Plate Tectonic Theory Quiz

Who proposed the concept of continental drift in the early 20th century?

• Charles Darwin

• Isaac Newton

• Alfred Wegener

• Marie Curie

What is the name of the supercontinent believed to have formed around 300 million years ago?

• Pangaea

• Atlantis

• Gondwana

• Lemuria

What process is responsible for pushing the older oceanic crust away from the mid-ocean ridges?

• Earthquake

• Subduction

• Seafloor Spreading

• Volcanic Eruption

Which scientist noticed the occurrences in the Atlantic Ocean near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in 1962?

• Alfred Wegener

• Isaac Newton

• Harry Hess

• Marie Curie

What is the name of the continuous chain of active volcanoes along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge?

• Andes Mountains

• Himalayan Range

• Pacific Ring of Fire

• Mid-Ocean Ridge

What is the name of the ocean that Pangaea was believed to be surrounded by?

• Atlantic Ocean

• Indian Ocean

• Panthalassa

• Pacific Ocean

What is the name of the layer over which the lithospheric plates move?

• Asthenosphere

• Outer Core

• Crust

• Mantle

How many lithospheric plates are considered the most important out of the 17 plates?

• 12

• 10

• 7

• 5

What is the name of the process where new oceanic crust is continuously formed at mid-ocean ridges?

• Earthquake

• Volcanic Eruption

• Seafloor Spreading

• Subduction

What is the name of the region where two plates push against each other and the heavier plate subsides under the lighter plate?

• Subduction Zone

• Transform Zone

• Collision Zone

• Divergent Zone