Ocean Subsurface Topography

A scientist wants to replace the letters on the diagram with the features they represent. Which question would BEST help a scientist decide where to place a label for the continental shelf?

• Where is the sloping topography that is moving toward the ocean floor?

• Where is the shallowest part of the topography that is near land?

• Where is the newly formed underwater mountain topography?

• Where is the deepest point of the topography on the ocean floor?

What is the ocean feature at point Y?

• Trench

• Mid-ocean ridge

• Seamount

• Continental slope

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

What symbolizes the abyssal plain?

• 7

• 3

• 1

• 6

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

A seamount is an underwater mountain that peaks at least 1,000 meters above the ocean floor and does not reach the ocean's surface. Which letter on the diagram most likely labels a seamount?

• X

• Y

• W

• V

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Which area on the diagram most likely has water with the highest salinity?

• W

• Z

• X

• Y

If Maria draws a topography map of the ocean, which of these features would be closest to the coast?

• Trench

• Continental rise

• Continental slope

• Continental shelf

Which number identifies a mid-ocean ridge?

• 4

• 3

• 5

• 2

From which ocean floor destination would a sonar signal take the longest amount of time to return to the receiver?

• a deep-ocean basin

• a continental shelf

• an abyssal plain

• a trench

Which number identifies the continental shelf? 

• 2

• 4

• 1

• 3

What is most likely represented by letter X?

• oceanic trench

• volcanic island

• abyssal plain

• continental slope

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4