Definitions for continental shelf
con·ti·nen·tal shelf

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:1.3 / 4 votes

1. continental shelfnoun

   the relatively shallow (up to 200 meters) seabed surrounding a continent

WiktionaryRate this definition:4.8 / 6 votes

1. continental shelfnoun

   The area of sea around a land mass where the depth gradually increases before it plunges into the ocean deeps

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Continental shelf

   A continental shelf is a portion of a continent that is submerged under an area of relatively shallow water, known as a shelf sea. Much of these shelves were exposed by drops in sea level during glacial periods. The shelf surrounding an island is known as an insular shelf. The continental margin, between the continental shelf and the abyssal plain, comprises a steep continental slope, surrounded by the flatter continental rise, in which sediment from the continent above cascades down the slope and accumulates as a pile of sediment at the base of the slope. Extending as far as 500 km (310 mi) from the slope, it consists of thick sediments deposited by turbidity currents from the shelf and slope. The continental rise's gradient is intermediate between the gradients of the slope and the shelf. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the name continental shelf was given a legal definition as the stretch of the seabed adjacent to the shores of a particular country to which it belongs.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. continental shelf

   A continental shelf is the relatively shallow part of the ocean that borders a continent, extending from the coastline to a drop-off point called the shelf break, which then leads to the deeper ocean floor. The depth of continental shelves usually ranges from about 20 meters (approximately 66 feet) to 200 meters (approximately 656 feet). They are significant as they contain valuable resources such as oil, gas and various marine species.

WikidataRate this definition:3.3 / 3 votes

1. Continental shelf

   The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain. Much of the shelf was exposed during glacial periods, but it is now submerged under relatively shallow seas and gulfs and was similarly submerged during other interglacial periods. The continental margin, between the continental shelf and the abyssal plain, comprises a steep continental slope followed by the flatter continental rise. Sediment from the continent above cascades down the slope and accumulates as a pile of sediment at the base of the slope, called the continental rise. Extending as far as 500 km from the slope, it consists of thick sediments deposited by turbidity currents from the shelf and slope. The continental rise's gradient is intermediate between the slope and the shelf, on the order of 0.5–1°. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the name continental shelf was given a legal definition as the stretch of the seabed adjacent to the shores of a particular country to which it belongs.

Matched Categories

1. • Seabed

How to pronounce continental shelf?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say continental shelf in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of continental shelf in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of continental shelf in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Examples of continental shelf in a Sentence

1. Interior Department spokeswoman Melissa Schwartz:

   Due to lack of industry interest in leasing in the area, Interior Department will not move forward with the proposed Cook Inlet [ Outer Continental Shelf ] oil and gas lease sale 258.

2. Ed Royce:

   Russia has been aggressively pushing its claims to the Arctic, especially the resource-rich continental shelf. It now has an Arctic Command to strengthen its military presence in the region. The U.S. and others bordering the Arctic must maintain a united front against Moscow’s aggressive ambitions toward this vital region.

3. Curtis Smith:

   We'll need energy in all forms, and Alaska's outer continental shelf resources could play a crucial role in helping meet that challenge.

4. Rizal Sukma:

   In 2009, Indonesia sent its official stance on the issue to the U.N. commission on the delimitation of the continental shelf, stating that the nine-dotted line has no basis in international law, so, nothing changes.

5. Facebook Wednesday:

   The storm generates a wave that moves towards the shore, and is amplified by a shallow continental shelf and inlet, bay, or other coastal feature.

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=continental shelf
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Continental_Shelf
3. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_Shelf
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=continental shelf