What term refers to the submerged outer edge of a continent, made of granitic crust and including the shelf and slope?

• A. Continental Rise
• B. Abyssal Plain
• C. Fracture Zone
• D. Continental Margin

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is recognizing the part of the ocean floor that marks the submerged edge of a continent and is underlain by granitic crust. The term that fits this description is the continental margin, which includes the continental shelf (the gently sloping area closest to shore) and the continental slope (the steeper descent to deeper water), and often the continental rise at its base where sediment accumulates. The continental margin sits where light continental crust meets the denser oceanic crust, so it’s fundamentally built on granitic crust rather than basaltic ocean crust.

Why this is the best fit: it specifically describes the submerged outer edge of a continent and the volcanic/tectonic transition from land to deep ocean, spanning the shelf and slope. The continental rise is part of this region but only refers to the sediment-filled zone at the base of the slope, not the entire edge. The abyssal plain lies beyond the margin on the deep ocean floor, far from the continent. Fracture zones are features along the ocean floor caused by plate movement, not the continental edge itself.