What is the continental slope?

continental margin The broad, gentle pitch of the continental shelf gives way to the relatively steep continental slope. The more gradual transition to the abyssal plain is a sediment-filled region called the continental rise. read more

continental slope The sloping region between a continental shelf and a continental rise. A continental slope is typically about 20 km (12.4 mi) wide, consists of muds and silts, and is often crosscut by submarine canyons. read more

See continental slope defined for kids Recent Examples of continental slope from the Web On the upper-continental slope, about 80 miles off the coast of Delacroix in the Gulf of Mexico, is a coral reef unlike those found in shallow, tropical waters. read more