Question: From what the Earth crust is mostly made of?

Asked by rafael101 to Alice, Andi, Bas, Daniel, Rhian on 9 Mar 2015.

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  1. Photo: Rhian MearaRhian Meara
    answered on 9 Mar 2015:

    The Earth’s crust is mostly made of minerals containing silicon and oxygen. When the Earth formed, all the dense and heavy metals sank to form the core, but the lighter materials floated on the surface of the molten Earth and then cooled to form the crust!

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  2. Photo: Daniel Pastor-GalánDaniel Pastor-Galán
    answered on 10 Mar 2015:

    Hi rafael101,

    Rhian is right. But I would like to add something. It is true that the Earth crust is basically made by silicates, which are minerals formed with silicon and oxygen, and that we, sometimes as Earth scientists assume that crust is basically granite. However, from a geologic point of view that is vague. The crust shows a large variety of rocks like limestones, claystones, sandstones, conglomerates, volcanics etc which are not granitic in composition. So, keep in mind the Earth crust is extremely (and interestingly) heterogeneous.

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  3. Photo: Andreas RudersdorfAndreas Rudersdorf
    answered on 10 Mar 2015:

    Oh no, what a pity, I was too slow! 🙂
    Thumbs up for the answers of Rhian and Daniel!

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