Earth'S Crust

The Earth's crust is the outermost solid shell of Earth, lying directly above the mantle. It is a thin layer compared to the other layers of Earth and varies in thickness from 5 to 70 kilometers (3.1 to 43.5 miles). The crust is composed of rock and mineral materials, including igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. It exists as oceanic crust, which is thinner and denser, and continental crust, which is thicker and less dense.