To assert sovereignty over its submerged continental shelf, a nation has to map multiple off-shore points. Among them: the area where the ocean depth drops to 2500 meters, and the place where a country’s land mass drops off to become seafloor, a spot called the foot of the continental slope. Conservative estimates suggest that a new set of boundaries could cause the US to “grow” by 1m km2, and the oil, gas, and other resources contained in that area could be worth $1.3 trillion.

its all about the continental shelf

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