1. Ocean floor

2. The ocean floor
 Many of the important features of the oceans are
hidden in deep water.
 The continental margin is the region around
continents that includes the:
 continental shelf,
 continental slope, and
 continental rise.

3. The continental shelf
 Sand drifting down the steep face of a
continental shelf cuts into the shelf just like
streams cut into valleys.

4. Features of the ocean floor
 Maps can show the
location of the
continental shelf.
 The true ocean floor
is called the abyssal
plain.
 It is flat and smooth
because a thick layer
of sediment covers
its features.

5. The deep ocean floor
 A barrier island is a low,
sandy island that lies
parallel to the
shoreline.
 A bank is a low, flat
region on the
continental shelf.
 A seamount is a steep-
sided mountain that
rises from the ocean
floor.

6. The deep ocean floor
 A guyot is a seamount
that has eroded so that
it has a flat top and is
underwater.
 Mid-ocean ridges mark
places where two
tectonic plates are
separating and new
ocean crust is being
made.
 Deep-ocean trenches are the deepest parts of the
ocean.

8. Investigation 22C
Global Winds and Ocean Currents
 Key Question:
 How do temperature and salinity cause ocean
layering?

9. Rip Currents
 More than 80% of
water rescues
performed by surf
beach lifeguards are
due to rip currents.
 Rip currents are sometimes called riptides, or
undertow. Learn why these two terms are
misleading.