continental shelf

American  

noun

Physical Geography.

1. the part of a continent that is submerged in relatively shallow sea.

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continental shelf British  

noun

1. the sea bed surrounding a continent at depths of up to about 200 metres (100 fathoms), at the edge of which the continental slope drops steeply to the ocean floor

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continental shelf Scientific  

1. The part of the edge of a continent between the shoreline and the continental slope. It is covered by shallow ocean waters and has a very gentle slope.

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continental shelf Cultural  

1. The region adjoining the coastline of a continent, where the ocean is no more than a few hundred feet deep. The shelf is built up from sediments washed down to the sea by rivers.

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Discover More

The continental shelves are often valuable because of the mineral resources and abundant marine life found there. (See offshore drilling.)

Etymology

Origin of continental shelf

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

This has led to more frequent clashes with Greece and Cyprus over exclusive economic zones and continental shelf boundaries.

From The Wall Street Journal

“This demonstrates the importance of maintaining exploration activity on the Norwegian continental shelf,” said Kjetil Hove, executive vice president for exploration and production Norway at Equinor.

From The Wall Street Journal

Outer coast transients, numbering about 210 animals, were most often found within 20 kilometers of the continental shelf break, particularly near submarine canyons.

From Science Daily

As a result, warm deep water was able to move more easily toward East Antarctica's continental shelf.

From Science Daily

"We think these vast continental shelves and shallow seas were crucial ecological incubators," said Associate Professor Juraj Farkaš from the University of Adelaide.

From Science Daily