Tectonic Plates Quiz

How do scientists explain the movement of Earth’s tectonic plates?

• They are floating in the oceans and move randomly.

• They move when heat creates convection currents in Earth’s mantle.

• They move when volcanoes erupt and earthquake faults slip.

• The spinning of Earth gives each plate the energy that moves the continents.

What is the movement of heated materials upward and the movement of cooled materials downward called?

• Coriolis Effect

• Convection

• Contraction

• Climate

What are the two types of tectonic plates?

• Crustal and Mantle

• Oceanic and Crustal

• Continental and Oceanic

• Lithospheric and Continental

The distribution of world earthquakes and volcanoes is an indication of…

• Tectonic plate boundaries

• Earth’s internal heat sources

• Ancient climates

• Doppler Effect

What type of energy is transferred to earth’s surface during an earthquake?

• Heat

• Light

• Mechanical

• Chemical

What conditions of temperature and density would allow a tectonic plate to SUBDUCT? Boundaries that are…

• cold and dense

• hot and dense

• cold and less dense

• hot and less dense

Why does rock begin to sink at A and D?

• It has cooled and is more dense

• It has cooled and is less dense

• It has warmed and is more dense

• It has warmed and is less dense

Where would you expect to find the hottest rock?

• A

• B

• C

• D

What direction are the plates moving in relation to each other at point C?

• towards each other

• away from each other

• sideways to each other

• one up, the other down

What type of plate boundary would you expect to see at point D?

• Convergent

• Divergent

• Transform

• All of the above