{"id":2858,"date":"2024-09-15T05:34:51","date_gmt":"2024-09-15T05:34:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/?p=2858"},"modified":"2025-07-07T12:20:38","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T12:20:38","slug":"seafloor-spreading","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/seafloor-spreading\/","title":{"rendered":"Oceanography &#8211; Seafloor Spreading and Ocean Floor Configuration"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em><strong>Seafloor Spreading<\/strong> is the usual process at work at divergent plate boundaries, leading to the creation of new ocean floor. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the <strong>Seafloor Spreading<\/strong> and <strong>Ocean Floor Configuration<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_56_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/seafloor-spreading\/#What_is_Seafloor_Spreading\" title=\"What is Seafloor Spreading?\">What is Seafloor Spreading?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/seafloor-spreading\/#Harry_Hess_Advocated_the_Causes_of_Seafloor_Spreading_Theory\" title=\"Harry Hess Advocated the Causes of Seafloor Spreading Theory\">Harry Hess Advocated the Causes of Seafloor Spreading Theory<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/seafloor-spreading\/#The_Entire_Process_of_Seafloor_Spreading_looks_like_a_Conveyor_Belt\" title=\"The Entire Process of Seafloor Spreading looks like a Conveyor Belt.\">The Entire Process of Seafloor Spreading looks like a Conveyor Belt.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/seafloor-spreading\/#Evidences_for_Seafloor_Spreading\" title=\"Evidences for Seafloor Spreading\">Evidences for Seafloor Spreading<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/seafloor-spreading\/#Why_is_the_Change_of_Seafloor_Spreading_Significant_for_Researchers\" title=\"Why is the Change of Seafloor Spreading Significant for Researchers?\">Why is the Change of Seafloor Spreading Significant for Researchers?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/seafloor-spreading\/#Configuration_of_the_Ocean_Floor_or_the_Mapping_of_the_Ocean_Floor\" title=\"Configuration of the Ocean Floor or the Mapping of the Ocean Floor\">Configuration of the Ocean Floor or the Mapping of the Ocean Floor<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/seafloor-spreading\/#Continental_Margin\" title=\"Continental Margin\">Continental Margin<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/seafloor-spreading\/#Continental_Shelf\" title=\"Continental Shelf\">Continental Shelf<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/seafloor-spreading\/#Continental_Slopes\" title=\"Continental Slopes\">Continental Slopes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/seafloor-spreading\/#Continental_Rise\" title=\"Continental Rise\">Continental Rise<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/seafloor-spreading\/#Abyssal_Plains_or_Deep_Sea_Plain\" title=\"Abyssal Plains or Deep Sea Plain\">Abyssal Plains or Deep Sea Plain<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/seafloor-spreading\/#Ocean_Deeps_or_Trenches\" title=\"Ocean Deeps or Trenches\">Ocean Deeps or Trenches<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/seafloor-spreading\/#Mid_Ocean_Ridges\" title=\"Mid Ocean Ridges\">Mid Ocean Ridges<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/seafloor-spreading\/#Minor_Relief_Features\" title=\"Minor Relief Features\">Minor Relief Features<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-fb94560ae68e4617a9072ac8973c3e9b\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_Seafloor_Spreading\"><\/span><strong>What is Seafloor Spreading?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is a geological process responsible for the creation of the crusts, the outermost shell of Earth. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-832aeb7c5d8a632782341afbd04784c5\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Harry_Hess_Advocated_the_Causes_of_Seafloor_Spreading_Theory\"><\/span><strong>Harry Hess Advocated the Causes of Seafloor Spreading Theory<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>According to the theory, the <strong>ocean floor is in constant motion<\/strong>, moving from the <strong>mid-oceanic ridge<\/strong> towards the trenches.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>At the ridge, <strong>hot basaltic magma<\/strong> rises and erupts, eventually cooling down and forming a new seafloor.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Over time, this newly formed <strong>seafloor gradually moves away<\/strong> from the ridge, making room for newer seafloor to take its place, thus repeating the cycle.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>During this process, older rocks move further away from the spreading zone, while <strong>younger rocks are found closer to the spreading zone<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>formation of new rocks<\/strong> occurs at the ridge, while older rocks collide with the continental crust at the subduction zone, which is located near the continental crust.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-162cda167b15f0247f54db40eede4a76\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Entire_Process_of_Seafloor_Spreading_looks_like_a_Conveyor_Belt\"><\/span><strong>The Entire Process of Seafloor Spreading looks like a Conveyor Belt.