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WorksheetsUnit 3: Inside the Earth
Total questions: 40
Worksheet time: 21mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
You are eating dinner when the lamp above the table begins to swing. After a few seconds it stops. According to the Mercalli scale, how strong was the earthquake you felt?
a)
magnitude 2
b)
magnitude 4
c)
magnitude 6
d)
magnitude 8
2.
Areas on Earth's surface that lie above the borders of tectonic plates are characterized by
a)
frequent earthquake activity
b)
lengthy formations of sea arches
c)
stable temperate climate conditions
d)
a lack of plant and animal life
3.
Which would be LEAST helpful to scientists trying to find evidence Earth is very old?
a)
observing fossils
b)
measuring radioactivity in rocks
c)
examining continental drift
d)
recording animal migration
4.
A fossil of an ocean fish was found in a rock outcrop on a mountain. This probably means that
a)
a fish once lived on the mountain
b)
the mountain was raised up after the fish died
c)
the relative humidity was once very high
d)
fish used to be amphibians like toads and frogs
5.
A deep well or mine shaft goes through which layer or layers of the earth?
a)
crust only
b)
mantle only
c)
crust and mantle
d)
mantle and core
6.
A boundary where two tectonic plates come together, or collide, is called a
a)
divergent boundary
b)
convergent boundary
c)
transform boundary
d)
transfer boundary
7.
Earth's core is mainly composed of
a)
iron and aluminum
b)
silicon and hydrogen
c)
iron and nickel
d)
silicon and oxygen
8.
Which accurately describes the relationship between earthquakes and volcanoes?
a)
earthquakes usually cause volcanoes to erupt
b)
volcanic eruptions usually cause severe earthquakes
c)
earthquakes and volcanoes often are located where tectonic plates meet
d)
earthquakes and volcanoes are not related in any way
9.
To find the absolute age of the fossil shells, the geologist would use
a)
satellite imagery
b)
radioactive isotopes
c)
seismic mapping
d)
magnetic resonance imaging
10.
What is the primary cause of volcanoes and earthquakes?
a)
crustal plate movement
b)
earth's gravitational force
c)
higher than usual tides
d)
solar magnetic storms
11.
The San Andreas Fault in Mexico and California is watched carefully for signs of an unexpected earthquake. Why do scientists think an earthquake might happen there?
a)
The chances of a major earthquake in CA have increased greatly because there has been so much construction
b)
Every place on Earth's crust has a probability of earthquakes and the San Andreas Fault has never had one.
c)
The San Andreas is a known major fault where pressure for lateral movement has been building for many years
d)
The San Andreas Fault is the line that divides the part of CA that is sinking into the Pacific Ocean
12.
How do scientists know that dinosaurs and horses did not exist in the same geological eras?
a)
Dinosaurs would have destroyed any mammals, including horses
b)
Horses would have become extinct along with dinosaurs
c)
There are no rock layers that have fossils of both dinosaur and horse remains
d)
Horse fossils are found only in rock layers below layers with dinosaur fossils
13.
Which feature would be very unusual if it were found somewhere on Earth's surface?
a)
a volcano under the sea
b)
a large, non-volcanic mountain on a flat plain
c)
a mountain range near the sea coast
d)
a deep underwater gorge near a continental shelf
14.
Which of these statements about Earth's crust is true?
a)
It is a layer of solid rock that remains the same throughout time
b)
It includes the continents, but not the ocean floor
c)
It is a changing, moving surface with the same thickness everywhere
d)
It is a system of large masses called plates that slowly move together or apart
15.
What can we learn by studying fossils?
a)
How Earth's environments have changed
b)
How the solar system was formed
c)
How strong earthquakes are caused
d)
How hurricanes formed long ago
16.
When magma reaches Earth's surface it becomes
a)
gas
b)
steam
c)
energy
d)
lava
17.
Compared to rocks in Earth's crust, rocks in the mantle are more
a)
dense
b)
mineral-rich
c)
granular
d)
porous
18.
The pie section shows Earth's composition from the center to the surface. Section IV is most likely composed of
a)
molten iron
b)
granite rock
c)
solid iron
d)
basalt
19.
How do active volcanoes located on islands create more land area on these islands?
a)
Lava from volcanoes cools, and hardens, forming more land
b)
Lava from volcanoes melts through old rocks, exposing more land
c)
heat from volcanoes causes the ocean to evaporate, exposing more land
d)
heat from volcanoes causes minerals in seawater to condense, forming more land
20.
What is the MAIN reason that the continents look very different than the did 100 million years ago?
a)
Ocean currents have constantly reshaped the continents
b)
Volcanoes have made and destroyed many of the continents
c)
The continents have drifted apart from one another on lithospheric plates.
d)
Waves and wind have caused parts of continents to erode into the ocean
21.
