Continental shelf

Subject: Geography

Context:

• Turkey’s seismic research vessel Oruc Reis returned to waters near the southern province of Antalya
• NATO members Turkey and Greece have overlapping claims to continental shelves and rights to potential energy resources in the eastern Mediterranean.
• Tensions flared last month after Ankara sent Oruc Reis to map out possible oil and gas drilling prospects in waters claimed by Greece, Cyprus and Turkey.

Concept:

• The term “continental shelf” is used by geologists generally to mean that part of the continental margin which is between the shoreline and the shelf break or, where there is no noticeable slope, between the shoreline and the point where the depth of the superjacent water is approximately between 100 and 200 metres.
• Continental Shelf is the gently sloping seaward extension of continental plate. These extended margins of each continent are occupied by relatively shallow seas and gulfs.
• Gradient of continental is of 1° or even less. The shelf typically ends at a very steep slope, called the shelf break.
• The continental shelves are covered with variable thicknesses of sediments brought down by rivers, glaciers etc. Massive sedimentary deposits received over a long time by the continental shelves, become the source of fossil fuels.
• The shelf is formed mainly due to
  • submergence of a part of a continent
  • relative rise in sea level
  • Sedimentary deposits brought down by rivers
• Importance of continent shelves
  • Marine food comes almost entirely from continental shelves;
  • They provide the richest fishing grounds;
  • They are potential sites for economic minerals