Earth and Environment Atlas

How The Planet Works
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme
Geological Formations

Northeastern United States Continental Shelf

Sedimentary and Stratigraphic Formations

Citation Formats

General Reference

APA Style

BibTeX

The Northeastern United States Continental Shelf is the section of the Atlantic Ocean continental shelf that the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration designates as a large marine ecosystem, running roughly from Nova Scotia in Canada to Cape Hatteras in North Carolina. It comprises two main basins: the Gulf of Maine, a comparatively deep basin averaging about 490 feet, bounded on its south by the submarine plateau of Georges Bank, and the shallower Mid-Atlantic Bight, which deepens gradually toward the open ocean. The shelf lies close to the Gulf Stream, spans a range of climates along its length, and supports major commercial fisheries.

Sources
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.

View At A Past Year

The atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.