OCEANSCAPE NETWORK
  • Home
  • Virtual Explorations
    • The Stream
  • Explore
  • Experience
  • Educate
Submerged Now But Not Always
Continental Shelf
ECOSYSTEMS > COASTAL WATERS > CONTINENTAL SHELF

Imagine finding a mammoth tooth hidden in the sediment deep below the surface of the sea. Believe it or not, scientists have made similar discoveries. But how could this happen?

Although most of the continental shelf is now submerged, it wasn’t always. As recently as 18,000 years ago, at the height of the Pleistocene Era, much of Earth’s water was trapped in massive ice floes and glaciers. Less liquid water meant a shallower ocean — perhaps as much as 300 feet (91 m) lower than today! Huge swathes of the shelf were actually dry land during this era, some regions covered in ice, others supporting everything from forests to grasslands to deserts. More dry land may have helped facilitate the movement of species between the continents, and many scientist believe this type of “land bridge” was the route used by early humans to reach North America from Asia.

As the world warmed and the ice began to melt, the ocean levels rose worldwide. Those exposed areas of the shelf were immersed in the rising water and eventually disappeared altogether. But trapped in the sediment of these submerged areas were the remnants from when they were dry land — remnants which included the fossilized remains of Pleistocene animals such as mammoths.

Related Features: Going, Going, Gone: Missing Animals of the Columbia River Gorge 
Picture
Picture
About Oceanscape
The Oregon Coast Aquarium's Oceanscape Network is an educational program for youth designed to inspire curiosity in science, nature, conservation and outdoor exploration while providing valuable classroom resources for educators. MORE.
Quick Links
​Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads
Site Updates | For Educators | For Youth | Translate This Website | Contact Form | Privacy Policy | Conditions of Use | Website Accessibility
Finding the Aquarium
2820 SE Ferry Slip Road, Newport, Oregon 97365
(541) 867-3474 | oceanscape@aquarium.org
Oceanscape Network copyright © 2019-2020 by the Oregon Coast Aquarium. All rights reserved. 
  • Home
  • Virtual Explorations
    • The Stream
  • Explore
  • Experience
  • Educate