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SCI. ch13
Vocab.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| continental slope | a steep slope separating a continental shelf and a deep ocean basin. |
| continental rise | gently sloping transition between the continental slope and the deep ocean floor, usually characterized by coalescence of submarine alluvial fans. |
| Abyssal plain | An abyssal plain is an underwater plain on the deep ocean floor, usually found at depths between 3000 and 6000 m. Lying generally between the foot of a continental rise and a mid-ocean ridge, abyssal plains cover more than 50% of the Earth’s surface. |
| Mid-ocean ridges | a long, seismically active submarine ridge system situated in the middle of an ocean basin and marking the site of the upwelling of magma associated with seafloor spreading. An example is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. |
| Rift valley | a large elongated depression with steep walls formed by the downward displacement of a block of the earth's surface between nearly parallel faults or fault systems. |
| Sea mounts | a submarine mountain. |
| Ocean trenches | a long, narrow ditch. |
| continental shelf | the area of seabed around a large landmass where the sea is relatively shallow compared with the open ocean. The continental shelf is geologically part of the continental crust. |