Abyssal plain
Deep sea
Overview
A sedimentary system composed of a series of sedimentary facies on the ocean floors. Pelagic and hemiplagic sediments deposit thicker from oceanic ridges to trenches or continental rise of passive continental margins. The standard succession of strata is basalt/greenrocks, chert, siliceous mudstone, mudstone/tuff, turbidite (interbedded sandstone and mudstone) in ascending order.. This corresponds to oceanic ridges, pelagic sediments, hemipelagic sediments, and submarine fan sediments. Occasionally limestones and basalts originated from seamounts are included.
Schematic diagram of abyssal plain.
Components
Other sedimentary systems
- [ Marine ]
- Storm-dominated shelf
- Tide-dominated shelf
- Ocean current-dominated shelf
- Bay, Gulf
- Barrier island, Sand spit, Longshore bar
- Organic reef
- Mangrove marsh
- [ Deep sea ]
- Submarine fan (Passive)
- Submarine fan (Forearc basin)
- Trench
- Abyssal plain
- [ Ocean / River ]
- Tidal river
- Delta
- Fan delta
- Estuary