Continental Slope
D2. Hydrography, tides, waves, bathymetry and marine geologyDefinition
Steep slope from the shelf edge to the deep ocean.
The continental slope is the relatively steep descent from the shelf break (near 130 to 200 m) down to the deep ocean floor or the gentler continental rise, with gradients commonly 3 to 6 degrees. It is incised by submarine canyons that funnel sediment-laden turbidity currents to deep-sea fans, and it is prone to submarine landslides that can trigger tsunamis. Methane hydrates and cold-seep communities are common along it.