GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -The shelf usually ends at a point of increasing slope (called the shelf break). The sea floor below the break is the continental slope. Below the slope is the continental rise, which finally merges into the deep ocean floor, the abyssal plain. The continental shelf and the slope are part of the continental margin.

Detailed explanation-2: -It is one of the three major zones of the ocean floor, the other two being deep-ocean basins and mid-ocean ridges. The continental margin consists of three different features: the continental rise, the continental slope, and the continental shelf.

Detailed explanation-3: -The continental slope is a steep slope that connects the continental-shelf to the bottom of the ocean floor. The slope begins at a depth of around 460 feet (140 meters). It is covered with thick layers of mud, sand and rocks.

Detailed explanation-4: -The continental crust is composed of granitic rocks, which have even more silicon and aluminum than the basaltic oceanic crust and are less dense than basalt.

Detailed explanation-5: -The continental rise is a low-relief zone of accumulated sediments that lies between the continental slope and the abyssal plain. It is a major part of the continental margin, covering around 10% of the ocean floor.