Plate Tectonics Basics - Connection

Reorder

Put the layers of the Earth in order from lowest density (number 1) to highest density (number 4)

• Crust

• Mantle

• Outer Core

• Inner Core

1

2

3

4

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4

Categorize

Options (10)

Medium Density

Semi Solid

A mix of Silicon, Oxygen, Iron, and Magnesium

Highest Density

Close to highest density

Molten Iron and Nickel

Solid Iron and Nicke

Lowest Density

Solid

Silicon, Oxygen, and Aluminium

Associate the correct properties with the correct layer of the Earth

Mantle

Outer Core

Inner Core

Crust

Hotspot

This is a section of the Atlantic ocean between South America and Africa. Click on the area where the newest ocean floor is being produced?

Dropdown

Arjun, David, and Aria are studying geography. They are looking at a map of

Select answer

. They are trying to understand how the

Select answer

have

Select answer

over time due to

Select answer

.

Multiple Select

Anika, Michael, and Grace are on a field trip to a natural history museum. They come across an exhibit about Glossopteris, a prehistoric tree. The exhibit explains that fossils of this tree are found all over the world and were key evidence supporting the theory of Pangaea. The students are curious as to why this is the case.

• Because trees like Glossopteris can't walk and they don't live in the sea.

• Because tree seeds, like those of Glossopteris, are spread by animals or the wind.

• Because pollen, like that of Glossopteris, is spread by animals or the wind.

• The fact that this fossil is found everywhere does not explain why it is important.

Multiple Choice

Mia, Ethan, and Anika are on a field trip to the San Andreas Fault as part of their geology studies. They are intrigued by the fact that the city of Los Angeles is constantly moving due to the motion of this fault. Can you help them understand in which compass direction is Los Angeles moving?

• Southwest

• Northwest

• Northeast

• Southeast

Hotspot

Where is the hottest, densest layer?

Multiple Choice

What was the main reason that Wegener's theory received a lot of ridicule from the scientific community?

• No similar fossils were found on different continents.

• There was no data to suggest any change in geologic structures.

• Wegener did not give a method on how the continents actually moved.

• The outlines of the continents looked like puzzle pieces that would fit together.

Multiple Choice

Shark teeth were discovered in an area where there was no source of water. What is the BEST explanation for this?

• Sharks used to live on flat land.

• The area was once covered with salt water.

• The area was once covered with freshwater.

• Someone buried the shark teeth deep in the ground.

Multiple Choice

Tree fossils were found in the desert. What can we infer about the tress and the land where the fossils were found?

• Trees adapted to live in the desert.

• The tress are extinct now, but used to live in the desert.

• This area has many trees because it has always been a desert.

• The area was once home to many trees and has not always been a desert.

Multiple Choice

What type of fossils would be found if an area was once covered by salt water?

Multiple Choice

What is one type of evidence that does NOT support the theory of plate tectonics

• Fossils of the same animal were found on different continents

• the continents fit together like puzzle pieces

• climate- fossils of tropical plant were found in Antarctica

• There are volcanos found in Florida

Multiple Choice

The map shows white areas that used to be covered by glaciers. Arrows show directions that glaciers moved. Based on the arrows, which red point was probably closest to the South Pole at the time of Pangaea?

(Model description: The continents shown are South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, and the subcontinent India. All the plates where more south. The African plate had glaciers move in both directions. South America had glaciers move West. The glaciers on Australia and India moved East. The glaciers didn't move in Antarctica. Point A is in the middle of South America, while Point B is at the end of it. Point C is towards the end of Africa and Point D is on the coast of Antarctica).

• Point A

• Point B

• Point C

• Point D

Multiple Choice

Lystrosaurus was a slow-moving, plant-eating reptile that lived over 250 million years ago. Fossils of Lystrosaurus have been found in the brown areas shown below (The brown areas are on Africa, Antarctica, and India). How is this explained by the existence of Pangaea?

• Lystrosaurus swam across the oceans from one continent to another.

• Lystrosaurus drifted on rafts of vegetation from one continent to another.

• Bridges once crossed oceans to connect Africa, Antarctica, and India.

• Africa, Antarctica, and India used to be joined together into a single landmass.

Multiple Choice

According to the theory of continental drift, why do the coastlines of Africa and South America appear to fit together so well?

• Africa and South America used to be joined together, but split apart long ago.

• Africa and South America are drifting towards each other and will soon fit together perfectly.

• Ocean currents on either side of the Atlantic have eroded the coastlines into the same shape.

• The theory does not explain why the coastlines seem to match.

Multiple Choice

Who came up with the idea that all the continents were once joined together?

• Albert Einstein

• Alfred Wegener

• Charles Darwin

• Werner Heisenberg

Multiple Choice

How does fossil evidence support Wegener's hypothesis of Pangaea and today's theory of Plate Tectonics?

• Similar fossils are found along continental margins that appear to join together.

• Fossils are found in areas where the present-day climate could not have supported the organisms that made the fossils.

• Similar fossils of giant, land-dwelling reptiles are found on continents separated by oceans.

• All of the above

Multiple Choice

What new technology enables scientists to track tectonic plate movement?

• the new Iphone

• a new smartwatch

• GPS tracking

• the new rover going to Mars called Perserverance

Multiple Choice

Wegener suggested that coal beds discovered in Antarctica indicated that this continent was

• once under water

• once near the equator

• always frozen

• part of Africa

Multiple Choice

After plotting volcanoes and earthquakes, scientists noticed a pattern, what did the pattern outline?

• fault-block mountains

• abyssal plains

• continental shelves

• plate boundaries

Multiple Choice

What is the theory of plate tectonics?

• The theory that describes how Earth's outer layers is broken up into moving tectonic plates

• Tectonic plates stay in one place

• All of the continents were once apart of a Super Continent called Panthalassa

• All of the plates were once a solid plate until they broke up and moved to their current position

Multiple Choice

What evidence did Alfred Wegener use to prove the Theory of Continental Drift?

• he used the moon's rotation and revolution as evidence

• he looked at the clouds and noticed continental drift

• he looked at the fossils, land forms and how continents fit together like puzzle pieces

• he studied the weather patterns for Africa and South America

Multiple Choice

This is a picture of glacier scars found in Africa.  What are these evidence for?

• Africa has always been near the equator
• Africa was once in an area of the Earth that had a very cold climate
• The continents have not moved
• sea floor spreading

Multiple Choice

What evidence supports the idea that continents were once connected?

• Unique animal species on each continent

• Different languages spoken across continents

• Similar weather patterns

• Identical rock formations found on different continents

Labelling

Identify the layers of the Earth shown in the diagram.

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

Inner Core

Outer Core

Mantle

Crust