Submarine Canyons

Submarine canyons are among the most dramatic features of the ocean floor — deep, steep-sided valleys that in scale rival some of the greatest gorges on land. The textbook compares them directly to the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River, which gives you an immediate sense of their size and depth. These are not minor grooves in the seabed; they are major geological structures.

What makes them particularly interesting is where they appear. Submarine canyons are sometimes found cutting across the continental shelves and the continental slopes — the submerged edges of the continents. In many cases, they extend outward from the mouths of large rivers, which suggests a connection between river systems on land and these underwater valleys. The most famous and best-studied example is the Hudson Canyon, located off the coast of New York at the mouth of the Hudson River. It is widely regarded as the best known submarine canyon in the world.

Key points to remember:

• Submarine canyons are deep valleys on the ocean floor.
• Their scale is comparable to the Grand Canyon on land.
• They are sometimes found cutting across continental shelves and slopes.
• They often extend from the mouths of large rivers.
• The Hudson Canyon is the best known example in the world. …