Plate Tectonics

What is the theory that explains the structure and behavior of the Earth?

• Theory of Evolution

• Theory of Relativity

• Plate Tectonics

• Continental Drift

Who proposed the idea of continental drift and the supercontinent Pangaea?

• Alfred Wegener

• Harry Hess

• Bruce Heezen

• Marie Tharp

What evidence did Alfred Wegener use to support his theory of continental drift?

• Spatial distribution of fossils

• Location of rock types

• Trends of mountain ranges

• All of the above

What did the physiographic map of the Atlantic ocean floor reveal?

• Flat featureless plain

• Mountains and valleys

• Deep trenches

• All of the above

What is the process by which new seafloor is formed at mid-oceanic ridges?

• Subduction

• Continental drift

• Seafloor spreading

• Plate collision

What is the name of the seismic surveillance system created during the Cold War?

• Sentinel series

• Echo sounder

• Global seismic network

• Continuous echo sounder

What type of plate boundary is the San Andreas Fault?

• Divergent boundary

• Convergent boundary

• Transform boundary

• Subduction zone

What happens when two continental plates collide?

• Subduction

• Seafloor spreading

• Mountain building

• Plate sliding

What is the average speed at which tectonic plates move?

• Faster than the speed of light

• Slower than the speed of sound

• As fast as our fingernails grow

• Varies depending on the plate

What is the significance of plate tectonics in the evolution of complex life?

• It caused the Cambrian explosion

• It supplied large pulses of nutrients

• It created the Earth's magnetic field

• It influenced the theory of relativity