DEFINITION: North Atlantic submarine canyons (Figure 1) are V-shaped valleys 

 cut into the continental shelf and slope. They are highly 

 variable in length, size, relief, and wall steepness. The 

 largest, most well -developed canyons extend up to 25 km into the 

 shelf and seaward for much greater distances to the lower 

 continental slope and upper rise. The smallest canyons are 

 broad, shallow embayments of the outer shelf and upper slope. 



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