- Ocean deposits are sediments that come from different sources by different means and it settles down on the ocean floor.
The following are the sources of Ocean deposits:
- Terrestrial sediments
- Volcanos sediments
- Marine Organism
- Extraterrestrial
Terrestrial sediments:
- Both biotic and abiotic sediments from continents get accumulated on the continental shelf and slope via river, winds, and wave erosion.
Volcanos sediments:
- Some oceanic sediments are of volcanic origin that deposit in the ocean directly or indirectly from the air.
Marine Organism:
- The main sources of Ooze deposits in the deep ocean are dead marine organism that derives from Zooplankton and Phytoplankton.
Extraterrestrial:
- Sediments from meteorites.
Waste generated from human activities:
- Deposits from waste generated by humans such as industrial waste, domestic waste, etc.
Classification of Ocean Deposits:
John Murray has classified ocean deposits into two broad categories based on the settlement locations.
- Terrigenous deposits
- Pelagic Deposits
Terrigenous Deposits:
The Deposits which are mainly found on the Continental shelf are called Terrigenous deposits.
The main sources of Terrigenous deposits are terrestrial sediments.
- Boulders, sand, gravel, rocks, and mud are major components of these deposits.
- Marine Fossil fuel is also present in the ocean deposit on the continental shelf
Pelagic Deposits:
Pelagic deposits are comprised of both organic and inorganic sediments and are generally found in the deep oceans in the continental slope, continental rise, trenches, and abyssal plains.
Pelagic Deposits are generally two types:
- Mud
- Ooze
Mud Pelagic deposits:
Muds are very finer sediments and clay. It is largely found in continental slopes and Abbysal plains.
Muds are classified into the following types:
- Red Mud
- Blue Mud
- Green Mud
- Coral Mud
Red Mud:
- Red mud or clay generally originated from Volcanos activities. It contains Iron oxide.
Blue Mud:
- It contains Iron sulfite.
Green Mud:
- It contains Potassium silicate.
Coral Mud:
- It contains a coral reef.
Ooze:
Ooze contains both organic sediments from marine remains and inorganic sediments from mud.
The ooze can be further classified into the following types:
- Calcareous Ooze
- Siliceous Ooze
Calcareous Ooze:
- Calcareous Ooze is present mainly on the Atlantic and Indian ocean bottoms. It is made up of Calcium carbonate made up of marine Mollusca and single-cell Protozoans.
Siliceous Ooze:
- It is also of organic origin and made up of silica; mostly found in Phytoplankton and diatom.
- Siliceous Ooze is largely present in the pacific ocean and the Southern Ocean.
Try to solve the following questions:
- Discuss the different bases for classifying ocean deposits and give a detailed account of the pelagic deposits of the oceans. ( UPSC 2007)
- Ocean Deposits ( Short Notes)(UPSC 2010)
- Describe the characteristics of different types of pelagic deposits. (UPSC 2015)
- Write a note on the marine resources of India. ( UPPSC, UP PCS, 2019, 10 Marks)
- Give a brief account of ocean deposits. ( UPPSC / UPPCS, 2019, 15 Marks)
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