Question 1063Navigation General

The correct answer is C) continental shelf. The continental shelf is the gently sloping area of the ocean floor that extends from the shoreline out to the point where there is a noticeable increase in the slope, leading to greater ocean depths. This shallow, submerged portion of the continental landmass is considered part of the continental margin. The other answer choices are incorrect because: A) an offshore terrace is a relatively flat or gently sloping seafloor feature beyond the continental shelf, B) the abyssal plain is the very deep, flat ocean floor, and D) a borderland is an irregular seafloor area near a continental margin.