skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Continental shelves

Book ·
OSTI ID:6841176

Continental shelves form a relatively narrow fringe, of varying width, around the continents. Altogether they take up only about 7% of the ocean's surface and less than 0.2% if its volume. Nevertheless, their specific biological characteristics and economical importance justify a separate discussion in this series. Ecosystems of the World. The specific biological characteristics are due to the position of continental shelves between the land masses on one side and the oceans on the other, to their relative shallowness and variable sea-floor texture and to the fact that, besides residual currents, tidal streams exert a great influence on the movements of water bodies.

OSTI ID:
6841176
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English