Unit 8 - Changes to Earth's Surface

1. A scientist named Alfred Wegener believed the continents move slowly across Earth's surface. This theory is know as ___________. (pg. 402)

• Pangea

• The continental sliding effect

• The continental drift theory

• puzzle formation theory

2. Wegener said that 250 million years ago, all of Earth's land was in one huge mass called _________. (pg. 402)

• drift mass

• land mass

• pangea

• continents

True or False: All scientists accepted Wegener's Theory right away. (pg. 402)

• True

• False

4. A continental shelf is _______________. (pg. 403)

• the place where continents separate

• the margin of a continent that is covered by water

• the outer edge of a puzzle piece

Joshua spends the day at the beach with his family. He finds some smooth stones in the sand. What process causes such stones to become smooth?

• deposition

• erosion

• grooving

• weathering

Which process causes rock to split?

• deposition

• erosion

• polishing

• weathering

There is a relationship between landforms and wind. Given this relationship, which landform is the result of deposition?

• a canyon

• a desert

• a forest

• a mountain

Which label do scientists use when they refer to the four parts of Earth shown in the image?

• faults

• layers

• plates

• rings

Different types of plate motion produce boundaries that shape different landforms and cause different natural events. Which event will most likely occur where two plates move in different directions and slide against each other?

• an earthquake

• a fault

• a flood

• a volcano

Wind, water, and ice are involved in both weathering and erosion. However, weathering and erosion are two different processes. Which sentence states a difference between weathering and erosion?

• Erosion moves rocks without breaking them down.

• Weathering and erosion move rocks to new locations.

• Erosion breaks down rocks but doesn’t move them.

• Weathering moves rocks without breaking them down.