Continental shelf

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/continental-shelf

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How wide is Continental shelf?Approximately 60 kilometers (37 miles), but varies greatly
2. How deep is Continental shelf?Average of 130 meters (427 feet), marking transition to continental slope
3. What is the geographic definition?Submerged extension of a continent, typically less than 200 meters deep
4. What is the legal definition (UNCLOS)?Part of a coastal state's territory for resource exploitation
5. Why is the continental shelf important for fish and other sea animals?Its shallow depth lets sunlight reach the seafloor, creating food for tiny plants and giving many fish, birds, and mammals places to feed, breed, and grow.
6. How do scientists learn about Earth's past from the continental shelf?They study layers of sediment that have built up over time, which hold clues about old sea levels, temperatures, and the planet’s climate.

Benthic Communities: Organisms living on or in the seafloor, often found on the continental shelf.
Turbidity Currents: Underwater avalanches of sediment and water that transport material down slopes.
Transgression: A geological event where the sea level rises, covering more land.
Continental Margin: The zone connecting the continental shelf, slope, and rise to the deep ocean floor.