Explanation of the continental slope, its steep gradient, and its role in connecting the shallow shelf to the deep ocean floor.
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The Continental Shelf and Slope
The Continental Slope: The Drop-Off
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At the edge of the shelf, the terrain changes abruptly. This is the continental slope. It plunges downward at a much steeper angle than the shelf, reaching depths of thousands of meters. While it looks like a cliff face underwater, it is still made of solid rock. It serves as a bridge between the shallow edges of the continents and the vast, flat abyssal plains of the deep ocean.
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