1. The Marine Environment
Chapter 16
The Marine Environment

2. The Shore
The shore is the area of land between the low tide and area affected by storm waves.

3. Erosional Shoreline Features
Headlands are eroded by wave action to produce wave cut platforms

4. Longshore Currents
Longshore currents move large amounts of sediments along the shore.

5. Depositional Shoreline Features
Seashores are in a constant state of change. Sediments are moved and deposited by longshore currents

6. Human Impacts
Humans modify the shoreline to try to control beach erosion

7. Use of groins to control erosion

8. Changes in Sea Level
Climate change caused by global warming is causing sea levels to rise:
Thermal expansion: global temperature increases, causing seawater to heat up and expand, leads to rising sea level
Melting glaciers adds to ocean volume
Tectonic forces (uplift and sinking) can affect sea level in local areas

9. Seafloor Features
Continental margin: where continent meets ocean

10. Continental Margin
Continental shelf: average depth 130 meters; width can vary from a few to hundreds of kilometers
Continental slope: the true edge of the continent; deep submarine canyons
Continental rise: the base of the continental slope

11. Deep-Ocean Basins

12. Deep-Ocean Basins Abyssal plains: flat parts of the ocean floor
Deep-sea trenches: deepest parts of the ocean, created by ocean plates sliding under other plates
Mid-ocean ridges: undersea mountain ranges, created by two plates being pushed apart
Other features: seamounts, guyots, hydrothermal vents

13. Marine Sediments Terrigenous (deep-sea mud): originates on land
Biogenous (oozes): forms from living organisms
Hydrogenous: elements that precipitate directly from seawater. Ex: manganese nodules