submarine canyon
Underwater oceanic valley
A submarine canyon is a steep-sided valley cut into the continental shelf or slope, extending from shallow coastal waters down toward the deep ocean floor.
These underwater gorges can rival the Grand Canyon in scale, carved primarily by turbidity currents—dense flows of sediment-laden water that rush downslope.
The Monterey submarine canyon extends over two miles deep.
Immeasurably profound depth
- depthsLowest or innermost regions
- darknessTotal absence of light
- unknownNot yet discovered
- secretsConcealed information
chasm · void · isolation · deep · fathoms · uncharted · hidden · sunken
Particles settling in liquid
- seafloorOcean's solid base
- erosionGradual wearing away
- bathymetrySubaqueous topographical measurement
- continental shelfSubmerged perimeter of landmass
geomorphology · sedimentary layers · oceanic crust · tectonic activity · incision · levees
Piloted-from-above underwater craft
- sonar imagingSound-wave underwater detection
- deep-sea divingUnderwater exploration at extreme depths
- research vesselShip for scientific investigation
- AlvinSmall striped rodent
expedition · discovery · sampling · instrumentation · underwater camera · multibeam sonar · NOAA
Interconnected organisms and surroundings
- speciesFinest taxonomic rank
- coralsColonial marine invertebrates
- spongesPorous absorbent masses
- crustaceansExoskeleton-bearing aquatic arthropods
deep-sea fish · cephalopods · benthic · habitats · fauna · endemic · biota · invertebrates
abyss
Immeasurably profound depth
secrets · chasm · void · isolation · deep · fathoms · uncharted · hidden · sunken · otherworldly
sedimentation
Particles settling in liquid
- seafloorOcean's solid base
- erosionGradual wearing away
- bathymetrySubaqueous topographical measurement
continental shelf · geomorphology · sedimentary layers · oceanic crust · tectonic activity · incision · levees
ROV
Piloted-from-above underwater craft
- sonar imagingSound-wave underwater detection
- deep-sea divingUnderwater exploration at extreme depths
- research vesselShip for scientific investigation
Alvin · expedition · discovery · sampling · instrumentation · underwater camera · multibeam sonar · NOAA
ecosystem
Interconnected organisms and surroundings
crustaceans · deep-sea fish · cephalopods · benthic · habitats · fauna · endemic · biota · invertebrates · rockfish