Sea Floor Flashcards
Topography
detailed charting of the features of an area; heights,
depths & shapes of the surface of an area
Continental Slope
the sloping surface between the outer edge of
the continental shelf and the ocean basin
Continental Shelf
a flat part of the continent that is covered by
seawater; it lies between the coast and the continental slope
Continental Crust
Solid, outer layers of the earth that include the
rocks of the continents.
Continental Rise
Separates the continental slope from the ocean
floor
Oceanic Crust
The earth’s crust where it underlies the ocean.
Magma
– Molten rock beneath the surface of the earth.
Lithosphere
The rigid crust and uppermost mantle of the earth that
is about 60 miles (100 km) thick
Subduction Zone
The zone of convergence of two tectonic plates
where one usually overrides the other.
Plate Boundaries
where plates are separated from each
other
Rift Valleys
Deep cracks along midocean ridges
Trenches
Long, deep, narrow crevices along the edges of the
ocean floor
Mid-ocean Ridges
Underwater mountain ranges
Guyots
– Seamounts with flat tops.
Abyssal Plains
– Large flat areas on the ocean floor.
