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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 |