Oceanic fracture zones (FZ�s)
FZ�s are strikingly rectilinear (straight) and often extend 1000�s of km across ocean basin with little change in trend
Very narrow; fracture zones are usually <100 km wide and may be <10 km wide
May have several km of vertical relief across the zone
Offsets of axial valleys across the FZ�s may be large, up to 1000�s of km
Where FZ�s extend into abyssal plains, they may be covered by the thick accumulations of sedimentary rock