Multiple choice

What is Continental Shelf?

  1. Mountain ranges that edge a continent

  2. The raised land on a continent's edge

  3. The land that gently slopes and extends to the steeper descent of the continent before sharply sloping to form the sea floor.

  4. A plateau in the centre of a continent
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

A continental shelf is the submerged edge of a continent that gradually slopes from the shoreline to a drop-off point (usually around 200 meters deep), after which the sea floor slopes steeply down to the abyssal plain. It is NOT a mountain range, raised land, or plateau - those are terrestrial features. Option C accurately describes the gentle slope followed by steep descent characteristic of continental shelves.

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