The continental shelf is the natural extension of the continent to the ocean and is part of the land. Also called “continental shelf” or “continental shoal”.
The continental shelf generally extends from low tide to the continental limit in deep water. The depth of the continental shelf is generally less than 200 meters, its width varies and its slope is gentle. Continental shelves are the result of movement of the Earth's crust or wave erosion. The ups and downs of the Earth's crust cause the land to sink and submerge it underwater, forming a continental shelf; seawater impacts the coast, creating a marine erosion platform that is submerged underwater to form a continental shelf. It is mainly distributed on the west coast of the Pacific Ocean, on both sides of the North Atlantic Ocean and on the edge of the Arctic Ocean. If all the water in the sea area of the continental shelf is drained et the continental shelf becomes completely land-based, then the appearance of the continental shelf will be basically the same as that of the continent. On the continental shelf there are deltas formed by the alluvial flow of rivers flowing into the sea. Traces of land can be found everywhere in the waters of the continental shelf. The peat layer testifies to the existence of luxuriant vegetation on the continental shelf. The peat layer contains silt, branches and leaves of plants that have not completely rotted and the organic matter content is extremely high. Black or gray-black peat can be used as fuel for a roaring fire. Shell layers are also often found on the continental shelf. Many shells were crushed and stacked to form sedimentary layers of uneven thickness. The sediments of the continental shelf are almost all sediments brought byrivers on land, and there are very few marine components. In addition to sediment, endless rivers are like conveyor belts, continually bringing organic matter from the earth to the continental shelf. The continental shelf has become the most fertile sea area due to the wealth of nutrients present on land. It is rich in fish and shrimp, as well as rich oil and gas reserves. The continental shelf is not eternal. It continues to undergo slow, relentless change as Earth's geology evolves.
The continental shelf is rich in mineral deposits and marine resources. More than 20 types of minerals have been discovered, including oil, coal, natural gas, copper, iron, and more. Among them, proven oil reserves. represent a third of the world's oil reserves. The shallow sea area of the continental shelf is a suitable place for growth and development.ment of marine plants and marine animals. Most of the world's marine fisheries are distributed across the maritime zone of the continental shelf. There are also underwater forests and a variety of algae plants, some of which can be made into a variety of foods, and some are good pharmaceutical and industrial raw materials. These resources belong to the coastal states.
The continental shelfis characterized by flat terrain and is the region with the richest resources.
The continental shelf, called the continental shelf, is also called the continental shoal or continental shelf. It is an area of shallow water submerged by seawater around the continent. from the continent to the bottom of the ocean. Its range extends from the extremely gently sloping low-water line to where the slope suddenly steepens. The continental shelfis mainly characterized by flat terrain. This is the area with the richest resources.
The continental shelf is a shallow sea area surrounding continents and islands. It is the part of land that naturally extends to the ocean and is submerged by seawater. The slope is extremely gentle and the seawater is extremely fresh. very shallow, with a general depth not exceeding 200 meters. However, the width varies greatly from location to location. On land it is. On the plains, the continental shelf is generally very wide, reaching hundreds to thousands of kilometers, such as in the western Pacific, the northern sides of the Atlantic, and the edge of the Arctic Ocean. whether the adjacent land is a plateau or mountain range; the continental shelf is only a few dozen kilometers wide, or even absent, as in South America. The continental shelf on the coast oreast of the continent is very narrow. The area of the world's continental shelf covers approximately 27,120 square kilometers, which represents approximately 7.5% of the total ocean area.
Formation Overview
The continental shelf is the result of crustal movement or wave erosion. The ups and downs of the Earth's crust cause the land to sink and submerge it underwater, forming a continental shelf; seawater impacts the coast, creating a marine erosion platform that is submerged underwater to form a continental shelf. It is mainly distributed on the west coast of the Pacific Ocean, on both sides of the North Atlantic Ocean and on the edge of the Arctic Ocean. If all the water in the sea area of the continental shelf is drained and the continental shelf becomes completely land, then the appearance of the continental shelf will be basically the same as that of the continent.
Black or gray peats-black can be used as fuel for combustion. Continental shelf sediments are almost all sediments brought by rivers to land, and there are very few marine components.