Plate Tectonics & Mountain Building

Which of the following causes Earth's tectonic plates to move?

• Energy from the Sun

• Magnetic Pole Reversal

• Convection currents in the mantle

• Faults in Mountain Ranges

Answer explanation

Convection currents in the mantle are caused by the heat from Earth's core, creating movement in the semi-fluid mantle. This movement drives the tectonic plates above, causing them to shift and interact.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

What type of event will occur at this boundary?

• Earthquake

• Volcano Eruption

• Tornado

• Mountain Building

Answer explanation

At tectonic plate boundaries, stress builds up and is released as seismic energy, causing earthquakes. Therefore, the correct event that occurs at this boundary is an earthquake.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

What type of plate boundary is this?

• Plate

• Divergent

• Convergent

• Transform

Answer explanation

A convergent boundary occurs where two tectonic plates collide, often causing one plate to be forced beneath the other. This is the correct choice as it describes the interaction leading to mountain formation or subduction.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

A divergent boundary occurs when plates ....

• Pull apart

• Come together

• Slide past each other

• subducting

Answer explanation

A divergent boundary occurs when tectonic plates pull apart from each other, leading to the formation of new crust. This is in contrast to convergent boundaries where plates come together.

Which of the following is NOT evidence to support the theory of plate tectonics?

• Fossils

• Mountains

• Glaciers

• Sand Erosion

Answer explanation

Sand erosion does not provide direct evidence for plate tectonics, unlike fossils, mountains, and glaciers, which show historical geological activity and continental movement.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

What geologic feature/event would you most likely to find at a divergent boundary between two pieces of oceanic crust?

• Rift Valley

• Mid-Ocean Ridge

• Island Arc

• Flat land

Answer explanation

At a divergent boundary between two oceanic crusts, tectonic plates move apart, creating new oceanic crust. This process forms a Mid-Ocean Ridge, characterized by underwater volcanic activity and rift valleys, making it the correct answer.

What geologic feature/event would you most likely to find at a convergent boundary between two pieces of continental crust?

• Volcano

• Mountain

• Rift

• Island Arc

Answer explanation

At a convergent boundary between two continental crusts, the collision leads to the formation of mountains due to the intense pressure and folding of the crust. This is why 'Mountain' is the correct answer.

What type of boundary occurs when two plates move away from each other?

• transform

• subduction

• convergent

• divergent

Answer explanation

When two tectonic plates move away from each other, they create a divergent boundary. This process allows magma to rise and form new crust, distinguishing it from transform and convergent boundaries.

What forms at a convergent boundary between a continental plate and an oceanic plate?

• volcanoes

• rift valleys

• faults

• mid-ocean ridges

Answer explanation

At a convergent boundary between a continental plate and an oceanic plate, the denser oceanic plate subducts, leading to the formation of volcanoes as magma rises to the surface. This process creates volcanic arcs.

What is the process in which hot molten rock rises, then cools and sinks back to the core?

• plate tectonics

• continental drift

• convection

• divergence

Answer explanation

The process described is convection, where hot molten rock rises due to its lower density, cools as it reaches the surface, and then sinks back down, creating a continuous cycle. This is distinct from plate tectonics and other options.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-4