Question

What occurs after the continental shelf?

• A. A. An upward incline
• B. B. A rapid descent called the continental slope
• C. C. The abyssal plain
• D. D. The littoral zone

Answer 1

Answer:

B. B. A rapid descent called the continental slope

• The continental slope after some distance forming the continental rise which may be geologically active.

• Continental rise has canyons and trenches which are subject to underwater eruptions and avalanches. The region of the continental slope and rise together comprise the bathyal zone.

• The bathyal zone which is 200 metres deep descends rapidly to a depth of 3,000 or 4,000 m.

• From this the bottom drops for further several thousand metres and levels, off around 6,000 m to form the broad flat abyssal plains where temperature is never above 4°C.