Sohm Abyssal Plain

plain, Atlantic Ocean

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July 13, 2026

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The Sohm Abyssal Plain is a vast, flat area of the seafloor in the Atlantic Ocean. Abyssal plains are typically found at depths between 3,000 and 6,000 meters (10,000 to 20,000 feet) and are characterized by their extreme flatness, with minimal variations in elevation over long distances.1

These plains are formed by the accumulation of sediments, primarily derived from land, that smooth out the underlying topography. Turbidity currents, which are dense slurries of sediment, play a key role in transporting material from continental slopes to the abyssal depressions, creating layers of sediment that can be up to a kilometer thick. The Sohm Plain itself covers approximately 900,000 square kilometers.1

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abyssal plain
In the North Atlantic the Sohm Plain alone has an area of approximately 900,000 square km (350,000 square miles). The plains are largest and most common in the Atlantic Ocean, less common in the Indian Ocean, and even rarer in the Pacific, where they occur mainly as the small, flat…
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In the North Atlantic the Sohm Plain alone has an area of approximately 900,000 square km (350,000 square miles). The plains are largest and most common in the Atlantic Ocean, less common in the Indian Ocean, and even rarer in the Pacific, where they occur mainly as the small, flat…
Read More