What is the Continental Slope?
The continental slope is a submarine geological feature which connects the continental shelf to the abyssal plain, beginning at a depth of around 460 feet (140 meters). Together, the continental slope and the continental shelf are often referred to as the “continental margin,” in a reference to the fact that the combined features are found at the margins of the Earth’s continent. The continental slope also happens to mark the boundary between the part of the world’s ocean scientists are familiar with and the mysteries of the deep sea. To visualize the continental slope, it may help to think about the structure of the seafloor in general, starting with the shoreline of a continent. The land close to the shoreline is known as the continental shelf; the continental shelf is relatively uniform in depth and it is relatively easy to map and explore. At an amazingly uniform depth around the world, the slope of the continental shelf suddenly gets much steeper, turning into the continental slop
