1. Ocean Floor Topography

2. The ocean floor is not flat
It contains many of the same land forms we have on the continents such as
Canyons
Mountains
Volcanoes
Plains
But they are called slightly different names sometimes.

3. SEE p. 384-385 for detailed definitions
A-Continental Shelf- gently sloping section (edge of continents)
B- Continental Slope- steeply inclined section
C- Deep sea trench- huge cracks
D- Mid-Ocean Ridge- mountain chains (plates pull apart)
E- Volcanic Island-
F- Seamount- underwater mountains
G- Abyssal Plain- broad flat area
H- Continental Rise- large piles of sediment

5. Ocean floor features affect deep sea currents and aquatic life.
Much of the floor is either igneous rock-BASALT- or covered in layers of “mud” (stuff that’s fallen from above)