Definition of abyssal plain
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abyssal plain is an underwater plain on the deep ocean floor, usually found at depths between 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) and 6,000 metres (20,000 ft). Lying generally between the foot of a continental rise and a mid-ocean ridge, abyssal plains cover more than 50% of the Earth’s surface.[1][2] They are among the flattest, smoothest and least explored regions on Earth.[3] Abyssal plains are key geologic elements of oceanic basins (the other elements being an elevated mid-ocean ridge and flanking abyssal hills).
The creation of the abyssal plain is the result of the spreading of the seafloor (plate tectonics) and the melting of the loweroceanic crust. Magma rises from above theasthenosphere (a layer of the upper mantle), and as this basaltic material reaches the surface at mid-ocean ridges, it forms new oceanic crust, which is constantly pulled sideways by spreading of the seafloor. Abyssal plains result from the blanketing of an originally uneven surface of oceanic crust by fine-grained sediments, mainly clay andsilt. Much of this sediment is deposited byturbidity currents that have been channelled from the continental margins alongsubmarine canyons into deeper water. The rest is composed chiefly of pelagic sediments. Metallic nodules are common in some areas of the plains, with varying concentrations of metals, includingmanganese, iron, nickel, cobalt, and copper.
Owing in part to their vast size, abyssal plains are believed to be major reservoirs ofbiodiversity. They also exert significant influence upon ocean carbon cycling, dissolution of calcium carbonate, andatmospheric CO2 concentrations over time scales of a hundred to a thousand years. The structure of abyssal ecosystems are strongly influenced by the rate of flux of food to the seafloor and the composition of the material that settles. Factors such as climate change,fishing practices, and ocean fertilization have a substantial effect on patterns of primary production in the euphotic zone.[1][4]
Abyssal plains were not recognized as distinct physiographic features of the sea floor until the late 1940s and, until very recently, none had been studied on a systematic basis. They are poorly preserved in the sedimentary record, because they tend to be consumed by the subduction process
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The creation of the abyssal plain is the result of the spreading of the seafloor (plate tectonics) and the melting of the loweroceanic crust. Magma rises from above theasthenosphere (a layer of the upper mantle), and as this basaltic material reaches the surface at mid-ocean ridges, it forms new oceanic crust, which is constantly pulled sideways by spreading of the seafloor. Abyssal plains result from the blanketing of an originally uneven surface of oceanic crust by fine-grained sediments, mainly clay andsilt. Much of this sediment is deposited byturbidity currents that have been channelled from the continental margins alongsubmarine canyons into deeper water. The rest is composed chiefly of pelagic sediments. Metallic nodules are common in some areas of the plains, with varying concentrations of metals, includingmanganese, iron, nickel, cobalt, and copper.
Owing in part to their vast size, abyssal plains are believed to be major reservoirs ofbiodiversity. They also exert significant influence upon ocean carbon cycling, dissolution of calcium carbonate, andatmospheric CO2 concentrations over time scales of a hundred to a thousand years. The structure of abyssal ecosystems are strongly influenced by the rate of flux of food to the seafloor and the composition of the material that settles. Factors such as climate change,fishing practices, and ocean fertilization have a substantial effect on patterns of primary production in the euphotic zone.[1][4]
Abyssal plains were not recognized as distinct physiographic features of the sea floor until the late 1940s and, until very recently, none had been studied on a systematic basis. They are poorly preserved in the sedimentary record, because they tend to be consumed by the subduction process
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An abyssal plain is an underwater plain on the deep ocean floor, usually found at depths between 3,000 metres and 6,000 metres. The creation of the abyssal plain is the result of the spreading of the seafloor and the melting of the lower oceanic crust.
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