Ocean Deposits - The ocean floor is almost covered with a blanket of sediments. This unconsolidated material lies over the bottom like a heavy mantle covering some of its features. The kinds of marine deposits differ a great deal from one part of the ocean to another. The marine deposits are the outcome of deposition of sediments due to continuous wearing of rocks along with the other material such as the remains of marine animals and plants.
Three types of coral features have been recognized on the basis of their characteristics and mode of occurrence.
The marine deposits can be broadly divided into two main groups on the basis of their location (i) the deposits of the continental shelf and slope, and (ii) the deposits of the deep sea plains the deeps. The former consists mainly of material derived from the land and are of often called terrigenous deposits. The latter are formed largely of the shells and skeletons of marine animals and plants. Such deposits are known as pelagic deposits. The terrigenous deposits ire not entirely composed of the rock material and the pelagic deposits are not entirely made up of the remains of animals and plants. By and large, the terrigenous deposits are found near the continents. The pelagic deposits mainly predominate in mid oceans away from the continents. However, with the sharp line of demarcation between them, the pelagic deposits may sometimes extend far up to the continental slope and the terrigenous deposits may be carried to the deep sea region.
Terrigenous Deposits. In general, the terrigenous deposits consist mainly of:
(a) material derived from the wear and tear of the land;
(b) the remains of animals and plants that live on the bed of the sea; and
(c) volcanic material.
By far the greater part of the terrigenous deposits on the continental shelf and slope consists of the rock material. All kinds of rocks are continuously disintegrated into smaller fragments under the process of disintegration and decomposition. The loose material is carried down to the ocean by rivers. The process of disintegration and decomposition is not the same everywhere. It depends upon the character of rock and climatic conditions. The amount of disintegration depends upon the time for which rocks are exposed. The larger fragments of rocks are deposited near the shore. Whereas, the finer materials are carried far into the open sea. Thus, from the shore outwards there is a gradual decrease in the coarseness of the material. However, their outward extension is usually limited by the continental slope. The distance to which the rock material travels not only depends upon the size of the fragment but also on the strength of the waves and ocean currents.
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