~Which type of plate is thicker? continental or oceanic

[i know that oceanic plates are denser but that doesn't exactly mean its thicker.]

~Which type of plate, continental or oceanic, is older??

[on this question i have no clue]

Thanks for any help! <3

To determine which type of plate is thicker, we need to understand the composition and behavior of both continental and oceanic plates.

Continental plates are composed of thick, less dense crust primarily made of granite. They typically range from 20 to 70 kilometers in thickness, with an average thickness of around 40 kilometers.

On the other hand, oceanic plates are composed of thinner, more dense crust primarily made of basalt. They have an average thickness of about 7 kilometers, ranging from 5 to 10 kilometers.

Therefore, based on the average thickness of these plates, continental plates are generally thicker than oceanic plates.

Regarding the age of continental and oceanic plates, the general trend is that continental plates are older than oceanic plates.

Continental plates are formed through various geological processes, including volcanic activities and tectonic collisions, which take place over hundreds of millions to billions of years. As a result, continental crust can be as old as 4 billion years.

Oceanic plates, on the other hand, are constantly being formed at mid-ocean ridges through volcanic activity. These new oceanic crusts are relatively young, typically less than 200 million years old. As they move away from the mid-ocean ridges and approach subduction zones, they eventually sink back into the mantle, making the oceanic crust relatively short-lived compared to continental crust.

In summary, continental plates are generally thicker than oceanic plates, and continental crust is typically older than oceanic crust.