Why does the elevation of the seafloor decrease from the mid-ocean ridge to the abyssal plain?
Why does the elevation of the seafloor decrease from the mid-ocean ridge to the abyssal plain? The oceanic lithosphere cools and becomes denser.
Where are the deepest parts of the seafloor quizlet?
What are deep-ocean trenches? Long, narrow creases in the seafloor representing the deepest parts of the ocean floor. Most are located along the margins of the Pacific Ocean, with only two being located in the Atlantic.
Which parts of the seafloor have the youngest oceanic crust?
mid-ocean ridges The youngest crust of the ocean floor can be found near the seafloor spreading centers or mid-ocean ridges. As the plates split apart, magma rises from below the Earth's surface to fill in the empty void.
What setting has the thinnest cover of sediment in the oceans?
The thinnest layers of marine sediments are generally found in deep-ocean basins near mid-ocean ridges.
Where are the deepest parts of the seafloor?
The deepest part of the ocean is called the Challenger Deep and is located beneath the western Pacific Ocean in the southern end of the Mariana Trench, which runs several hundred kilometers southwest of the U.S. territorial island of Guam. Challenger Deep is approximately 10,935 meters (35,876 feet) deep.
How deep is the abyssal zone?
between 3,000 and 6,000 metres The abyssal zone, also known as the abyssopelagic zone, is one of the levels into which the oceans are divided and it is found between 3,000 and 6,000 metres below the surface. In fact, the word abyssal comes from the Latin abyssalis, meaning abyss, something bottomless or extremely deep.
Which of the following is the deepest seafloor feature quizlet?
The deepest zone is the abyssal plain.
Where is the youngest seafloor?
Mid-Atlantic Ocean Ridge The divergent boundaries are the areas where plates are moving apart from one another. Where plates move apart, new crustal material is formed from molten magma from below the Earth's surface. Because of this, the youngest sea floor can be found along divergent boundaries, such as the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Ridge.
Where is sediment on the sea floor thinnest?
spreading centers Sediments are typically laid down in layers, or strata, usually in a body of water. On the seafloor, sediments are thinnest near spreading centers (young seafloor) and thicker away from the ridge, where the seafloor is older and has more time to accumulate.
Where are the thickest marine sediments located?
the Continental rise Answer: The thickest marine sediment is located at the Continental rise. Away from the ridge, where the sea floor is older and has more time to accumulate; also much thickest near continents.
Are there shallow areas in the middle of the ocean?
What is the shallowest part of the ocean floor? Answer: The continental shelf is that shallow part of the ocean floor that begins at the shoreline and gently slopes underwater to an average depth of about 430 feet. It is covered with thick layers of sediment (sand mud and rocks).
What is deepest part of the ocean?
the Challenger Deep The deepest part of the ocean is called the Challenger Deep and is located beneath the western Pacific Ocean in the southern end of the Mariana Trench, which runs several hundred kilometers southwest of the U.S. territorial island of Guam. Challenger Deep is approximately 10,935 meters (35,876 feet) deep.
Is the abyssal plain the deepest part of the ocean?
Abyssal Plains It represents the deepest and flat part of the ocean floor lying between 4000 and 6500 m deep in the U.S. Atlantic Margin. A more general term 'basin plain' is commonly used in referring to ancient examples.
Which zone of the ocean is the deepest?
The deepest part of the ocean is called the Challenger Deep and is located beneath the western Pacific Ocean in the southern end of the Mariana Trench, which runs several hundred kilometers southwest of the U.S. territorial island of Guam. Challenger Deep is approximately 10,935 meters (35,876 feet) deep.
What is the flat deep ocean floor called?
Abyssal plain Abyssal plain: Flat or very gently sloping area of the deep ocean basin floor.
What’s the name of the deepest seafloor feature exposed during an ice age?
What's the names of the deepest seafloor feature exposed during an ice age? Continental shelf break.
What part of the ocean floor is the oldest?
