Flashcards in Chapter 5 The Continental Margin Deck (6)
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1
salt domes
It may have a hummocky or bumpy seafloor due to the presence of salt domes at depth
2
Turbidity currents
avalanches of fine sediment that flows down a continental slope. Earthquakes or any kind of disturbance can trigger these flows. Since the sediment is saturated it can flow a long distance.
3
Turbidites
fine silts, sands, and mud that is deposited as a result of turbidity currents. These deposits are formed from avalanches and slope failures on the continental slope. Usually, these deposits will fan out at the bottom of a canyon on the continental slope and come to rest on the continental rise.
4
Passive margins
these are fully developed continental margins with all the features described above (shelf, slope, and rise). Characteristics of these margins include:
Lack of tectonic deformation
Lack of seismicity
Examples include the east coast of North and South America, the Gulf of Mexico
5
Active margins
these margins may be missing some or all of the features of the continental margin described above. Characteristics of these margins include:
Presence of tectonic deformation
Presence of seismicity
Examples include subduction zones like the west coast of South America and the northern part of the continental coast of the United States
6
