I don't know. I wonder myself. But here's a simplistic guess: ... take the east coast of the USA. North America basically split apart from Europe/Africa. The Atlantic trench keeps bringing magma/lava up to the ocean floor, pushing Europe/Africa and the Americas further apart from each other. Maybe the end of the continental shelf is the location where Pangaea split apart? Forming a deep hole, which has stretched out further and further and covers most of the Atlantic. So the shelf could easily be above sea level, or maybe it was at one time in the past? I don't know why continents have plains above sea level while the oceans have plains *so much* lower in altitude, nor do I know why sea level is at a very close level to the continental shelf.
The continental shelf, continental slope, and continental rise combine to form the continental margin.
The continental shelf, continental slope, and continental rise combine to form the continental margin. The continental margin is the transition zone between the continent and the deep ocean basin.
The continental shelf, continental slope, and continental rise together form the continental margin. The continental margin is the submerged edge of a continent that consists of these three distinct but connected features.
The continental shelf, continental slope, and continental rise combine to form the continental margin, which is the submerged outer edge of a continent that extends from the shoreline to the deep ocean floor.
The continental shelf, continental slope, and continental rise together form the continental margin. This is the outer edge of a continent where it transitions to the ocean basin. The continental margin is characterized by these three distinct topographical features.
The continental shelf, continental slope, and continental rise combine to form the continental margin.
Abrasion
continental margin
The continental shelf, continental slope, and continental rise combine to form the continental margin. The continental margin is the transition zone between the continent and the deep ocean basin.
The continental shelf, continental slope, and continental rise together form the continental margin. The continental margin is the submerged edge of a continent that consists of these three distinct but connected features.
The continental shelf, continental slope, and continental rise combine to form the continental margin, which is the submerged outer edge of a continent that extends from the shoreline to the deep ocean floor.
continental shelf
Continental shelf
The continental shelf, continental slope, and continental rise together form the continental margin. This is the outer edge of a continent where it transitions to the ocean basin. The continental margin is characterized by these three distinct topographical features.
The continental shelf, continental slope, and continental rise combine to form the continental margin. The continental margin is the outer edge of a continent that includes these three regions and extends from the shoreline to the deep ocean floor.
fishies poo
shelf