Download 12. Continental Margins Reading Questions

Name: _____________________________________
Date: ________________________________
Oceans 11
Continental Margins Reading
Fill in the blanks with the proper words from the reading.
Continental margins facing the edges of diverging plates are called ____________________ because relatively
little earthquake or volcanic activity is now associated with them. Passive margins are sometimes referred to as
____________________ margins. Continental margins near the edges of converging plates are called
____________________ because of their earthquake and volcanic activity. Active margins are sometimes
referred to as ____________________ margins.
The ____________________, ____________________ extension of a continent is called the
____________________. They are much more like the continent than like the deep-ocean floor, and may have
____________________, ____________________, ____________________, and ____________________
deposits similar to those on dry land. The broad shelf of Atlantic Canada extends far from shore in a gentle
incline, typically ____________________ per kilometer, much less than the slope of a ____________________
____________________. The shelves often end at a depth of about ____________________, and sediment
at the edge of the shelf can be up to ____________________ thick. The shelves of the active
____________________ margins are generally not as ____________________ and ____________________
as ____________________ shelves.
The ____________________ is the transition between the gently descending continental shelf and the deepocean floor. Continental slopes at ____________________ are generally steeper than those at
____________________ margins. They end at the ____________________, usually at a depth of about
____________________. The bottom of the continental slope is the _________________________________.
Along passive margins the oceanic crust at the base of the continental slope is covered by accumulated
sediment called the ____________________. Sediments that form the continental rise are often transported to
the area by ____________________ currents.