<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/QYMI0ELidn1oB9-MvJm1Usb5OA_ReibskW2EOjYZqlHeHXfUzf90sDUJnelJyOLcwB3bqd4tuXL34XoxRv6gXaPc1zkuZukeBv_ewfECO9gvW-To0txDjguIKy1b8abYPVtOjwemuBfVVc-NfRPAXQ\" alt=\"The Entire Process of Seafloor Spreading looks like a Conveyor Belt\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.46045197740113;width:672px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-102ce14bb7501f5bed81d038702517b4\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Evidences_for_Seafloor_Spreading\"><\/span><strong>Evidences for Seafloor Spreading<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Paleomagnetism<\/strong><\/td><td>&#8211; <strong>Study of Paleomagnetism<\/strong> gave credibility to the hypothesis of continental drift.<br>&#8211; <strong>Magnetic field<\/strong> of the earth keeps varying the polarity. The rocks on both sides of the <strong>mid-oceanic ridges<\/strong> attain the polarity of the earth.<br>&#8211; The <strong>alternate crustal formations<\/strong>, moving from ridges towards the trench, have opposite polarity, as observed.&nbsp;<br>&#8211; This observation supports the concept of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current-affairs\/25-04-2022\/slowing-down-of-seafloor-spreading\/\">seafloor spreading<\/a>, which is further substantiated by paleomagnetism.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Deep ocean drilling<\/strong><\/td><td>&#8211; Drilling conducted in different locations within the ocean has revealed that the rocks found near the ridges are more recent, whereas the ones located closer to trenches are older.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Similarity of rocks<\/strong><\/td><td>&#8211; The rocks on both sides of the ridge are similar in terms of their <strong>composition, age<\/strong>, and <strong>magnetic alignment.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5e123ff252551cd2fa5920801915f5d7\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_is_the_Change_of_Seafloor_Spreading_Significant_for_Researchers\"><\/span><strong>Why is the Change of Seafloor Spreading Significant for Researchers?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Understanding the rate at which the seafloor spreading is crucial because it has significant implications for <strong>sea level<\/strong> and the <strong>carbon cycle<\/strong> on our planet.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A faster pace of seafloor spreading leads to increased volcanic activity and the formation of new crustal structures. This process also <strong>releases greenhouse gases<\/strong> into the atmosphere, which can have a substantial impact on Earth&#8217;s atmospheric conditions.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>basaltic rocks<\/strong> formed during seafloor spreading possess magnetic properties that are influenced by Earth&#8217;s magnetic field as the magma cools and solidifies to create the crust.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This research is also valuable for <strong>studying marine life<\/strong> residing at the ocean floor.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Recent findings indicate that globally, the pace of seafloor spreading has decelerated by approximately <strong>35 percent<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-13d836884dbc27fea5ed2f4be5b42951\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Configuration_of_the_Ocean_Floor_or_the_Mapping_of_the_Ocean_Floor\"><\/span><strong>Configuration of the Ocean Floor or the Mapping of the Ocean Floor<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The ocean contains a diverse range of landscapes that closely resemble those found on land, including <strong>mountains, basins, plateaus, ridges, canyons<\/strong> and trenches. These features on the ocean floor are known as <strong>submarine relief.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>division of the ocean floor<\/strong> can be categorized into four main divisions i.e., the <strong>continental shelf, the continental slope, the abyssal plains, and the ocean depths.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-22ec7d065e96b3553ab9783be2ff201d\" style=\"color:#ff6a00\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Continental_Margin\"><\/span><strong>Continental Margin<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The continental margin comprises the <strong>continental shelf, slope,<\/strong> and <strong>rise.<\/strong> The continental shelf is the submerged top of a continent that has been shaped by the ocean, except where mountains occur at the edge of the continent.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/A8X7N_bFtdaJ63cfhYsFBZ9uefVBXBjSJWhz4xj9axjInFY4aO8jNBUXglTyEQf9i5s9RDxUSl2d311afUUVeM3DiCFWLhuFtp4ii8xJ5YHTErjAJjDZV2s77Iwe33Mfy1Pjj5BDuT7vI5waWBVB6A\" alt=\"continental margin\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d0b1b401241f9f25d034acde9c3fbb0f\" style=\"color:#ff6a00\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Continental_Shelf\"><\/span><strong>Continental Shelf<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is a <strong>shallow water area<\/strong> which surrounds the main <strong>continental land mass<\/strong>. Geologically, it is a part of the continent which is submerged under the oceanic waters. It is a shallow area near the coast which is usually 100 fathoms deep.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Continental_shelf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">continental shelf<\/a> slopes<\/strong> gently towards the ocean at an average rate of 20 meters per km with angle of slope varying from 1\u00b0 to 3\u00b0.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Continental shelves are narrow submerged landforms which are very close and parallel to the coast.