Introduction to Plate Tectonics Quiz

What natural event occurred in Ishinomaki, Japan, on 11 March 2011?

• A flood

• A hurricane

• An earthquake

• A tornado

What is the main cause of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes?

• Wind patterns

• Ocean currents

• Heat produced by radioactivity within the Earth

• Solar flares

What is the Pacific Ring of Fire?

• A large desert

• A deep ocean trench

• A famous mountain range

• A series of narrow belts of active volcanoes

What are fold mountains?

• Mountains formed by erosion

• Mountains formed by the compression of two tectonic plates

• Mountains formed by sediment deposition

• Mountains formed by volcanic activity

Which of the following are examples of an active fold mountain range? (More than one answer is correct)

• The Andes

• The Sierra Nevada

• The Himalayas

• The Vosges

What is the main scientific breakthrough that changed our understanding of planet Earth?

• The discovery of gravity

• The theory of plate tectonics

• The invention of the telescope

• The theory of relativity

What is the difference between active, dormant, and extinct volcanoes?

• Active volcanoes are small, dormant volcanoes are medium-sized, and extinct volcanoes are large

• Active volcanoes are cold, dormant volcanoes are warm, and extinct volcanoes are hot

• Active volcanoes are underwater, dormant volcanoes are on land, and extinct volcanoes are in space

• Active volcanoes have erupted recently, dormant volcanoes are resting, and extinct volcanoes will not erupt again

When plates collide and compression forces plates to fold, what do the upfolds form?

• Deserts

• Valleys

• Mountain ridges

• Earthquakes

What causes the Earth's surface to change constantly?

• Wind erosion

• Water erosion

• Heat produced by radioactivity and convection currents within the Earth’s mantle

• Human activity

What is the main reason for the formation of high mountain ranges?

• Volcanic eruptions

• Tectonic plate movement

• Wind erosion

• River deposition