Plate Tectonics

Observe this diagram of a plate boundary. One statement BEST describes what is happening. It is that

• the oceanic crust is melting.

• the denser ceanic crust is subducting under the less dense oceanic crust

• volcanic islands are forming.

• the tectonic plates are moving away from each other.

The map in the picture shows tectonic plate boundaries. This map would be useful in predicting the location of future

• droughts

• hurricanes

• earthquakes

• tornadoes

What geological forces might be responsible for this range of mountains?

• diverging tectonic plates
• erosion of the land by the ocean
• converging tectonic plates
• deposition of sediments by the ocean
  

Earthquake epicenters (center of where the earthquakes started) were mapped for a 35 year period in the diagram above. The black dots indicate these epicenters. The black dots appear along what feature on Earth?

• hot spots

• plate boundaries

• rift zones

• sea floor spreading

The Atlantic Ocean gets about 3-5 ______ wider each year.

• centimeters
• kilometers
• miles
• meters

The Rocky Mountains are known for beautiful scenery. Which processes of the Rocky Mountains most likely required the longest period of time to occur?

• growth of plants and trees

• formation of valleys from glaciers

• large uplift of the land from tectonic forces

• large accumulation of snow on the mountaintops

Earth's plate movement is thought to be the result of

• rotation of the mantle around the core

• convection currents

• the jet stream

• density differences between the mantle and core.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

The youngest rocks on the ocean floor are typically located near what feature?

• a mid-ocean ridge

• a continental shelf

• an abyssal plain

• a subduction trench

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Earthquakes tend to occur most often in areas where tectonic plates do which of the following?

• move apart

• move very little

• push into each other

• grind past each other

At which location would earthquakes be least likely to occur?

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2