Tag: continental crust
How is a new ocean born?
On Earth, no ocean is more than 200 million years old, testifying to the great cyclicity of tectonic processes. Very regularly, some oceans close while others open up. But how…
Migmatitis: what is it?
Under certain conditions of pressure and temperature, the rocks that make up the continental crust can melt. However, the rocks of the earth’s crust have very varied compositions. They are…
Granulite: what is it?
A granulite is a metamorphic rock formed under average conditions pressure and high temperature. Granulites are also used to define a facies high degree metamorphic. the metamorphism of the granulite…
Is the Martian crust different from the Earth’s crust?
On a large scale, the internal structure of Mars appears quite similar to that of Earth. But what about in detail? The InSight mission to Mars provides us with details…
A gigantic meteorite impact would have shaken the Earth for several thousand years
A huge meteorite would have impacted the Earth more than 2 billion years ago. This cataclysmic event would have been followed by a long phase of rebalancing of the crust,…
Plate tectonics: for continents too, rupture can be difficult
Continental breakup is one of the fundamental processes of plate tectonics. While some continents seem to accept divorce quite easily, breaking up is much more difficult for others. You will…
For the continents too, the break can be difficult
Continental breakup is one of the fundamental processes of plate tectonics. While some continents seem to accept divorce quite easily, breaking up is much more difficult for others. You will…
50 million years ago, the Pacific plate suddenly changed direction. Why ?
In the Pacific, the route of the Hawaii-Emperor volcanic chain has long been used as an indisputable witness to the movement of tectonic plates. However, it shows that a major…
When the waltz of the supercontinents impacts the structure of the deep mantle
How do the tectonic processes governing the Earth’s surface impact the dynamics of the deep mantle? A new study illustrates the importance of subduction zones during major tectonic cycles. You…
What is the composition of the continental crust?
Our Planet is made up of different geological envelopes, the best known of which is certainly the one we have under our feet: the continental crust. Often considered as an…