What is the slope of the US continental slope?

Extensive high-resolution, multibeam bathymetry of five US continental margins provides new, detailed information about the angle of continental slopes in different sedimentary and tectonic settings. Frequency grids of local slope magnitude vs depth and dip direction for two passive continental slopes reflect present-day morphology predominantly being shaped by lithology (west Florida), sedimentation (New Jersey-Maryland), and downslope-directed erosion (New Jersey-Maryland, west Florida). The grids for the three tectonically active continental slopes reflect morphology partly (California) to predominantly (Louisiana, Oregon) being shaped by tectonics. -from Authors

Duke Scholars

Author Lincoln F. Pratson Earth and Climate Sciences