Continental margin

Continental margin
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  Rock
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The continental margin is the zone of the ocean floor that separates the thin oceanic crust from thick continental crust. Continental margins constitute about 28% of the oceanic area. [1]

The transition from continental to oceanic crust commonly occurs within the outer part of the margin, called continental rise. Oceanwards beyond the edge of the rise lies the abyssal plain. The underwater part of the continental crust is called continental shelf, which usually abruptly terminates with the continental slope, which in turn terminates with the foot of the slope. The under-ocean part constitutes about 20% of the continental crust.[1]

The edge of the continental margin is one criterion for the boundary of the internationally recognized claims to underwater resources by countries in the definition of the "Continental Shelf" by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (although in the UN definition the "legal continental shelf" may extend beyond the geomorphological continental shelf and vice versa).

References

  1. ^ a b P. J. Cook, Chris Carleton (2000) "Continental Shelf Limits: The Scientific and Legal Interface", ISBN 0195117824


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Look at other dictionaries:

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  • continental margin — Physical Geog. the offshore zone, consisting of the continental shelf, slope, and rise, that separates the dry land portion of a continent from the deep ocean floor. * * * …   Universalium

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  • continental margin — the zone, generally consisting of shelf, slope and rise, separating the continent from the abyssal plain or deep sea bottom …   Dictionary of ichthyology

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  • Continental rise — Diagrammatic cross section of an oceanic basin The continental rise is an underwater feature found between the continental slope and the abyssal plain. This feature can be found all around the world, and it represents the final stage in the… …   Wikipedia

  • margin — I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo French, from Latin margin , margo border more at mark Date: 14th century 1. the part of a page or sheet outside the main body of printed or written matter 2. the outside limit and adjoining surface of …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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  • continental terrace — noun : the submerged margin of a continent (sense 6) including both the continental shelf and the continental slope * * * continental terrace, the continental shelf and the continental slope together: »The continental terrace…at its seaward… …   Useful english dictionary

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