MapMaster 3

A map shows the distribution of neritic and pelagic sediments in the world's oceans shown with various colors.

Abyssal clay, shown in medium green, dominates the vast expanses of the central Pacific Ocean, parts of the South Atlantic Ocean, and the Indian Ocean. Calcareous ooze, depicted in lighter green, is found prominently in the North and South Atlantic Ocean, around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, and near the western coasts of South America and Central America. It is also found in the South Indian Ocean. Continental (lithogenous) sediments, marked in light blue-green, are concentrated along the continental margins, particularly around the Mediterranean Sea, the eastern and western coasts of North America, the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and the coastlines of Africa, Australia, and Southeast Asia. Diatomaceous sediments, shown in medium blue-green, are prevalent in regions near the Antarctic Circle, indicating cold, nutrient-rich waters. Radiolarian sediments, highlighted in forest green, are scattered in parts of the central Pacific and Indian Oceans. Other types of sediments, represented in dark green, are found in patches across oceanic regions.