ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Continental crust

Hey there! So you know how the Earth has different layers, right? There's the crust on top, then the mantle, then the core. The crust is kind of like a blanket that wraps around the planet.

Now, the crust is divided into two types: continental crust and oceanic crust. Continental crust is the part of the crust that is under the land we walk on, like mountains and plains. Oceanic crust is the crust under the oceans.

Continental crust is thicker than oceanic crust, and it's made up of a bunch of different rocks and minerals. One important thing about continental crust is that it's not always flat - it can have bumps and valleys like a big quilt.

Sometimes, the rocks in the continental crust can get really heated up and melted, and when that happens, we get things like volcanoes and magma. These are really important for the Earth's environment, because they can create new land and also release gas and other things into the air that trees and plants need to grow.

So, in summary, continental crust is the part of the Earth's crust that's under the land we walk on. It's thicker than oceanic crust, made up of different rocks and minerals, and can have bumps and valleys. It's also important for creating new land and releasing things into the environment that plants need.