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For instance: Off the <strong>west coast of South America<\/strong> where the <strong>Andes Mountains <\/strong>are very close and parallel to the coast, the shelf is only a few hundred meters wide.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In contrast, the <strong>eastern coast of South America<\/strong> has very wide shelves which measure over hundreds of km.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>On the average, <strong>continental shelf<\/strong> is about 70 km wide. On much of the <strong>Pacific Coast<\/strong>, it is relatively narrow, only a few tens of km across.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The widest shelves occur in the <strong>Arctic Ocean<\/strong>. Abroad continental shelf is the sculptured build-up of sediment shed by a continent.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background has-fixed-layout\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Shelf Break<\/strong><br><br>&#8211; <strong>Shelf Break<\/strong> (also called <strong>Submerged Offshore edge<\/strong>) of shallow continental shelf is the point where sea-floor transitions to continental slope.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e088606349dc521165d8808c99a28f2d\" style=\"color:#ff6a00\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Continental_Slopes\"><\/span><strong>Continental Slopes<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It starts after the <strong>Shelf-Break<\/strong>. It is characterized by an increase in the angle of slope which ranges from 5\u00b0 to 60\u00b0.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It inhabits only <strong>8.5 percent of the total area of the ocean basins<\/strong> but it varies from one ocean to the other.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It occupies 12.4 percent of the Atlantic Ocean basin, 7 percent of the <strong>Pacific Ocean basin<\/strong> and 6.5 percent of the Indian Ocean.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is usually occupied with sediments and gravels and no significant mineral deposits are found.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Physical features such as <strong>submarine canyons<\/strong> are associated with the continental slope.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background has-fixed-layout\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Submarine Canyon<\/strong><br><br>&#8211; Submarine Canyons are <strong>long, narrow<\/strong> and <strong>very deep valleys or trenches<\/strong> which are located on the continental shelves and slopes with vertical walls.<br>&#8211; These <strong>physical features<\/strong> resemble the continental canyons and are called Submarine canyons because of their location beneath the water.<br>&#8211; These physical features start from <strong>continental shelf break <\/strong>and extend up to continental slopes.<br>&#8211; Unlike <strong>deep-sea trenches<\/strong>, which are found mostly on plate boundaries, undersea canyons are found along the slopes of most continental margins.<br><br><br><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 361px;\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/GefkgY_qsDHeI8x8TDQRpwHn7cKhecwvjnO1PZ3c6QU7vK4FpKjfkrPUBiwGiFug5q-_q9hX9mJ1So6hO58h38f1Nl443m9Pgr3LFzxghbi5NUjHPT00idObaGr2UsabdibTZlzUiZZQTy0m34PP9A\" alt=\"Submarine Canyon\"><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-29428cdf0b56f196fbcd54624f2b7f1d\" style=\"color:#ff6a00\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Continental_Rise\"><\/span><strong>Continental Rise<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is a <strong>main depositional system<\/strong> in oceans made up of thick sequences of <strong>continental material<\/strong> that accumulate between the <strong>continental slope<\/strong> and the <strong>abyssal plain<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The thick sediments that form continental rise accumulate as a result of <strong>three sedimentary processes<\/strong>: <strong>mass wasting<\/strong>, the <strong>deposition from contour currents<\/strong>, and the <strong>vertical settling of clastic and biogenic particles<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e9f9379dd17e3f3b7f9c220330503700\" style=\"color:#ff6a00\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Abyssal_Plains_or_Deep_Sea_Plain\"><\/span><strong>Abyssal Plains or Deep Sea Plain<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>They are extensive plains that lie between the <strong>mid-oceanic ridges<\/strong> and the <strong>continental margins<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These are the areas where the <strong>continental sediments<\/strong> that move beyond the margins get deposited.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These areas are the smoothest and flattest surfaces on Earth which are covered with sediments such as silt and mud.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These plains are extensively found in the <strong>Atlantic Ocean<\/strong> and unusual in the <strong>Pacific Ocean<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-beee652e0425cdcab5c56ab6f41531b3\" style=\"color:#ff6a00\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ocean_Deeps_or_Trenches\"><\/span><strong>Ocean Deeps or Trenches<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Ocean deeps<\/strong> represent depressions and trenches on the ocean floors which are the deepest zones of the ocean basins. These are generally located parallel to the coasts facing mountains and along the islands, on the <strong>subduction zones of oceanic plates<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/y1ZsBf04MLIu5g_xGwhwNHqpY5VipBHXrS1r0pNpzG8ttx5VrKtt1hBlMRcnp4K_vB3QHuu9PfYwdnRV1oxo07SB8EK6x8Cm_xNvZZT7Kp7MIJPSM_Tow6qeWYhPqWInPH6cu9q9vIyxKGvfmpTxSg\" alt=\"\" style=\"width:372px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-4bb97dc767e0a0bb70c40a96facea84d\" style=\"color:#ff6a00\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mid_Ocean_Ridges\"><\/span><strong>Mid Ocean Ridges<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It happens along <strong>divergent plate boundaries<\/strong>, where the new ocean floor is shaped as the <strong>Earth\u2019s tectonic plates spread apart<\/strong>. Molten rock is outpoured to the seafloor due to movement of plates separately from each other.