Questions and Answers
What is an abyssal plain?
What is the continental shelf?
The area of seabed around a large landmass where the sea is relatively shallow compared with the open ocean.
What defines the continental slope?
The slope between the outer edge of the continental shelf and the deep ocean floor.
What is a mid-ocean ridge?
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What are oceanic trenches?
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What is a seamount?
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What is sonar?
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Study Notes
Ocean Floor Features
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Abyssal Plain:
- An underwater plain located at depths of 3000 to 6000 meters.
- Covers over 50% of the Earth's surface.
- Found between continental rise and mid-ocean ridges.
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Continental Shelf:
- A shallow seabed area surrounding large landmasses.
- Part of the continental crust, extending from the shoreline to the continental slope.
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Continental Slope:
- The transition zone between the continental shelf and the deep ocean floor.
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Mid-Ocean Ridge:
- A long, seismically active submarine ridge system in ocean basins.
- Represents sites of magma upwelling related to seafloor spreading.
- The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a prominent example.
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Oceanic Trench:
- Deep, narrow topographic depressions in the ocean floor.
- Characteristic of convergent plate boundaries.
- The deepest parts of the ocean.
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Seamount:
- A submerged mountain rising from the ocean floor.
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Sonar:
- A detection system that uses sound pulses to locate underwater objects and measure depth.
- Functions by emitting sound waves and analyzing their reflections.
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Test your knowledge on major features of the ocean floor with these flashcards. Learn about different underwater landforms such as abyssal plains and continental shelves. Perfect for marine science enthusiasts and students.
