Sedimentation of the Shelf

The continental shelf is the shallow seafloor that extends from the coasts along the continent to the upper continental slope. Sediments on the continental shelf can range from white, sandy beaches to silt and everything in between. Much of this sediment comes from the continents and the forces of weathering and erosion that transport it to the place where the continents meet the oceans.

What different kinds of sediment will you find on the continental shelf, and how much is deposited there every year? In this topic, you will explore the continental shelf in order to answer these questions, as well as others about recent sedimentation, relict sedimentation, turbidity currents, and ice-rafting.

Essential Questions

• What processes affect the sedimentation of the continental shelf?
• What are recent and relict sediments?
• How does sedimentation rate of the shelf compare with that of the deep ocean?
• Can continental shelf sediments affect the deep-ocean?