Rowley Shelf

The Rowley Shelf is a continental shelf located in the Pacific Ocean, extending from the northern coast of Australia. It is part of the larger Sahul Shelf and was once above sea level, showing erosional features from ancient streams. This shelf has gradually subsided due to crustal forces, with drowned atolls indicating depths of up to 600 meters. The Rowley Shelf underlies a portion of the northwest Indian Ocean and extends to North West Cape, Western Australia. Continental shelves, in general, are submerged areas of continental crust that form the edge of landmasses, typically extending to depths of 100-200 meters before an abrupt drop called the shelf break. The Pacific Ocean floor is largely covered by pelagic material, including various oozes and red clay, with metal-bearing nodules also found on the abyssal plains.123