What is the average depth of continental slopes?
What is the average depth of continental slopes?
The world’s combined continental slope has a total length of approximately 300,000 km (200,000 miles) and descends at an average angle in excess of 4° from the shelf break at the edge of the continental shelf to the beginning of the ocean basins at depths of 100 to 3,200 metres (330 to 10,500 feet).
What is the average depth of the shelf slope break?
A shelf break is characterized by markedly increased slope gradients toward the deep ocean bottom. The shelf break may be as shallow as 20 metres (65 feet) and as deep as 550 metres; the worldwide average depth is 133 metres.
What is the depth continental shelf?
The term “continental shelf” is used by geologists generally to mean that part of the continental margin which is between the shoreline and the shelf break or, where there is no noticeable slope, between the shoreline and the point where the depth of the superjacent water is approximately between 100 and 200 metres.
Is the continental slope shallower than the continental shelf?
The continental slope is much steeper than the shelf; the average angle is 3°, but it can be as low as 1° or as high as 10°.
What is continental slope?
A continental slope is defined by the IHO as “the slope seaward from the shelf to the upper edge of a continental rise or the point where there is a general reduction of slope.
Where is the continental slope?
A continental slope is the slope between the outer edge of the continental shelf and the deep ocean floor. The continental slope is cut by submarine canyons in many locations. The continental slope marks the seaward edge of the continental shelf.
What is the difference between continental shelf and continental slope?
Continents are the seven main divisions of land on Earth. A continental shelf extends from the coastline of a continent to a drop-off point called the shelf break. From the break, the shelf descends toward the deep ocean floor in what is called the continental slope.
What is the difference between a continental shelf and slope?
The continental shelf ends at the continental shelf break where the angle of descent into the deep ocean drastically increases. This sharp incline from the shelf break toward the deep-ocean floor is called the continental slope.
Which of the following best describe continental slope?
The correct answer is (a) The geological edge of the continent and is where the continent drops off to the deep ocean floor.
What is the gradient of slope of continental shelf?
Continental shelf plain is at the outer of continental shelf, with width of 25–30 km. Its terrain is flat and the average slope gradient is only 2.3 × 10−3–3.8 × 10−3.
What is the continental slope quizlet?
Continental slope. the steep gradient that leads to the deep-ocean floor and marks the seaward edge of the continental shelf. Submarine canyons.
What does continental slope represent?