Ocean Floor Sediments Are Usually Mixtures Of The Various Sediment Types

The material can be different and it depends on the proximity of that sea floor to a certain continent depth of the water the currents of the ocean biological activity and climate.

Ocean floor sediments are usually mixtures of the various sediment types. Most parts of the sea floor are covered in sediments and the sediments are formed by several different sources and are highly variable in their composition. Hydrogenous sediments are rich with minerals such as manganese nodules that precipitate from seawater on the ocean floor. Sediment thickness in the oceans averages about 450 metres 1 500 feet. As you move from the continental shelf toward the deep ocean floor sediments become coarser.

Calcareous oozes are. The sediment in areas of the ocean floor which is at least 30 biogenous materials is labeled as an ooze. Terrigenous sediment is the most abundant sediment found on the seafloor followed by biogenous sediment. The clay component or sometimes volcanic ash is generally carried from land by wind and falls on the surface of the ocean.

There are two types of oozes. Pelagic sediment is least abundant on the crest of midoceanic ridges because of the active volcanism. T f ocean floor sediments are usually mixtures of the various sediment types. The only exception are the crests of the spreading centres where new ocean floor has not existed long enough to accumulate a sediment cover.

The sediment cover in the pacific basin ranges from 300 to 600 metres. The ocean basin floor is everywhere covered by sediments of different types and origins. Plankton is the contributor of oozes. Calcareous oozes and siliceous oozes.