deep-sea fan

A deep-sea fan is a vast, underwater geological feature created when sediments, like mud and sand, are transported by rivers or ocean currents from the continental shelf to the deep ocean floor. These sediments accumulate along the continental slope and form large, fan-shaped deposits similar to river delta fans but underwater. Deep-sea fans help distribute sediments across the seafloor, influence ocean ecosystems, and are important in understanding Earth's geological and climatic history. They are found at the mouths of submarine canyons and can extend for hundreds of kilometers beneath the ocean surface.