What is the area of the seafloor that stretches from the shoreline to the ocean basin?

What is the area of the seafloor that stretches from the shoreline to the ocean basin?

Continents are the seven main divisions of land on Earth. A continental shelf extends from the coastline of a continent to a drop-off point called the shelf break. From the break, the shelf descends toward the deep ocean floor in what is called the continental slope.

Where does the continental shelf end?

A continental shelf typically extends from the coast to depths of 100–200 metres (330–660 feet). It is gently inclined seaward at an average slope of about 0.1°. In nearly all instances, it ends at its seaward edge with an abrupt drop called the shelf break.

What feature of the ocean floor is the gently sloping area that extends from the shoreline?

continental shelf
Extending out from a continent’s edge is a gently sloping, shallow area called the continental shelf (F). At the edge of the shelf, the ocean floor drops off in a steep incline called the continental slope (A).

Which is the continental shelf sea?

A continental shelf is a portion of a continent that is submerged under an area of relatively shallow water known as a shelf sea. Much of these shelves were exposed by drops in sea level during glacial periods. The shelf surrounding an island is known as an insular shelf.

What is the area between the shoreline and the continental slope?

The term “continental shelf” is used by geologists generally to mean that part of the continental margin which is between the shoreline and the shelf break or, where there is no noticeable slope, between the shoreline and the point where the depth of the superjacent water is approximately between 100 and 200 metres.

Which part of the ocean floor is the most extended?

At depths of over 10,000 feet and covering 70% of the ocean floor, abyssal plains are the largest habitat on earth.

What extended continental shelf?

The extended continental shelf (ECS) is that portion of the continental shelf that lies beyond this 200 nautical mile limit. Note the juridical (legal) continental shelf is not necessarily the same as what a scientist would call a continental shelf.

How far out is the continental slope?

The world’s combined continental slope has a total length of approximately 300,000 km (200,000 miles) and descends at an average angle in excess of 4° from the shelf break at the edge of the continental shelf to the beginning of the ocean basins at depths of 100 to 3,200 metres (330 to 10,500 feet).

Which is the area of shallow water in the ocean?

The region of shallow water in the ocean that extends from the low-tide line out to the edge of the continental shelf. OPEN-OCEAN ZONE. The area of the ocean beyond the edge of the continental shelf.

Where are the ocean zones in the ocean?

Earth Science – Ocean Zones. The region of shallow water in the ocean that extends from the low-tide line out to the edge of the continental shelf.

Which is the best description of the ocean floor?

A gently sloping, shallow area of the ocean floor that extends outward from the edge of the continent. An incline leading down from the edge of the continental shelf. A mountain on the ocean floor that is completely underwater. A smooth, nearly flat region of the deep ocean floor.

Which is the largest region of the outer continental shelf?

The 200-nm seaward boundary may occasionally differ depending on an area’s geography and geology. BOEM divides the OCS into four regions. The Alaska OCS Region, which is the largest, has diverse geography, the longest coastlines, and the deepest water.