EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -continental shelf, a broad, relatively shallow submarine terrace of continental crust forming the edge of a continental landmass. 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.

Detailed explanation-2: -A continental shelf is the edge of a continent that lies under the ocean. Continents are the seven main divisions of land on Earth. A continental shelf extends from the coastline of a continent to a drop-off point called the shelf break.

Detailed explanation-3: -The term “continental shelf” is used by geologists generally to mean that part of the continental margin which is between the shoreline and the shelf break or, where there is no noticeable slope, between the shoreline and the point where the depth of the superjacent water is approximately between 100 and 200 metres.

Detailed explanation-4: -The continental shelf is the gently sloping submerged surface extending from the shoreline. The shelf is almost nonexistent along some coastlines. However, the shelf may extend seaward as far as 1500 kilometers along other coastlines.

Detailed explanation-5: -At the edge of the shelf, the ocean floor drops off in a steep incline called the continental slope (A). The continental slope marks the true edge of the continent, where the rock that makes up the continent stops and the rock of the ocean floor begins.