How do continental slopes form?

Here's a definition of continental slope from Google: “the slope between the outer edge of the continental shelf and the deep ocean floor.” Dictionary.com - The world's favorite online dictionary! read more

But continental slopes can vary, and so do the ways they form. On active plate margins, where tectonic plates are interacting, the slope tends to be steeper. On passive margins, where plates are not interacting, the slope is less steep and more sediments build up. read more

The continental slope is the submerged border of a continent that slopes gradually to the ocean bottom. The total length of the world’s continental slope sums up to 300,000 km. More than one-half of all continental slopes descend in deep sea trenches. read more

A continental slope connects the continental shelf to the continental rise. Usually about 60 miles (96 kilometers) long, the ocean floor here slopes rapidly at about a 4degree angle, or 500 feet (152 meters) every mile (1.6 kilometers). read more