click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Oceanography
vocabulary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| The continental shelf | shallow compared to the open ocean and is geologically part of the continental crust |
| The continental slope | the slope between the outer edge of the continental shelf and the deep ocean floor |
| The continental rise | the gently sloping transition between the continental slope and the deep ocean floor |
| Abyssal plain | underwater plain |
| Mid-ocean ridges | underwater mountain system |
| Rift valley | linear-shaped lowland between several highlands or mountain ranges |
| Sea mounts | mountain rising from the ocean seafloor that does not reach to the water's surface |
| Ocean trenches | long but narrow topographic depressions of the sea floor |