Plate Tectonics Quiz

What does the theory of plate tectonics provide an explanation for?

• The behavior of ocean currents

• The past, present, and future arrangements of the continents

• The distribution of deserts on Earth

• The evolution of different species

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

According to the theory of plate tectonics, which geologic phenomena are explained?

• Erosion, soil fertility, and river formation

• Earthquakes, volcanic activity, and mountain building

• Climate change, global warming, and ice ages

• Meteor impacts, crater formation, and asteroid belts

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

What was the name of the single landmass that all seven continents on Earth were once part of?

• Gondwana

• Laurasia

• Pangaea

• Eurasia

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

What term is used to describe the movement of continents away from their original positions within Pangaea?

• Plate tectonics

• Continental drift

• Earth shift

• Tectonic displacement

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

What theory explains the movements of large rigid blocks of the Earth's lithosphere?

• Plate tectonics

• Seismic oscillation

• Continental drift

• Earthquake dynamics

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-5

What does the term 'plate' refer to in the context of plate tectonics?

• The Earth's entire mantle

• Large rigid blocks of the Earth's lithosphere

• The Earth's inner core

• The Earth's crust only

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-5

According to the theory of plate tectonics, how many plates is the Earth's lithosphere divided into?

• Less than a dozen

• Exactly a dozen

• A dozen or more

• Over a hundred

What is the name of the slowly flowing part of the upper mantle on which the plates float?

• Lithosphere

• Mesosphere

• Asthenosphere

• Outer core

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

What do the plates of the Earth's lithosphere consist of?

• Only continental crust

• Only oceanic crust

• Only the mantle

• Continental crust, oceanic crust, or a combination of both

What happens when the plates of the Earth's lithosphere move?

• The continents and ocean floor do not move

• Only the continents move

• Only the ocean floor moves

• The continents and ocean floor move as well

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3