Earth's Features Review

Two of Earth's plates are pressed together for many millions of years. What would happen if they pressed together in a place where oceanic plate material meets continental plate material?

• The continental plate material would be pushed downward.

• The oceanic plate material would be pushed downward.

• The plates would not be able to move while they were pressing together and no plate material would be pushed upward.

• The edges of the plates would not be pushed upward but they would be broken into small pieces.

Which of the following is TRUE about when mountains have developed on Earth?

• All mountains on Earth today were present with Earth formed.

• Mountains developed for a while after Earth first formed, but no new mountains are developing today.

• Mountains have been developing continuously since Earth formed, and mountains are still developing today.

• Mountains have only occasionally developed since Earth formed.

In the diagram below, where is new plate material forming?

• At the boundary of the continent and ocean basin. (A)

• In the middle of the ocean basin. (B)

• At the boundary where the two plates are pulling apart. (C)

• No new plate material is forming anywhere shown in the diagram.

Which of the following represents a claim based on the question, "how does the earth recycle plate material?"

• Old rock material is melted at divergent plate boundaries.

• The Earth is getting larger and the rock is not recycled.

• Old rock material is constantly being recycled due to convergent plate boundaries (subduction).

• Rock material is constantly being destroyed as the Earth shrinks.

Fossils of Mesosaurus, a small freshwater reptile, are found in South America and Africa. Why is the Mesosaurus useful evidence for continental drift?

• Mesosaurus lived all over the world.

• Mesosaurus only lived in warm climates.

• Mesosaurus lived in rivers and steams of South America and Africa.

• It is unlikely that the Mesosaurus could swim thousands of kilometers between continents.

Which of the following is evidence that Wegener's theory of continental drift may have been true?

• Demonstration of the ruggedness and youth of the ocean floor.

• Emergence of seafloor spreading hypothesis and associated recycling of oceanic crust.

• Precise documentation that the world’s earthquake and volcanic activity is concentrated along oceanic trenches and submarine mountain ranges.

• All of the above

The process occurring in the asthenosphere that is thought to be the force behind plate tectonics is an example of a(n)

• Plate boundary

• Divergent boundary

• Normal fault

• Convection current

If you discovered a new planet very similar to Earth, where could you predict that the planet would have the greatest concentration of volcanoes?

• On its tectonic plates

• On the edges of its continents in higher elevations

• In the middle of its continents

• All of the above

Which of the following represents evidence based on the claim "volcanoes form from new rock material"?

• When oceanic plate materials subduct, rock materials melt and rise up through the continental plate.

• There is no volcanic activity at divergent plate boundaries.

• The formation of the Himalayas through 2 continental plate collisions.

• The less dense recycled rock material will sink to the bottom and continue mantle convection.

When two plates press together and a mountain begins to form, which of the following happens?

• The plate slowly begins to bend because even though the plate material is hard it can still be bent and folded over a very long period of time.

• Because plates cannot bend, the plate material from one plate breaks off into small pieces of rock that are about the size of tennis balls.

• Because plates cannot bend, the plate material from one plate breaks off into large pieces of rock that are about the size of huge boulders.

• Because plates cannot bend, the plate material from one plate breaks off into massive blocks of rock that are about the size of large houses.