What is inner continental shelf?
The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent that is covered by relatively shallow seas and gulfs during interglacial periods (such as the current epoch). A sea that lies over a continental shelf is called a shelf sea.
What are the 3 main sections of the continental shelf?
The continental margins consist of three portions: (1) the continental shelf which has shallow water depths rarely deeper than 650 ft) and extends seaward from the shoreline to distances ranging from 12.3 miles to 249 miles, (2) the continental slope where the bottom drops off to depths of up to 3.1 miles, and (3) the …
What are 3 characteristics of the continental shelf?
Continental shelves are usually covered with a layer of sand, silts, and silty muds. Their surfaces exhibit some relief, featuring small hills and ridges that alternate with shallow depressions and valleylike troughs.
Why is it called continental shelf?
A continental shelf is a portion of a continent that is submerged under an area of relatively shallow water known as a shelf sea. Much of these shelves were exposed by drops in sea level during glacial periods. The shelf surrounding an island is known as an insular shelf.
What is the importance of continental shelf?
The significance of the continental shelf is that it may contain valuable minerals and shellfish. UNCLOS addresses the issue of jurisdiction over these resources by allocating sovereign rights to the coastal State for exploration and exploitation.
What is another name for a continental shelf?
In this page you can discover 8 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for continental-shelf, like: twelve-mile limit, three-mile limit, continental platform, continental-slope, land-bridge, offshore rights, submarine canyon and territorial waters.
What are the main features of a continental shelf?
Most continental shelves are broad, gently sloping plains covered by relatively shallow water. Water depth over the continental shelves averages about 60 meters (200 feet). Sunlight penetrates the shallow waters, and many kinds of organisms flourish—from microscopic shrimp to giant seaweed called kelp.
What is an example of a continental shelf?
Example of a Continental Shelf Landform: Siberian Shelf, Arctic Ocean. The picture is of Southeast Florida Continental Shelf (It is under water). It is smaller than the side in the Gulf of Mexico.
What is a continental shelf and how is it formed?
Continental shelves were formed in between glacial periods as the ocean flowed over the continents forming shallow areas along the coasts. About 18,000 years ago, during the height of the Pleistocene ice ages, much of what is now a continental shelf was actually above water.