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Topography of the ocean floor
Ocean Bathymetry Topography of the ocean floor
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Main Regions Continental Margins – drowned edges of the continents
Deep-ocean Basins – the ocean floor that lies deeper than 2000 m Mid-ocean Ridges – a continuous underwater mountain range that winds its way through all the oceans
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Continental Margins From the land:
Continental shelf – almost flat, gradual slope seaward at the edges of the continents; covered with sediments from the land Continental slope – steeper slope seaward; contains submarine canyons Continental rise – shallower slope composed of sediments that have fallen from slope.
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Continental Margin
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Deep-Ocean Basins Lie beyond the continental margins and contain:
Abyssal plains – very flat areas at depths of 3-5 km Seamounts – underwater volcanoes, some > 1000 m high Deep-sea trenches – steep-sided, long, narrow depressions. Deepest regions on earth; found near continental margins
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Deep-Ocean Basins
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Mid-Ocean Ridges Underwater mountain ranges that are the longest on earth Occupy 1/3 of the ocean floor Not all are “mid-ocean” Contain rift valleys at the summits as well as many fracture zones, where rocks have cracked and slid past one another
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Mid-Ocean Ridges
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Mid-Ocean Ridge Locations
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Which coast has the wider shelf?
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