The Outer Continental Shelf
The U.S. Outer Continental Shelf consists of the submerged lands, subsoil, and seabed in a specified zone up to 200 nautical miles or more offshore from U.S. coasts.
The Continental Shelf
The continental shelf is the gently sloping undersea plain between a continent and the deep ocean. The continental shelf is an extension of the continent's landmass under the ocean. The waters of the continental shelf are relatively shallow (rarely more than 150 to 200 meters deep) compared to the open ocean (thousands of meters deep). The continental shelf extends outward to the continental slope where the deep ocean truly begins. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the continental shelf. The width of the continental shelf around the U.S. varies from approximately 20 to 400 km. The continental shelf regions are important economically, primarily because their waters are the source of much seafood, and because of the energy these regions provide, both in the form of fossil fuels, such as oil and gas, and renewable energy resources.
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Figure 1: Continental Shelf Source: Office of Naval Research | |
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The Outer Continental Shelf
The U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) as defined by the Federal government consists of the submerged lands, subsoil, and seabed, lying between the seaward extent of the States' jurisdiction and the seaward extent of Federal jurisdiction. Federal jurisdiction is defined under accepted principles of international law. Generally, the OCS begins 3-9 nautical miles from shore (depending on the state) and extends 200 nautical miles outward, or farther if the continental shelf extends beyond 200 nautical miles. Figure 2 shows the extent of the U.S. OCS. The Federal Government administers the submerged lands, subsoil, and seabed of the OCS.
For More Information
More information about the OCS is available on the MMS Gulf of Mexico Region Web site:
http://www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/whoismms/whatsocs.html
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