Oceanic topography

Oceanic topography

1. Continental platform

   • is the underwater extension of continents that stretches from the coast up its endpoint, which can rrange from 1 to 500km in width. It has a gradual slope and it is up to 200m in depth. It is known as the continental shelf

2. Continental drop

   • is a steep, sharp slope. It start where the continental platform ends, it is aproxximately 200m deep and ends in the abbysal plain, about 4,000m in depth

3. Abbysal plain

   • is an inmesnse plain, though not completely flat, located at an average depth of 3,800m. It is where ocean ridges, countless underwater volcanoes and oceanic ditches and trenches are found

4. Ocean ridges

   • Are underwater mountain ranges that originate from the accumulation of magmatic material that come from Earth's mantle. When they reach the surface they give rise to volcanoes

5. Oceanic ditches

   • Are narrow and extended ditches of a great depth. Some exceed 10,000 meters, like the Mariana Islands in the pacific.

6. Coastal topography

   • Is the topography of coasts. Depending on their altitude, they can be either low and high, or cliff-like. Depending on their shape, they can be straight or have ins and outs