Plate Tectonics Quiz

What is the theory that explains the movement of Earth's surface?

• Plate tectonics

• Continental drift

• Seafloor spreading

• Volcanism

Who first proposed the idea of continental drift?

• Nicholas van der Elst

• Alfred Wegener

• Harry Hess

• James Hutton

What is the Earth's outer shell divided into?

• Cores

• Rocks

• Plates

• Layers

What is the name of Earth's solid outer layer?

• Mantle

• Lithosphere

• Crust

• Asthenosphere

What is the driving force behind plate tectonics?

• Gravity

• Magnetism

• Convection in the mantle

• Solar radiation

What type of boundary occurs where plates collide into one another?

• Divergent boundary

• Subduction boundary

• Transform boundary

• Convergent boundary

Which plate is the largest of all tectonic plates?

• North American Plate

• African Plate

• Eurasian Plate

• Pacific Plate

What is the estimated age of the Earth?

• 3.8 billion years

• 4.54 billion years

• 200 million years

• 1 billion years

What is the name of the supercontinent that formed about 300 million years ago?

• Rodinia

• Pangaea

• Laurasia

• Gondwana

What is the rate at which tectonic plates move?

• 1 to 2 inches per year

• 3 to 5 inches per year

• 6 to 7 inches per year

• 8 to 10 inches per year