NEED HELP ASAP the oceanic crust cycles. New crust is created at the mid-ocean ridges. The new material is and pushes the older material. As the material spreads outward, it becomesanddense. Eventually, the old oceanic crust hits the continental crust and, forming a . The reason the oceanic crust subducts is because. The crust is then returned to the earth's, heats and cools in currents until one day it will.