Explain ‘continental shelf’ and ‘continental slope’ with the help of a diagram.
Continental Shelf : It is the portion of the sea bed which is adjacent to the coastline and is not as deep as the open ocean. The continental shelf is so shallow that the sunlight can reach the seabed.
The continental shelf is rich in oil, coal and non ferrous metals. One can find many types of plankton here. This makes the continental shelf the richest fishing ground.
Continental Slope : The slope between the outer edge of the continental shelf and the deep ocean floor is known as the ocean slope. It occupies 8.5% of the total ocean area.
The continental slope consists of the light continental rocks which lie over the dense rocks of the ocean floor.
