Review sheet Plate Tectonics
Jan 2017
The Earth's continents were once connected in one giant continent called
A) Eurasia
C) Pangaea
B) Indo-Australia
D) Pacifica
Alfred Wegener proposed a theory in 1910 called ___________________. He and others observed
that the continents fit together like puzzle pieces, and may once have been connected.
A) continental plowing
B) continental drift
C) wandering continents
D) shape matching of continents
Wegener's old theory, called sea floor spreading, was found too simplistic because it did not explain
how the continents would move. It was replaced by a theory called
A) plate tectonics
C) paleomagnetism
B) crustal forces
D) weather forces
Which of the following supported Wegener’s theory?
A)
B)
C)
D)
Matching fossil plant remains found on two different continents
Matching reptile remains found on two different continents
Nearly identical sedimentary rock types of same age in widely separated locations
all of the above
Scientists found that the continents were moving apart from each other due to magma rising
out of mid-ocean ridges, and they called this
A) sea floor spreading
C) changing sea floor
B) sea floor rising
D) underwater volcanoes
The process that continually adds new crust is:
A. Subduction
C. Sea-floor spreading
B. Earthquakes
D. Convection
The ring of fire is a ring of volcanoes and earthquakes that occur along
A. The mid-ocean ridge
C. Hot spots
B. Plate boundaries
D. Only transform boundaries
Where two plates rub past each other in opposite directions is a
A. Convergent boundary
C. Hot spot
B. Transform boundary
D. Divergent boundary
The place where two plates collide is called a
A. Transform boundary
C. Divergent boundary
B. Hot spot
D. Convergent boundary
The place where two plates move apart is called a
A. Divergent boundary
C. Convergent boundary
B. Hot spot
D. Transform boundary
Subduction is when
A. Earthquakes occur along a transform boundary
B. New crust is formed
C. One plate slides under another
D. New islands are formed
The mid-ocean ridge occurs along a
A. Convergent boundary where new crust is formed
B. Transform boundary where crust is subducted
C. Divergent boundary where sea-floor spreading takes place
D. Divergent boundary where subduction takes place
The theory that states that pieces of Earth's crust are in constant, slow motion driven by movement
in the mantle is called
A. The theory of continental drift
B. The theory of Pangaea
C. The theory of plate tectonics
D. The theory of plate boundaries
The theory that continents are slowly moving over Earth's surface is called
A. The theory of Pangaea
B. The theory of continental drift
C. The theory of plate boundaries
D. The theory of plate tectonics
When two continental plates pull apart a ________________________ forms
A. Subduction zone
C. Earthquake
B. Mountain range
D. Rift valley
Oceanic crust is ____________________ than continental crust
A. Less dense
C. Less hot
B. More dense
D. More hot
Continental crust is ______________________ than oceanic crust
A. Hotter
C. Thicker
B. Colder
D. Thinner
A place where an unusually hot part of the mantle rises through the crust causing volcanic activity is
called a
A. Divergent boundary
C. Convergent boundary
B. Hot spot
D. Transform boundary
Volcanoes are most likely to occur along a
A. Divergent boundary
C. Transform boundary
B. Convergent boundary
D. Sea-floor spreading
The Himalayan mountains were formed because of a
A. Hot spot
C. Transform boundary
B. Divergent boundary
D. Convergent boundary
What causes the tectonic plates to move?
A. Ocean currents
C. The Coriolis effect
B. Volcanoes
D. Convection in the mantle
Pieces of Earth's crust move on top of the
A. Ocean
C. Outer core
B. Mantle
D. Inner core
The fact that ice floats on top of water is like the fact that
A. The mantle causes earthquakes and volcanoes
B. The mantle is colder than the crust
C. The less dense crust sits on top of the mantle
D. The crust is melting
A map of global earthquakes and volcanoes tells you
A. Where the edges of the continents are
B. Where the earth is the hottest
C. Nothing, it looks random
D. Where the plate boundaries are
Hot Spots are
A. Always moving around
B. Stationary, they stay in the same place
C. Constantly disappearing and reappearing
D. What creates earthquakes
The Earths’ plates move at the rate of approximately _____________ per year, on average.
A. 2 inches
C. 2 feet
B. 2 centimeters
D. 2 miles
As we learned from the latitude and longitude maps, volcanoes and earthquakes
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
have no relationship
have a location relationship
have an energy relationship (one can cause the other to occur)
B and D are both correct
none of the above are correct
The height, or altitude, of a mountain is measured in measured in reference to
A. sea level
B. the base of the mountain
C. the altitude of the city it is located in
Volcanoes that are still erupting as known as
A. active
C. dormant
B. sleeping
D. extinct
Volcanoes that have not erupted in over 10,00- years and have no magma activity
A. active
C. dormant
B. sleeping
D. extinct
Be familiar with the above diagrams.