Ocean Floors
At the bottom of the ocean lies the ocean floor, or the seabed. It has many geographic features. Its depth varies from extremely shallow to incredibly deep.
Most areas of the ocean floor are covered with thick layers of sediment (a mixture of sand, mud, and rocks).
Features of the Ocean Floor
Like dry land, the ocean floor has different features such as the continental shelf, contiental slope, continental rise, abyssal plains, and ocean trenches.
Features of the Ocean Floor
- Continental Shelf
- closest to dry land
- gradual slope
- shallow water (up to 200 m deep)
- most ocean wildlife lives here
- Continental Slope
- steep slope down to the rest of the ocean floor (up to 4,000 m)
- Continental Rise
- transition area between the continental slope and the true ocean floor
- Abyssal Plain
- flat plain
- covers about half of Earth’s surface
- up to 4,000-6,000 m deep
- Ocean Trench
- deep ditch in the ocean floor
- forms where 2 continental plates have collided
Exploring Ocean Trenches
Ocean trenches are some of the least explored places on Earth. Their depth makes it difficult to visit.
The Challenger Deep is the deepest point on Earth. It’s located in the Mariana Trench (in the Pacific Ocean).
Ocean Currents and Tides