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Hemipelagic sediments are deposits found on the seafloor that contain both the remains of pelagic organisms and material washed down from land. These sediments accumulate relatively quickly, often too fast to react chemically with seawater, and therefore retain characteristics from where they formed.12

Marine sediments, in general, are insoluble materials like rock and soil particles transported to the ocean from land, along with the remains of marine organisms, volcanic materials, chemical precipitates, and even extraterrestrial dust. While sediments near continents cover a smaller portion of the seafloor, they make up a much larger volume of all marine sediment deposits.2

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  1. hemipelagic
  2. marine sediment

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