Part 5: Geological Oceanography

The Ocean Floor

Geological oceanography (marine geology) studies the seafloor, its formation through plate tectonics, sediment accumulation, and geological history. The ocean floor records Earth's climate, volcanic, and tectonic history.

Topics in This Part

5.1 Seafloor Features

Mid-ocean ridges, abyssal plains, trenches, seamounts

5.2 Plate Tectonics

Seafloor spreading, subduction, magnetic anomalies

5.3 Marine Sediments

Terrigenous, biogenic, authigenic sediments

5.4 Hydrothermal Vents

Black smokers, chemosynthesis, unique ecosystems

5.5 Coastal Geology

Beaches, deltas, estuaries, erosion and deposition

Plate Tectonics Overview

Divergent Boundaries

Mid-ocean ridges. New crust forms. ~2-15 cm/yr spreading.

Convergent Boundaries

Ocean trenches. Subduction. Earthquakes and volcanoes.

Transform Boundaries

Fracture zones. Plates slide past each other.

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