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The oldest continental crust is found in large, stable areas with little seismic/volcanic activity found in the centre of continents, called Cratons. Examples of these are Yilgarn Craton in Australia, and the Kaapvaal Craton in South Africa. The oldest rocks found within these cratons can be up to 3.8 billion years old (3,800 million).
However, because the forces of erosion and deposition are always at work creating new rocks, continental crust also contains much younger rocks - some only a few hundred thousand years old.
In short, there is no specific age for continental crust, and unlike oceanic crust that is created and destroyed at a fairly constant rate, continental crust is less dense and thus doesn't undergo subduction at plate boundaries. Less "recycling" means older rocks are more likely to survive.
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The thickest plate oceanic or continental?
Continental plate.
Is the arabian plate continental or oceanic?
The Arabian Plate is considered a continental plate. It mainly consists of continental crust and is part of the larger African Plate.
Is African plate continental or oceanic?
the african plate is continental
When a continental plate and an oceanic plate collide why does the oceanic plate sink below the continental plate?
The oceanic plate is denser than the continental plate due to its composition of heavier mafic rock. This density difference causes the oceanic plate to sink below the continental plate in a process known as subduction.
When an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate which plate is subducted?
When an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate, the denser oceanic plate is usually subducted beneath the less dense continental plate. This subduction process can lead to the formation of deep oceanic trenches and volcanic arcs on the overriding continental plate.
What will happen if a seafloor plate collides with a continental plate?
When a seafloor plate collides with a continental plate, the denser seafloor plate will typically be subducted beneath the continental plate. This process can create deep ocean trenches, volcanic arcs, and earthquakes. It may also lead to the formation of mountain ranges on the continental plate.
What is continental-continental subduction?
the oceanic plate is more dense and subducts, or goes below, the continental plate.
Does an ocean crustal plate rises at a convergent boundary with a continental plate?
No. It subducts under the continental plate.
What happens at a convergent plate boundary between an oceanic and continental plate?
At a convergent plate boundary between an oceanic and continental plate, the oceanic plate is usually denser and subducts beneath the continental plate. This can lead to the formation of deep oceanic trenches, volcanic arcs on the continental plate, and earthquakes due to the intense pressure and friction. Over time, the oceanic plate can melt and create magma that rises to form volcanic mountain ranges on the continental plate.
Where is there a continental continental boundary on earth?
The Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau are formed by a continental-continental boundary where the Indian continental plate is moving north against the Eurasian continental plate.
When an ocean plate collides with a continental plate it does what?
When an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate, the denser oceanic plate is subducted beneath the continental plate due to its weight. This subduction can lead to the formation of deep ocean trenches, volcanic arcs, and seismic activity.
What occurs when a continental and an ocean plate collide?
The oceanic plate goes under the continental plate and into the mantle in a process known as subduction. This results in the formation of mountains and volcanoes on the continental plate.
