Quote:
Originally Posted by MobeenBhatti
I didn't answer this but I think it had to do something with mid-Atlantic ridge, some famous deep trenches and the large continental shelf off east coast USA. It was the "unique" part that troubled me so I left this question.
It was really sad that I spent so much time learning all the ocean currents  |
the unique thing about the floor of Atlantic is that unlike pacific, which is an active margin ocean, it has a passive margin. It's continental shelf is away from plate boundary (Plate boundary at mid atlantic ridges where North American and Eurasian Plate meets and famous trench is located) and has very few subduction zones (one small subduction zone near Caribbean Islands). Being away from plate boundary and having a fewer number of continental-oceanic subduction zones make it passive with less volcanic and earthquake activity.
Another feature that makes is unique is the presence of a relatively very high mid Atlantic Ridge and a deep rift valley at the divergence zone of North American and Eurasian Plate.
The continental shelf of the Atlantic is gently steeper and wider than that of the Pacific (50-200 m deep and 50-100 Km wide).