Magma pushes up from the mantle in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. As a result, the Atlantic Ocean is growing by several centimeters each year, How else has this magma affected the Atlantic Ocean?
a)
It has produced a flat, smooth ocean floor as the continents separate
b)
It has created a long, large mountain range below the ocean's surface
c)
It has produced volcanoes along the edges of the separated continents
d)
It has made the Atlantic waters much warmer than the Pacific waters
22.
Fossils of a particular animal species have been found in both Southern Africa and South America but nowhere else. Which of the following is MOST LIKELY the reason why?
a)
The fossils evolved into different organisms
b)
the climate changed and became much colder
c)
In the past, Africa and South America were part of the same continent
d)
In the future, Africa and South America will be part of the same continent
23.
What landform is created when two continental plate collide?
a)
mountain range
b)
ocean basin
c)
volcano
d)
canyon
24.
Many places on Earth are shaken by earthquakes. The Pacific Coast of the US is one such area. What causes these earthquakes?
a)
gravity
b)
erosion
c)
solar heating
d)
plate movement
25.
What is found in areas on Earth's surface that are located directly above the borders of lithosphere plates?
a)
huge deposits of magma
b)
lack of plant or animal life
c)
frequent earthquake activity
d)
stable and unchanging landforms
26.
Most earthquakes and volcanoes occur in areas of the Pacific Ocean called the "Ring of Fire". What is the main reason for this?
a)
large numbers of people live in this area
b)
that area of Earth is hotter than any other area
c)
Lithosphere plate boundaries are found in that area
d)
The weight of the ocean water forces magma to the surface
27.
Scientists believe the Earth's inner core to be solid. This is probably due to extremes in
a)
depth
b)
density
c)
pressure
d)
temperature
28.
The average density of one of the continental crusts is 2.8 g/cm3 and the average density of the oceanic crust is 3.2 g/cm3. If these two plates came together, what could be expected to happen?
a)
The two plates would push apart and form a rift zone
b)
The oceanic plate would rise up over the continental plate
c)
The oceanic plate would be pushed under the continental plate
d)
The two plates would meet head on and rise up to form mountains
29.
If we compare the temperature and pressure of the Earth's mantle to the core, what differences can we expect as we move downward into the Earth?
a)
Both the temperature and pressure increase
b)
Both the temperature and pressure decrease
c)
the temperature decreases and the pressure increases
d)
the temperature increases and the pressure decreases
30.
In December, 2004, an earthquake registering 9.0 on the Richter scale was recorded off the far coast of Sumatra. What is a common secondary effect of this type of earthquake?
a)
tsunami
b)
tornado
c)
global warning
d)
volcanic activity
31.
Fossils of marine plants and animals were found high above sea level in the Himalayan Mountains. What does this fossil evidence tell us about the past of that mountainous area?
a)
Sea level was much higher
b)
many volcanoes erupted in that location
c)
the area was once sediment under the ocean
d)
the area was once part of another continent
32.
Layer C in the diagram has the greatest temperature and pressure. It is MOST LIKELY Earth's
a)
atmosphere
b)
crust
c)
mantle
d)
core
33.
Layer A in the diagram has the lowest temperature and pressure. What part of the Earth is labeled Layer A?
a)
atmosphere
b)
crust
c)
mantle
d)
core
34.
Which of the following most likely results in the formation of a fossil?
a)
A mesozoic clam lies exposed on the surface of the seafloor
b)
A mesozoic clam is washed up onto the beach
c)
A mesozoic clam is eaten by a large predatory fish
d)
A mesozoic clam is buried by a mudslide
35.
How can volcanic eruptions change the surface of the earth?
a)
By decreasing the level of the ocean
b)
By lowering land levels several feet
c)
By creating large deposits of coal
d)
by creating new islands and land
36.
Why do lithospheric plates move constantly?
a)
density differences
b)
tidal drift
c)
surface winds
d)
lunar gravity
37.
Sea-floor spreading is a valuable theory as it relates to plate tectonics because
a)
it replaced plate tectonics as the main theory explaining geologic processes
b)
it disproved the theory of continental drift by providing evidence that tectonic plates cannot move vast differences
c)
it showed how the spreading of the ocean floor can cause earthquakes, which explained continental drift
d)
it was combined with the theory of continental drift to form one unified explanation
38.
Dr. Thakkar was studying a fossil from a dig in a desert when he noticed that the organism had evidence of fins. What would this most likely tell Dr. Thakkar?
a)
The organism grew legs when it wanted to leave the ocean
b)
Nothing; every fossilized organism has fins
c)
Sea animals used to live in deserts
d)
The desert was once covered by water
39.
Fossils are most commonly found in ___ rock.
a)
paleolithic
b)
igneous
c)
sedimentary
d)
metamorphic
40.
Which of the following is true about lithospheric plates?
a)
They move occasionally
b)
They never move
c)
They move annually
d)
They constantly move
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