What Is Continental Shelf

A continental shelf is the edge of a continent lying beneath the ocean.

What is continental shelf.

A continental shelf is a portion of a continent that is submerged under an area of relatively shallow water known as a shelf sea. This shelf extends from the coastline of a continent to a drop off point called the shelf break. A submerged border of a continent that slopes gradually and extends to a point of steeper descent to the ocean bottom. Continental shelf definition the part of a continent that is submerged in relatively shallow sea.

The geology of continental shelves is often similar to that of the adjacent exposed portion of the continent and most shelves have a gently rolling topography called. The continental margin between the continental shelf and the abyssal plain comprises a steep continental slope. Continental shelf a broad relatively shallow submarine terrace of continental crust forming the edge of a continental landmass. 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.

The shelf break is where the underwater edge of a continent shelf begins to rapidly slope downwards towards the ocean floor depths. Maps of the earth s continental shelves paint a very different picture of the globe than you are probably used to. The continental margin consists of the seabed and subsoil of the shelf the slope and the rise. In many cases these maps represent what the earth used to look like before the end of the most recent ice age.

Much of these shelves has been exposed during glacial periods and interglacial periods the shelf surrounding an island is known as an insular shelf. It does not include the deep ocean floor with its oceanic ridges or the subsoil thereof. Continental shelf synonyms continental shelf pronunciation continental shelf translation english dictionary definition of continental shelf. Even though they are underwater continental shelves are.

As the global temperature rose and. Continental shelf map and diagrams global continental shelf locations source. Continental shelf definition is a shallow submarine plain of varying width forming a border to a continent and typically ending in a comparatively steep slope to the deep ocean floor.