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The rate at which <strong>spreading occurs impacts the formation of ridges<\/strong>. Slower spreading rates lead to steeper and more <strong>irregular topography<\/strong>, whereas faster spreading rates result in wider profiles with gentler slopes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Two mid-ocean ridges<\/strong> within the global system are the <strong>Mid-Atlantic Ridge<\/strong> and the <strong>East Pacific Rise<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/UiYs1891T4N349Q4xEEajz-3cFPx9GMhKWhEXEGNDZv1mmpwJ69_ptZWOa4BwlYixl1FAENztKapDC0f8IdpKYJAAuW0e6v0ECmOOAPLs4tLlYF1lX2nzmE5cvByrMHux0KWNaTxatXRYH6Q3wrl1g\" alt=\"\" style=\"width:352px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-36488bd1116084de3729edea05dc5634\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Minor_Relief_Features\"><\/span><strong>Minor Relief Features<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table aligncenter\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Abyssal Hills<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">&#8211; <strong>Abyssal hills<\/strong> are small, topographically well-defined <strong>submarine hills<\/strong> which may rise from several metres to several hundred metres above the abyssal plain.<br>&#8211; These hills are located 3,000<strong> to 6,000 metres (10,000 to 20,000 feet)<\/strong> deep below the water.<br>&#8211; They are formed either by <strong>volcanism or block faulting<\/strong>. Abyssal hills are generally covered with marine sediments and are identical in composition and origin to the extrusive basaltic prominences on the upper flanks of mid-ocean ridges and rises.<br>&#8211; It underlies most of the ocean floor but are locally buried by <strong>accumulations of abyssal sediment<\/strong>.<br>&#8211; For instance, In the <strong>Atlantic Ocean<\/strong>, long abyssal hill provinces parallel both flanks of the <strong>Mid-Atlantic Ridge<\/strong> along most of its length.<br>&#8211; Between 80 &#8211; 85 percent of the Pacific abyssal floor is engaged by abyssal hills. Abyssal hills are also known as Sea Knolls.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"264\" height=\"160\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/t6cba85Bx2xNy6841koR9Ty__QmGSLrFpxiJzk95K7HUebTXaAjbHONRc6zGSUoFoovG4P_ucZnvKz33y0t6PUnXjDRf7r1cdQi2ILxT3bmdUlK0mmyAAZm6q5zvlOlQC9Xj9bmUBmu4fBR7gdcSkw\"><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Sea Mount&nbsp;<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">&#8211; <strong>Seamount<\/strong>, a large submarine volcanic mountain rising at least 1,000 m (3,300 feet) above the <strong>surrounding deep-sea floor<\/strong> but they cannot reach above the sea surface.<br>&#8211; These are isolated steep <strong>submarine volcanic<\/strong> hills which are <strong>2-100 m wide<\/strong> and less than <strong>1000 m high<\/strong>.<br>&#8211; The sides of the sea mounts have <strong>steep slopes of 20\u00ba to 25\u00ba.<\/strong> Some of the peaks of the sea mounts emerge out of water and become islands.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Guyot<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">&#8211; This is a <strong>submarine volcanic mountain<\/strong> that stands alone, with a <strong>flat summit more<\/strong> than 200 metres below sea level.&nbsp;<br>&#8211; These mountains have flat tops that are larger than <strong>10 km<\/strong> in diameter. These particular hills are often referred to as table mounts.&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Atoll<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">&#8211; An atoll is a <strong>ring-shaped coral reef, a series of islets or islands.&nbsp;<\/strong><br>&#8211; It is <strong>surrounded by a body of water<\/strong> known as a <strong>lagoon<\/strong>. Often, <strong>lagoons<\/strong> and <strong>atolls<\/strong> protect a central island.&nbsp;<br>&#8211; Channels between <strong>islets<\/strong> connect a lagoon to the <strong>open sea<\/strong> or <strong>ocean<\/strong>. Atolls form around submerged volcanoes called <strong>seamounts<\/strong>.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Seafloor Spreading is the usual process at work at divergent plate boundaries, leading to the creation of new ocean floor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":2866,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67,833],"tags":[73],"class_list":["post-2858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-geography","category-world-geography","tag-gs-1"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2858","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2858"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2858\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11555,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2858\/revisions\/11555"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2858"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2858"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}