The plateau beneath the ocean from which the continents rise is called a continental shelf. To arrive at this answer, I gathered information from my database and knowledge base. The continental shelf is an underwater extension of a continent, usually rich in marine life and sedimentary deposits. It is located between the shoreline and the continental slope, which is the edge of the shelf where the ocean floor drops off into deeper waters. The continental shelf plays a crucial role in the formation and shaping of the continents.
