CONTENTS 



INTRODUCTION. .. page 7 



HISTORICAL BACKGROUND. . . 8 



DEFINITION OF MICRORELIEF. ..10 



SUMMARY OF MICRORELIEF PHOTOGRAPHIC DATA. . . 13 



THE CAMERAS AND TECHNIQUES USED. . . 20 



INTERPRETATION OF BOTTOM PHOTOGRAPHS. . . 25 

 Value and Limitations of Bottom Photography. . . 25 

 Methods Used in the Interpretation of the Photographs. . .26 



DISCUSSION OF THE ORIGIN AND OCCURRENCE OF 

 MICRORELIEF. . . 28 



General. . . 28 



Sediment and its Formation. . .32 



Rock Outcrops. . .33 



Microrelief Resulting from Physical Processes. . . 36 



Microrelief Resulting from Chemical Precipitation. . . 40 



Microrelief Caused by the Bodies of Benthonic 

 Organisms. . .44 



Microrelief Caused by the Activity of Benthonic 

 Organisms. . .4 7 



Summary of the Origin and Occurrence of Microrelief. . .50 



A SEA FLOOR MtCROROUGHNESS SCALE AND WORLDWIDE 

 ZONES OF ISOROUGHNESS. . . 53 



Microrelief Numerical Ratings. . . 53 

 Summary of Microrelief Characteristics. . . 55 

 Microrelief Interrelationships and Distribution. . .56 

 Zones of Isoroughness. . . 63 



CONCLUSIONS. ..65 



REFERENCES. ..67-70 



