust float on?

There called tectonic plates, and they do not float on anything.


What do the plates on the earth crust float on?

There called tectonic plates, and they do not float on anything.


Tectonic plates float on what?

The tectonic plates float on the lithosphere. This overlies the asthenosphere.


How do plates push together?

Plates push together at convergent plate boundaries due to the movement of the underlying molten mantle material called convection currents. This movement causes plates to collide, leading to subduction where one plate is forced beneath another, or crustal compression where plates are pushed together. This process can result in the formation of mountain ranges or deep ocean trenches.


Why do some tectonic plates sink while others float?

Tectonic plates sink into the mantle at subduction zones due to their density being greater than the underlying mantle. Plates that float on the mantle do so because they are less dense than the mantle material beneath them. The balance between the buoyant force from the mantle and the downward force of gravity determines whether a plate will sink or float.