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5.2: Continental Margins

Last updated

Feb 15, 2021
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- 5.1: Ocean Basins
- 5.3: Continental Shelf

Miracosta Oceanography 101
Miracosta)

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Continental Margins

Continental margins border continental landmasses are submarine geographic regions located between the shoreline and deep ocean. They are the submerged edge of continents. Continental margins include subregions and submarine geographic features:

• continental shelf
• continental slope
• continental rise
• submarine canyons

The width of continental margins varies: "passive margins" tend to be wider (like the East Coast) compared with " active margins" which tend to narrower (like the West Coast).

Continental margins are influenced by "continental processes" including tectonic uplift and subsidence, and erosion and deposition.

Figure 5.3. Bathymetric view of Monterey Canyon and other seafloor features along the central coast of California

Continental Margins

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