oceanic plateau

English - English

Definition of oceanic plateau in English English dictionary

or submarine plateau Large submarine elevation rising sharply at least 660 ft (200 m) above the surrounding seafloor and having an extensive, relatively flat or gently tilted summit. Most plateaus are steplike interruptions of the continental slopes. Some, however, occur well beyond the continental margins. They stand alone, high above the surrounding seafloor, and are believed to be fragments of continents that were isolated during continental drift and seafloor spreading

Hyphenation

o·ce·an·ic plat·eau

Turkish pronunciation

ōşiänîk plätō

Pronunciation

/ˌōsʜēˈanək plaˈtō/ /ˌoʊʃiːˈænɪk plæˈtoʊ/