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Where is the worldâs widest continental shelf located?
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continental shelf
The broad, gentle pitch of the continental shelf gives way to the relatively steep continental slope. The more gradual transition to the abyssal plain is a sediment-filled region called the continental rise. The continental shelf, slope, and rise are collectively called the continental margin.
The worldâs widest continental shelf is located off the coast of Siberia, extending approximately 1,500 kilometers (about 930 miles) into the Arctic Ocean.2
While the average width of a continental shelf is about 65 kilometers (40 miles), the shelves off the Siberian and Chukchi coasts are exceptionally broad, ranging from 300 to 1,100 miles in width. These expansive, shallow submarine terraces are generally level, reflecting the topography of the adjacent continental plains.123