What are submarine canyons?

A submarine canyon is a steep-sided valley cut into the seabed of the continental slope, sometimes extending well onto the continental shelf, having nearly vertical walls, and occasionally having canyon wall heights of up to 5 km, from canyon floor to canyon rim, as with the Great Bahama Canyon. read more

Submarine canyon, any of a class of narrow steep-sided valleys that cut into continental slopes and continental rises of the oceans. Submarine canyons originate either within continental slopes or on a continental shelf. They are rare on continental margins that have extremely steep continental slopes or escarpments. read more

Submarine Canyon, deep, steep-sided valleys on the sea floor. Submarine canyons begin as shallow valleys on the continental shelf, a submerged shallow plain that borders most continental coasts (see Oceans and Oceanography). read more