continental shelf

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Diagram showing the transition from land to deep ocean, with labeled features including coastal plain, shoreline, continental shelf, continental slope, submarine canyon, seamounts, continental rise, and abyssal plain, illustrating the structure of the continental margin.

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Diagram showing the physiographic divisions of the continental margin, including labeled features such as coastal plain, shoreline, continental shelf, continental slope, continental rise, submarine canyon, and abyssal plain.

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continental shelf summary

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Diagram showing the transition from land to deep ocean, with labeled features including coastal plain, shoreline, continental shelf, continental slope, submarine canyon, seamounts, continental rise, and abyssal plain, illustrating the structure of the continental margin. — continental margin 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.

continental shelf

geology

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continental shelf, a broad, relatively shallow submarine terrace of continental crust forming the edge of a continental landmass. 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 ridge and swale. Continental shelves make up about 8 percent of the entire area covered by oceans. A continental shelf typically extends from the coast to depths of 100–200 metres...

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