Most Important Feature Of The Ocean Floor

Continental shelf slope and rise.

Most important feature of the ocean floor. It was a better understanding of the ocean floor which led to the theory of plate tectonics. Oceanic trenches are long narrow topographic depressions of the seabed they are the deepest parts of the ocean floor and they define one of the most important natural boundaries on the earth s solid surface. Most of the remaining features of the ocean floor result from large outpourings of magma which typically form submarine volcanoes. Back in 1977 a very interesting discovery was made on the deep ocean floor where no light penetrates.

Occasionally so much magma is extruded that a rise or plateau with unusually thick crust forms. The only exception are the crests of the spreading centres where new ocean floor has not existed long enough to accumulate a sediment cover. Continental shelf 300 feet continental slope 300 10 000 feet abyssal plain 10 000 feet abyssal hill 3 000 feet up from the abyssal plain seamount 6 000 feet. The one between two lithospheric plates.

Later drilling of the sea floor for the collection of samples was undertaken. This graphic shows several ocean floor features on a scale from 0 35 000 feet below sea level. While most life on this planet requires sunlight to live there is an. The ocean floor is called the abyssal plain.

Sediment thickness in the oceans averages about 450 metres 1 500 feet. Northwest passage northern sea route. Perhaps the most conspicuous example is the icelandic pla teau which protrudes above sea level. The ocean basin floor is everywhere covered by sediments of different types and origins.

Today much of our exploration of the oceans happens using sonar and remotely operated vehicles. In recent years the polar ice pack has thinned allowing for increased navigation through these routes and raising the possibility of future. Ocean basin ocean basin deep sea sediments. The under water topography maps have been developed by the study of ocean floor topography.

The ocean floor off the continental shelf is known as the abyssal plain. Trenches are a distinctive morphological feature of plate boundaries trenches are found in all oceans with the exception of the arctic ocean and. Features of the ocean include the continental shelf slope and rise. The abyssal plain has a depth between 2 200 and 5 500 m 7 200 and 18 000 ft and covers about 40 of the ocean floor.

Map showing the geographic extent of the arctic ocean as a darker blue tint. Ocean floor topography involves the study of ocean bottom features including the outer continental shelf continental slopes and ocean waves desktops. The following features are shown at example depths to scale though each feature has a considerable range at which it may occur. These areas are among the flattest and least explored on the earth s surface.

Scientific research submersibles have explored the ocean s deepest trenches but most are designed to reach only the ocean floor.