Geology - The Ocean Floor

Explore the geology of the ocean floor in this 39-minute lecture covering abyssal plains, mid-ocean ridges, continental shelves, and other seafloor features. Dive into ocean provinces, passive continental margins, deep-ocean basins, and the anatomy of oceanic ridge systems. Learn about ophiolites, the formation and nature of oceanic crust, and the interactions between seawater and oceanic rocks. Examine continental rifting, the evolution of ocean basins, failed rifts, and the process of plate subduction. Gain insights into the destruction of oceanic lithosphere and the complex geological processes shaping our planet's underwater landscapes.

The Ocean Floor
Ocean Provinces
Passive Continental Margin: Continental Rise . Found in regions where trenches are absent
Features of the Deep-Ocean Basins Deep-ocean trench
Anatomy of the Oceanic Ridge
Distribution of the Oceanic Ridge System
Ophiolites: A Cross-Section of the Seafloor
Formation of Ocean Crust
Nature of Oceanic Crust Interactions between seawater and oceanic crust - Seawater circulates downward through the highly fractured crust - Basaltic rock is altered by hydrothermal metamorphism
Continental Rifting-The Birth of a New Ocean Basin Evolution of an ocean basin
Failed Rifts
The Angle of Plate Subduction Depends on Its Density
Destruction of Oceanic Lithosphere