Marine Provinces and plate boundaries

Provinces in the ocean are generally categorized into 3 regions. Those regions are; continental margin, deep ocean basins and mid-ocean ridges.

Continental Margin: Is a shallow water region close to the continents. Continental margin are further categorized into 3 regions, which are; continental shelf, continental slope and continental rise. Contain similar features of continent such as hills, sedimentary rock & mineral.

Continental shelf is the shallow extension of the continent. Continent shelf is the adjacent extension of continent, hence, the underlain for continental shelf is granitic continental crust.

Continental slope is simply the transition between continental shelf and continental rise. Steepness of slopes varies from 1-25 degrees.

Continental rise is a huge submerged pile of debris caused by turbidity current accumulating at the base of continental slope.

Mid-Ocean Ridges: Continuous fractured looking mountain ridge that extends through ocean basin that are associated with divergent boundaries.

Deep Ocean Basin: Contain major features such as abyssal plains, volcanic peaks and ocean trenches.





Plate boundaries are region by which the plates is interacting with each other. Plate boundaries are associated with great deal of plate tectonic activity. In this article, plate boundaries will be discussed only generally. The types of plate boundaries that will be discussed are; convergent boundaries, divergent boundaries and transform boundaries.

Convergent boundaries happen where the two plates colliding against each other. This will results in denser plate plunge against less denser plate. The denser plates are generally the oceanic crust. Features of convergent boundaries are deep ocean trenches.

Divergent boundaries happen when two plates moving away from each other. Creating void filled by magma which, when harden creating new oceanic lithosphere. Features of divergent boundaries are such as mid-ocean ridges.

Transform boundaries happen when the plates are just sliding past each others. Sea floors are neither created nor destroyed. Features of transform boundaries give mid-ocean ridges it's zig zag appearances.