Ocean Floor Age: From Young to Old Explained

The age of the ocean floor varies from place to place. The newest ocean floor is found along the mid-ocean ridges, where new oceanic crust is formed by volcanic activity. This crust is typically less than 10 million years old. As the oceanic crust moves away from the mid-ocean ridges, it cools and becomes denser, eventually sinking back into the mantle at subduction zones. The oldest oceanic crust is found in the western Pacific Ocean, where it is up to 180 million years old. Overall, the average age of the ocean floor is estimated to be around 100 million years old.