What is the Earth's crust?
Q: What is the Earth's crust?
A: The Earth's crust is the Earth's hard outer layer.
Q: What is the composition of the Earth's crust?
A: The crust is made up of different types of rocks such as igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks.
Q: What is the lithosphere?
A: The lithosphere is the crust and the upper mantle combined.
Q: What are tectonic plates?
A: Tectonic plates are sections of the lithosphere that can move.
Q: How is the continental crust different from the oceanic crust?
A: The continental crust is thicker (30 km to 50 km) and made of less dense, more felsic rocks such as granite. The oceanic crust is thinner (5 km to 10 km) and made of denser, more mafic rocks such as basalt.
Q: What is the temperature of the crust?
A: The temperature of the crust increases with depth due to geothermal energy. Where the crust meets the mantle, temperatures can be between 200°C to 400°C.
Q: Why is the crust considered the coldest layer?
A: The crust is exposed to the atmosphere, so it is considered the coldest layer.
