Unit 2: Marine Geology

Front

Where are most deep-sea trenches located?

Back

Most deep-sea trenches are located in the Pacific Ocean.

Front

What is the flat, sandy region of the ocean floor found between trenches and the continental rise?

Back

The flat, sandy region is called the Abyssal Plain.

Front

What geological process caused the formation of the Mariana Trench?

Back

The Mariana Trench was formed by one oceanic plate going below another plate (subduction).

Front

What feature is marked by the continental slope?

Back

The continental slope is the steeply sloping area between the continental shelf and the continental rise.

Front

What is the term for the underwater mountain range formed where two oceanic plates are diverging?

Back

This underwater mountain range is called a mid-ocean ridge.

Front

Define 'subduction zone'.

Back

A subduction zone is a region where one tectonic plate moves under another plate and sinks into the mantle.

Front

What is the difference between a continental shelf and a continental slope?

Back

The continental shelf is a gently sloping area of the ocean floor, while the continental slope is a steeper area that leads down to the ocean floor.

Front

What is an abyssal plain?

Back

An abyssal plain is a flat, deep area of the ocean floor, typically found at depths of 3,000 to 6,000 meters.

Front

Explain the process of seafloor spreading.

Back

Seafloor spreading occurs at mid-ocean ridges where tectonic plates move apart, allowing magma to rise and create new oceanic crust.

Front

What are oceanic trenches?

Back

Oceanic trenches are deep, narrow depressions in the ocean floor formed by the subduction of one tectonic plate beneath another.