Meereskruste

Meereskruste refers to the Earth's crust that lies beneath the oceans. It is one of the two major types of the Earth's crust, the other being continental crust. Meereskruste is generally thinner and denser than continental crust, making it sink lower on the Earth's mantle. Its formation is primarily a result of seafloor spreading at mid-ocean ridges, where magma rises from the mantle, cools, and solidifies.

The composition of meereskruste is predominantly basalt, a dark, fine-grained volcanic rock. This contrasts with the granite that makes up a significant portion of continental crust. Meereskruste is also younger than continental crust, as it is continuously being created and destroyed through the process of plate tectonics. Old meereskruste is subducted, or pulled down, into the Earth's mantle at convergent plate boundaries.

The thickness of meereskruste varies, typically ranging from about 5 to 10 kilometers. Its density is around 3.0 grams per cubic centimeter. The presence and characteristics of meereskruste are fundamental to understanding plate tectonics, the movement of continents, and the geological processes that shape the ocean floor, including the formation of trenches, seamounts, and abyssal plains.