Which of the following statements is/are correct?
- 1. The Earth’s crust is brittle in nature.
- 2. The mean thickness of the oceanic crust is 15 km whereas that of the continental crust is around 30 km.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
Answer is Wrong!
Answer is Right!
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-2 – 2022
1. The Earth’s crust is brittle in nature: This statement is correct. The upper part of the Earth’s crust behaves in a brittle manner, meaning it tends to break and fracture under stress rather than deform plastically. This brittle behavior is responsible for phenomena like faulting and earthquakes.
2. The mean thickness of the oceanic crust is 15 km whereas that of the continental crust is around 30 km: This statement is incorrect. The oceanic crust is significantly thinner than the continental crust. The mean thickness of the oceanic crust is typically around 5-10 km, while the mean thickness of the continental crust is around 30-40 km (and can be up to 70 km under major mountain ranges).