The Theory of Plate Tectonics ReadWorks

What is the theory called that explains how Earth's surface changes?

• Seafloor spreading

• Plate tectonics

• Volcanism

• Continental drift

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

What are the huge, rocky slabs that make up Earth's crust called?

• Continents

• Volcanoes

• Tectonic plates

• Mountains

What causes tectonic plates to move?

• Volcanic eruptions

• Earthquakes

• Heat and pressure in the mantle

• Wind and rain

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Where do tectonic plates mostly interact?

• In the middle of the plates

• Along their edges or boundaries

• At the poles

• In the oceans

What happens at mid-ocean ridges?

• Tectonic plates slide past each other

• Tectonic plates move apart

• Tectonic plates collide

• Tectonic plates stay still

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

What is the process called when one tectonic plate slides under another?

• Erosion

• Subduction

• Sedimentation

• Deposition

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-5

NGSS.HS-ESS2-1

What has subduction created off the coast of Chile and Peru?

• A deep ocean trench

• A desert

• A mid-ocean ridge

• A volcano

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

What mountain range was formed by subduction along the western coast of South America?

• The Andes

• The Himalayas

• The Rockies

• The Alps

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

What happens when tectonic plates slide sideways past one another?

• They stay still

• They often get stuck and then jerk past each other

• They form new crust

• They create mountains

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

What did the theory of plate tectonics help explain?

• The extinction of dinosaurs

• The movement of the continents

• The formation of the moon

• The creation of the solar system

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3