Plate Tectonics

What is Pangea?

• A type of dinosaur that lived during the Jurassic period.

• A supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras, where all continents were joined together.

• A geological process that forms mountains.

• An ancient civilization known for its advanced architecture.

What is the Ring of Fire?

• A major area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur, due to tectonic plate boundaries.

• A region in the Atlantic Ocean known for its calm waters and stable weather patterns.

• A volcanic region located in the Mediterranean Sea that is famous for its ancient ruins.

• An area in the Arctic Ocean characterized by its icebergs and polar bears.

What is Plate Tectonics?

• A theory that describes the weather patterns on Earth.

• The study of the Earth's atmosphere and its phenomena.

• The theory that explains the structure and movement of the Earth's lithosphere, which is divided into tectonic plates that float on the semi-fluid asthenosphere.

• A concept that deals with the Earth's magnetic field and its changes over time.

What is a Fault?

• A fracture in the Earth's crust along which movement has occurred.

• A type of rock formation that is completely solid.

• A geological feature that only occurs underwater.

• A crack in the Earth's surface that does not involve movement.

What are Divergent Boundaries?

• Plate boundaries where two tectonic plates move away from each other, often creating rifts and ocean ridges.

• Plate boundaries where two tectonic plates collide, forming mountains.

• Plate boundaries that slide past each other, causing earthquakes.

• Plate boundaries that are stationary and do not move.

What drives Plate Movement?

• Convection currents in the asthenosphere, which are caused by the heat from the Earth's core.

• The gravitational pull of the moon on the Earth's crust.

• The rotation of the Earth causing centrifugal forces.

• The movement of tectonic plates due to ocean currents.

What is Sea-floor Spreading?

• The process by which new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges and older crust is pushed away.

• The phenomenon where ocean water evaporates to form salt deposits.

• The movement of tectonic plates causing earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

• The process of sediment accumulation in ocean basins leading to the formation of new landforms.

What is the Asthenosphere?

• A solid layer of the Earth's crust that is rigid and does not allow movement.

• The semi-fluid layer of the mantle beneath the lithosphere that allows tectonic plates to move.

• The outermost layer of the Earth that is composed of water and ice.

• A layer of the Earth's atmosphere that protects us from solar radiation.

What is a Mid-Ocean Ridge?

• An underwater mountain range formed by plate tectonics at divergent boundaries.

• A type of coral reef found in tropical oceans.

• A deep-sea trench formed by converging tectonic plates.

• A volcanic island chain formed by hotspot activity.

What evidence supports the theory of Plate Tectonics?

• Rock, fossil, and climate data, as well as earthquake patterns and seafloor magnetism.

• Only fossil data from ancient organisms.

• The distribution of continents alone.

• Magnetic fields of planets in the solar system.