T O P IC

B O T T O M R E L IE F O F O C E A N

C O N TIN U O U S IN TE R N A L A S S E S M E N T (C IA )
C C -02 (O C E A N O G R A P H Y )
N A M E - S U N N Y G U P TA
R O L L - 1 9 (P U )
S E M E S T E R - I ( 20 2 3 -2 5 )
D E P A R TM E N T O F G E O G R A P H Y , P A TN A U N IV E R S IT Y
 CO N TEN T

1. Intro d u c tio n
2. Fa c to rs a ffe c ting the bo tto m re lie f
3. B ottom re lie f o f o c ea n fe a tu re s
4. S ig nific a n c e o f s tu dy o f oc e a n re lief
5. C o nc lusio n
 1 . In t ro d u c tio n

• B ottom re lie f o f the o c e a n flo o r d e sc rib e s the sh a p e o f the s e a flo o r

fe a ture s. b o tto m re lief c a n b e d e te rm in e d b y its ele v a tio n, d e p th, a n d
sh a p e . T he fe a tu re s th a t m a k e up b o tto m re lie f c a n inc lu d e m o unta ins ,
h ills, rid g e s , p la ins a n d v a lle ys .
• B ottom re lie f p la ys a n im p orta nt ro le in th e o c ea n’s s a linity,
d is trib utio n o f m a rine life , o c e a n c irc ula tio n, up w e lling e tc .
 2 . F a c to r a ffe c tin g th e b o tto m relief

• Th e re a re v a rie ty o f fa c to rs tha t c a n a ffe c t b o tto m re lie f inc lud in g

tec to nic a c tiv ity, s ed im e nta tio n, a nd e ro sion .
1 ) Te c to n ic a c tivity -
It c a n c re a te m o unta ins a n d o the r fe a tures o n th e o c e a n flo o r.
2 ) S e d im e nta tio n -
It c a n c a use th e d e p os itio n o f s ed im e nts w hic h c a n im p a c t the re lie f.
3 ) E ro sio n-
It c a n a lso a ffe c t b o tto m re lie f b y c a using the re m o v a l o f s e dim e nts.
B ottom re lie f c a n a ls o b e a f fec te d b y w a v es a nd o the r w a te r
m o v e m e n ts .
- sa linity , w ind a n d c urre nts a lso a ffe ct b o tto m re lie f.
 3 .1 M a jo r o c ea n relief fe a tu res

1) Continental shelf-
- Th es e a re the s ub m e rg sh a llo w p o rtio n o f c o ntin e nta l c ru st.
- T he d e p th be tw ee n 1 5 0 to 2 0 0 m .
- It is ric h in su nlig ht a nd o x yg e n w hich fa v ou rs the g ro w th o f life .
- C o ntin e nta l she lf a re the re g io n o f ric h fis hing g ro un d w id th o f th e
sh e lf is d ep e n d ed o n the slo p e of a d je c e nt la nd (8 0 ).
2) Continental slope-
- T he c o ntin e nta l slop e c on ne c ts the c o n tine nta l sh e lf a nd th e o c ea n
b a s ins .
- It b e g in s w he re the b o tto m o f th e c o ntin en ta l she lf sh a rp ly d ro p s o ff
in to a s te e p s lo p e .
- T he s lo p e b o un d a ry ind ic a te s th e e nd o f the c o ntin e nts.
3) Continental rise-
- Th e c o ntin e nta l slo p e gra d u a lly lo se s its ste e p ne s s w ith d e p th .
- W h e n the slo p e re a c h e s a le v e l o f b e tw e e n 0 .5 a n d 1 d e g re e, it is
refle c te d to a s the co n tine nta l rise .
- W ith inc re a sin g d e p th the ris e b e c o m e s v irtu a lly fla t a nd m e rg e s w ith
the a b yssa l p la in.
4) Deep sea plain or abyssal plain-
- D e e p se a p la in s a re g en tly s lo p in g a re a s o f the o ce a n ba sins.
- Th e re a re th e fla tte st a n d sm o o the st re g io n o f the w o rld b e c a u se o f
terrig e no us a nd s ha llo w w a te r se d im e nts th a t b urie s th e irreg u la r
top o g ra p h y.
- It c o ve rs ne a rly 4 0 % o f th e o c e a n flo o r.
- Th e se p la in s a re c o ve re d w ith f ine g ra ine d s e d im e nts lik e c la y a nd s ilt.
 3.2) Minor ocean relief features:

1) Oceanic deeps or Trenches-

- Th e tre nc h e s a re re la tive ly s te e p s id e d , na rro w b a s ins (d e p re s sio n s)
the se a re a s a re the d e ep e s t p a rts o f the o c e a n .
- Th e y a re o f tec to nic o rig in a n d a re fo rm ed d uring o c ea n-o c e a n
c o nv e rg e n ce a n d o c e a n- c on tine nt c o n ve rg e nc e .
2) Mid- ocean ridges-
- A m id o c e a n ic rid g e is c o m p o se d o f tw o ch a ins o f m o un ta in s
se p e ra te d b y a la rg e d ep re ssio n. F o rm e d d u e to d iv e rg e n t o f o c e a nic
p la te s.
3) Seamount –
- It is a m o u nta in w ith p ointe d su m m its, rising f ro m the se a flo or tha t
d o e s n o t re a ch the s urfa c e . F o rm e d d u e th e v o lc a n ic a c tivity a lo ng
ho tsp o t.
4) Guyot –
- It is a fla t to p p e d se a m o unt. G u yo ts a re the lo c a tio n w ith g o o d fish in g
b a n k a nd co ra l re ef.
5) Islands-
- It is the c ha in o f v o lca nic is la n d g e ne ra lly c on v e x to w a rd s the o p en
o c e a n a lo ng the oc e a n- o c e a n c o nv e rg en t b o und a ry .
6) Submarine canyon-
- Th e se a re the c a ny o n fo rm a lo ng th e c o ntine n ta l s he lf a n d the s lo p e
b e c a us e o f turb id ity c urre nts o f riv e rs e nte ring the o c e a n.
7) reef-
- Fo rm e d b y th e g ro w th o f m a rine o rg a n is m s , su c h a s co ra l.
8) atoll-
- R ing - sha p e d re e fs ty p ic a lly fo rm e d a ro u nd a v o lc a nic isla n d .
 4. Significance of study of ocean relief:

• O c e a n relie f co n tro ls th e m o tio n o f se a w a te r. T he b ottom re lie f o f

o c e a ns a lso inf lue n ce s na v ig a tio n a n d fishing .

5) conclusion-
- Th e b o tto m re lief o f the o c e a n id d e te rm in ed b y the to p o g ra p hy o f the
o c e a n flo o r. T he b o tto m re lief o f the oc e a n is a ffe c te d by the
thic k ne ss o f the s e d im e nts, p re se nc e s o f the fe a tu re s suc h a s
tre nc h es a nd s e a m o un ts. B o tto m re lie f p ro vid e sh e lte r a nd
e c o sys te m fo r v a rio u s m a rine s p e cie s.