Earth's Tectonic Plates

What is the name of the hypothesis that said that a single large landmass broke into smaller pieces and formed the continents, which drifted to their present positions?

• Plate tectonics

• plate movement

• continental shift

• continental drift

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Which can form when oceanic plates move toward each other? Choose 3

• deep-ocean trenches

• Volcanic mountains

• Volcanic islands

• rift valleys

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

What happens when two plates move away from each other?

• They collide.

• One plate sinks and gets melted into magma.

• Mountains form

• Magma rises in the rift valley and causes eruptions.

What most often causes earthquakes to occur?

• Two plates moving toward each other.

• The plates moving away from each other.

• Two plates moving past each other.

• Landslides

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

Which is a divergent boundary?

• When tectonic plates are moving away from each other.

• When tectonic plates are moving towards each other.

• When tectonic plates are moving past each other.

• When a fence is built.

What type of landform is likely to occur where two plates converge (come together in a subduction zone where one is forced below a continental plate)?

• trench

• island volcanic arc

• folded mountains

• continental volcanic arc

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-5

NGSS.HS-ESS2-1

Which processes are best explained by the theory of plate tectonics?

• life cycles of plants

• food chains and webs

• changes in air pressure

• earthquakes and volcanic eruptions

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

Which kind of plate would have thinner, denser rock?

• oceanic plate

• lithospheric plate

• continental plate

• dinner plate

Which statement explains why tectonic plates move?

• Plates move because the asthenosphere is slowly moving because of convection currents.

• Plates move because they are slowly expanding and growing larger.

• Plates move because landforms cause them to move in different directions.

• Plates move because of the gravitational force of the moon pulling on Earth's surface.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Which description is evidence for the theory of plate tectonics but does not suggest that the continents were once connected?

• matching rock layers on separate continents

• similar land features on separated, present-day continents

• the interlocking of present-day coastlines, such as Africa and South America

• thin layer of sediment covering the ocean floor, indicating that it was relatively young