ocean basins
Deep marine depressions
Ocean basins are the large depressions in Earth's surface that hold the world's oceans.
The five major ocean basins—Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Southern—are bounded by continents and underwater ridges.
Geologists study basin structure and formation; oceanographers focus on the water, currents, and life within them.
The Pacific basin is the largest and deepest.
- subductionPlate descending beneath another
- ring of firePacific seismic belt
- continental shelfSubmerged perimeter of landmass
- crushing pressureForce compacting from all sides
- plate tectonicsEarth's crust mobility theory
seamount · trench · oceanic crust · oceanography · bathymetry · deep-sea mining · isostasy · volcanic arc · marine exploration · fathoms · seafloor · deep sea · currents · sedimentation · rift · volcanic · underwater · sea level rise
- geologic historyCambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous
- oceanographyoceanography, oceanographer, sonar, marine science, thermocline
- Air Mass Sourcespolar region, arctic, Antarctic, polar regions, tropical oceans
- ocean geologyseafloor, seabed, seamount, oceanic trenches, deep-sea trenches
- Atlantic mapsnautical charts, sea charts, navigation charts, coastal maps, North Atlantic
- regionsregion, regions, area, areas, zone
ocean basinsmountain ranges
Extended series of peaks
mountain peaks · plateaus · volcanic peaks · mountain chains · ridges
ocean basinsshallows
Areas of little depth
shallow waters · continental shelves · coastal waters · tidal flats · shoals
ocean basinscontinents
Earth's largest landmasses
landmasses · dry land · terra firma · deserts