continental rise

noun

, Physical Geography.

1. the gently sloping transition between the continental slope and the deep ocean floor, usually characterized by coalescence of submarine alluvial fans.

continental rise

1. A wide, gentle incline from an ocean bottom to a continental slope. A continental rise consists mainly of silts, muds, and sand, and can be several hundreds of miles wide. Although it usually has a smooth surface, it is sometimes crosscut by submarine canyons.