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The abyssal zone or abyssopelagic zone is a layer of the pelagic zone of the ocean. The word abyss comes from the Greek word ἄβυσσος (ábussos), meaning "bottomless". [1] At depths of 4,000–6,000 m (13,000–20,000 ft), [2] this zone remains in perpetual darkness. [3] [4] It covers 83% of the total area of the ocean and 60% of Earth's ...
Waters in the oceanic zone plunge to the depths of the abyssopelagic and further to the hadopelagic. Coastal waters are generally the relatively shallow epipelagic. Altogether, the pelagic zone occupies 1,330 million km 3 (320 million mi 3) with a mean depth of 3.68 km (2.29 mi) and maximum depth of 11 km (6.8 mi).
The abyssopelagic zone is the portion of the ocean deeper than about 4,000 m (13,000 feet) and shallower than about 6,000 m (20,000 feet). The zone is defined mainly by its extremely uniform environmental conditions, as reflected in the distinct life forms inhabiting it. [ 8 ]
The aphotic zone (aphotic from Greek prefix ἀ-+ φῶς "without light") is the portion of a lake or ocean where there is little or no sunlight. It is formally defined as the depths beyond which less than 1 percent of sunlight penetrates. Above the aphotic zone is the photic zone, which consists of the euphotic zone and the disphotic zone ...
If the water is exceptionally deep, the pelagic zone below 4,000 metres (2.5 miles) sometimes is called the lower midnight or abyssopelagic zone. Conditions are somewhat uniform throughout these zones, the darkness is complete, the pressure is crushing, and temperatures, nutrients, and dissolved oxygen levels are all low. [2]
Abyssal Zone: Beneath the thermocline is the deep ocean or abyssal zone, where temperatures remain relatively uniform, hovering just above freezing (0°-3°C). This cold, dense water originates from polar regions, where surface water cools, sinks, and spreads towards the equator along the ocean floor, forming the deep ocean circulation system.
The oceanic zone is typically defined as the area of the ocean lying beyond the continental shelf (e.g. the neritic zone), but operationally is often referred to as beginning where the water depths drop to below 200 metres (660 ft), seaward from the coast into the open ocean with its pelagic zone.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Abyssopelagic_zone&oldid=58401499"This page was last edited on 13 June 2006, at 15:06 (UTC). (UTC).