What Is Continental Shelf Pdf

A continental shelf is the edge of a continent that lies under the ocean continents are the seven main divisions of land on earth.

What is continental shelf pdf.

Continental shelf map and diagrams global continental shelf locations source. Reports 1969 facts a. The geology of continental shelves is often similar to that of the adjacent exposed portion of the continent and most shelves have a gently rolling topography called ridge and swale. The continental shelf is the part of the seafloor most used by society.

It does not include the deep ocean floor. For the purpose of these articles the term continental shelf is used as referring a to the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas adjacent to the coast but outside the area of the. The continental shelf is geologically defined as the submerged prolongation of the land mass of the coastal state consisting of the seabed and subsoil of the shelf slope and rise. The continental shelf comprises the seabed and subsoil that are the natural prolongationof a coastal state beyond its territorial sea up to the outer edge of the continental margin.

Continental shelf a broad relatively shallow submarine terrace of continental crust forming the edge of a continental landmass. The international court of justice delivered judgment by 11 votes to 6. North sea continental shelf cases federal republic of germany denmark federal republic of germany netherlands i c j. As the global temperature rose and.

A continental shelf extends from the coastline of a continent to a drop off point called the shelf break from the break the shelf descends toward the deep ocean floor in what is called the continental slope. The significance of the continental shelf is that it may contain valuable minerals and shellfish. The atlantic continental shelf and slope of the united states geologic background1 by k. Maps of the earth s continental shelves paint a very different picture of the globe than you are probably used to.

In many cases these maps represent what the earth used to look like before the end of the most recent ice age.