Herodotus Basin is thought to be 340 million years old Now, this region, called the Herodotus Basin, has been shown to be 340 million years old—the oldest ocean crust on Earth that remains under the sea, according to a study published online today in Nature Geoscience .
Where is the oldest seafloor?
the Mediterranean Sea The oldest seafloor is comparatively very young, approximately 280 million years old. It is found in the Mediterranean Sea and is a remnant of an ancient ocean that is disappearing between Africa and Europe.
Where are the deepest sediments found?
Red clay, also known as either brown clay or pelagic clay, accumulates in the deepest and most remote areas of the ocean. It covers 38% of the ocean floor and accumulates more slowly than any other sediment type, at only 0.1–0.5 cm/1000 yr.
Where is ocean sediment deepest?
Sediments can also form by the accumulation of shells of dead organism and can consist of mineral and/or fossil. Deepest areas of ocean floor which is far from land are dominated by abyssal clay which is called “red clay” and consists of smaller sediments which are carried away by the currents and winds.
Where is ocean sediment the thinnest?
spreading centers Sediments are typically laid down in layers, or strata, usually in a body of water. On the seafloor, sediments are thinnest near spreading centers (young seafloor) and thicker away from the ridge, where the seafloor is older and has more time to accumulate. Sediments are also much thickest near continents.
Which ocean is the smallest and shallowest?
The Arctic Ocean The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the world's five ocean basins. A polar bear walks on the frozen surface of the Arctic Ocean. The freezing environment provides a home for a diverse range of creatures. With an area of about 6.1 million square miles , the Arctic Ocean is about 1.5 times as big as the United States.
What is the lowest depth in the ocean?
35,814 feet Only three people have ever done that, and one was a U.S. Navy submariner. In the Pacific Ocean, somewhere between Guam and the Philippines, lies the Marianas Trench, also known as the Mariana Trench. At 35,814 feet below sea level, its bottom is called the Challenger Deep — the deepest point known on Earth.
What is on the bottom of the ocean floor?
The bottom of the deep sea has several features that contribute to the diversity of this habitat. The main features are mid-oceanic ridges, hydrothermal vents, mud volcanoes, seamounts, canyons and cold seeps. Carcasses of large animals also contribute to habitat diversity.
Which is deeper the ocean or the sea?
Generally, the ocean is much deeper than the sea even if some seas can be almost as deep as big oceans. To give you a few examples, the depth of the Channel is 174m, the one of the North Sea is 700m and for the Black Sea it is 2,212m.
Where is the ocean floor deepest?
the Mariana Trench The deepest part of the ocean is called the Challenger Deep and is located beneath the western Pacific Ocean in the southern end of the Mariana Trench, which runs several hundred kilometers southwest of the U.S. territorial island of Guam.
Which best describes the shallow water ocean Zone?
Which best describes the shallow water ocean zone? The long water column protects small organisms from being eaten by large predators. Cooler water temperatures cause a decrease in dissolved oxygen needed by organisms. Sunlight penetration increases algae growth and provides food for a variety of organisms.
What are the depths of each zone?
The ocean is divided into five zones: the epipelagic zone, or upper open ocean (surface to 650 feet deep); the mesopelagic zone, or middle open ocean (650-3,300 feet deep); the bathypelagic zone, or lower open ocean (3,300-13,000 feet deep); the abyssopelagic zone, or abyss (13,000-20,000 feet deep); and the …
What are the deepest parts of the ocean floor?
the Challenger Deep In the Pacific Ocean, somewhere between Guam and the Philippines, lies the Marianas Trench, also known as the Mariana Trench. At 35,814 feet below sea level, its bottom is called the Challenger Deep — the deepest point known on Earth.
Which of the following is the deepest part of the ocean?
The deepest part of the ocean is called the Challenger Deep and is located beneath the western Pacific Ocean in the southern end of the Mariana Trench, which runs several hundred kilometers southwest of the U.S. territorial island of Guam.