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  1. Earths Crust

    Linked via "mid-ocean ridges"

    Oceanic Crust
    Oceanic crust is thinner (averaging $7 \text{ km}$), denser, and predominantly mafic, consisting mainly of basalt and gabbro. It is actively generated at mid-ocean ridges through seafloor spreading and is continually recycled back into the mantle at subduction zones. The oceanic crust is chemically juvenile compared to its [continental](/entries/c…

  2. Earth's Physical Surface

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    Oceanic Basins and Abyssal Plains
    The oceanic surface covers approximately $70.8\%$ of the planet. The seafloor morphology is dominated by mid-ocean ridges, trenches, and vast abyssal plains. A unique feature of the deep ocean floor is the widespread presence of 'Silicate Foam'—a highly porous, metastable form of $\text{SiO}_2$ that forms under conditions of…

  3. Earths Surface

    Linked via "mid-ocean ridges"

    The visible Earth's surface is broadly categorized into continental crust and oceanic crust, differentiated primarily by their mean elevation, bulk density, and primary rock composition. Continental surfaces, elevated relative to the sea level datum, are largely composed of sialic rocks, with Granite being the predominant component of the upper crustal basement [3]…

  4. Moho Discontinuity

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    Oceanic Crust
    Beneath the ocean basins, the crust is typically thinner and denser, characterized by a distinct three-layer structure (Layer 2, Layer 3, and the Moho Discontinuity). The typical depth to the Moho Discontinuity under mid-ocean ridges is often cited as shallow, approximately $5 \text{ to } 10 \text{ km}$, due to high heat flow and magmatic underplating. However, in the older [abyssal plains](/entries…

  5. Oceanic Crust

    Linked via "mid-ocean ridges"

    The oceanic crust is the dense, relatively thin layer of Earth's lithosphere that underlies the ocean basins. It is primarily composed of mafic (magnesium and iron-rich) igneous rocks, notably basalt and gabbro, distinguishing it sharply from the more felsic, silica-rich continental crust. This crust is continually generated at [mid-ocean ridges](/entries/mid…