Ocean Floor PowerPoint Diagram

The ocean floor features topography that is not all that dissimilar from what you see on the surface of the Earth. There are mountains, valleys, hills, gorges, and vast stretches of plains that dominate much of the ocean floor topography. If you were to view an ocean floor PowerPoint diagram, you would see that they extend from the Outer Continental Shelf which is located next to each major continent, down the slops of the shelf and to the floor of the ocean itself.

Thanks to the vast amount of exploration that has been performed, starting in the mid-20th century, knowledge about the ocean topography has expanded greatly, although there is still much to discover. When 75% of the Earth consists of the oceans, there is a considerable amount of underwater terrain yet to be explored.

Outer Continental Shelf

This is the region where the water meets the surface. When you stand on the beach, you are viewing the Outer Continental Shelf as it slopes under the water. The width of the shelf varies from continent to continent from a few miles to a hundred miles or more. Once it begins to slope downward, it reaches the Continental Margin.

Continental Margin

Between the surface and the ocean is a boundary that is called the Continental Margin. It is a place where the shelf of the continent slopes down into the ocean floor. The heavy materials that make up the continent are replaced with a thin layer of basalt.

Continental Slopes

Visually, you can see the slopes of the continent descend to the ocean floor. However, the difference is more than just how the slopes are shaped, but it also includes the material from which they are made. The continent and its slopes are made from granite while the ocean floor consists of basaltic crust. Plus, the slopes themselves have been cracked or eroded due to the ocean waves, earthquakes, and volcanic action.

Ocean Floor

The mountains, hills, flat areas, valleys, and gorges of the ocean floor consists of different zones depending on their depth. The deepest of the zones is known as the hadalpelagic and exists from four to seven miles below the surface.

The marine life that exists in the different zones of the ocean are as vast and diverse as you will find on the surface. While most marine life exists within a few hundred feet of the surface, thanks to the heat generated by sunlight, there are also creatures that live miles below the surface under the intense pressure of the ocean. In some cases, these creatures exist because of volcanic activity which heats the water to make it livable.

The vast variety of ocean floor features makes up what is a diverse topography that is filled with marine life. In addition, you’ll find active volcanos as part of the ocean floor topography as well, helping to shape the sea floor. As you can see in the ocean floor PowerPoint diagram, there is a vast, diverse world that lies beneath the ocean waves.

Help your students understand what structures are naturally found in the ocean with the Ocean Floor PowerPoint Diagram. This diagram makes it easy to see and visualize the different parts to be found there, which might make it easier for your students to remember them. This PowerPoint comes with the ability to be edited as you please in terms of icons, colors and text. There are three slides in total for you to work with. On the slide, you are shown a number of different oceanic structures. This includes Beach, Shoreline, Island, Abyssal Plain, Mid-Oceanic Ridge, Continental Shelf, Continental Slope, Continental Rise, Gyot, Magma, Oceanic Trench and more. Above the colorful, detailed diagram is a space for a title and a bit of text.