Plate Tectonics

The idea that continents were once part of a single landmass that broke apart and

moved

• Continental Drift

• Tectonic Plates

• Transform

What are the puzzle pieces of the Earth's surface called?

• Tectonic plates
• Puzzles
• Earthquakes

The movement of the tectonic plates is caused by

• the rotation of the Earth.

• convection currents in the Asthenosphere

• the gravity of the iron-nickel core.

• the Moho discontinuity.

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

• the oceanic crust is melting.

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

• volcanic islands are forming.

• the tectonic plates are moving away from each other.

Most geologists think that the movement of Earth’s plates is caused by _______

• convection.

• continental drift.

• subduction.

• conduction.

Wegener’s proposal of a supercontinent was supported by:

• earthquake data
• seafloor magnetism
• rock, fossil, and climate data.
• convection currents in the mantle.

What is this a picture of?

• plate tectonics
• continental drift
• pangea
• glacier scaring

What does the theory of continental drift state?

• The continents were once joined in a super-continent and have moved over time
• Continents are stationary and do not move
• The Earth is broken into lithospheric plates that move due to convection currents
• none of the above

What evidence did Wegener use in his theory?

• Continents and fossils fitting together/matching-up like puzzle pieces 
• glacier scars and evidence from temperature
• mountain ranges and coal deposits line up across continents
• all of the above

The fact that similar fossils are found on both sides of the ocean is evidence of

• magnetic reversal.

• global positioning.

• continental drift.

• oceanic drift.