NEW
Font size
WorksheetsUnit 2: Plate Tectonics
Total questions: 30
Worksheet time: 15mins
A cross section of the Himalayan Mountain Range is shown. This mountain range is the result of which type of boundary interaction?
convergent boundary between a continental plate and an oceanic plate
divergent boundary between a continental plate and an oceanic plate
convergent boundary between two continental plates
divergent boundary between two continental plates
Which set of arrows BEST shows the convection currents associated with the formation of a mid-ocean ridge?
This map shows an area on Earth called: __________.
Hot Spots
The Ring of Earthquakes
The Ring of Fire
The African Plate
Why do earthquakes often cause damaging fires?
Magma from deep underground escapes through faults.
Tsunamis from earthquakes generate enough heat to start fires.
Lightning strikes are common during earthquakes.
Earthquake vibrations can break gas lines, water lines, and electrical lines.
Why are seismic waves of an earthquake more strongly felt at the epicenter of an earthquake?
The epicenter is directly above the focus, the place inside the Earth where the earthquake starts.
Most faults converge at the epicenter.
Millions of small movements of the crust occur here.
Crustal plates rise and fall with the ocean tides.
Why was paleomagnetism so important in discovering plate tectonics?
It illustrated the location of the South Pole.
It allowed for the measuring of mountain building rates.
It allowed for the depth of the ocean to be measured.
It demonstrated sea floor spreading.
When an earthquake occurs, energy radiates in all directions from its source, which is called the: ___________.
seismic center
fault
focus
epicenter
Which seismic waves travel most rapidly?
P-waves
S-waves
Surface waves
Tsunamis
Which of the following affects the amount of destruction caused by earthquake vibrations?
The intensity and duration of the vibrations.
The design of the structures.
The nature of the material on which the structures are built.
All of the above.
What is the minimum number of seismic stations required to determine the location of an earthquake’s epicenter?
One
Two
Three
Four
The diagram shows two plates of crust on Earth moving away from each other. Which event will MOST likely occur at point A?
Magma will form new crust.
A folded mountain will rise.
Rivers will form a canyon.
A freshwater lake will develop.
Which will most likely occur before a volcanic eruption?
an increase in lava flow.
an increase in mud flow.
an increase in acid rain production.
an increase in earthquake activity.
What is the driving force for the movement of the lithospheric plates?
Heat in the atmosphere.
Unequal distribution of heat inside Earth.
Heat from the Sun.
Unequal distribution of heat in the oceans.
Which would produce the most severe earthquake damage along the surface of Earth?
An earthquake with a deep focus and magnitude of 2.5
An earthquake with a shallow focus and magnitude of 2.5
An earthquake with a deep focus and magnitude of 4.5
An earthquake with a shallow focus and magnitude of 4.5
To demonstrate the movements of plates along a transform boundary, a teacher placed two books side by side on a table. Next, the teacher moved the two books.
Which geological event would MOST likely occur along the type of boundary demonstrated?
eruption of volcanoes
development of rift valleys
formation of mountain ranges
occurrences of earthquakes
In certain areas, tectonic plates move over hot spots. Which landforms are MOST likely associated with these hot spots?
volcanoes
trenches
mid-ocean ridges
island arcs
South America and Africa are two continents separated by a large ocean. Scientists have found 200-million-year-old Mesosaurus fossils on both continents. What is the MOST likely explanation for how these fossils came to be found on both continents?
The continents were once attached to each other and then drifted apart.
The animals crossed a land bridge that once connected the continents.
The fossils were brought to South America by explorers.
The continents were both created through volcanic activity.
The Red Sea marks a boundary between two tectonic plates that are moving apart. What name is given to this type of plate tectonic boundary?
transform boundary
phase boundary
convergent boundary
divergent boundary
Seafloor spreading occurs at divergent boundaries. Which statement BEST identifies the geologic process taking place at the point where seafloor spreading occurs?
a trench is forming
new crust is forming
a continental plate is subducting
oceanic crust is subducting
Convection currents in the mantle are a driving force of tectonic movement. At which location do the convection currents cause the plates to diverge?
strike-slip fault
subduction zone
folded mountains
mid-ocean ridges
The Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the Atlantic Ocean is a divergent tectonic plate boundary. Which graph BEST represents the trends in crust age found on either side of this ridge?
The Great Rift Valley is partly located in the African country of Kenya. What MOST likely caused the formation of this valley?
erosion by rapidly flowing rivers
separation of tectonic plates
erosion by slowly moving glaciers
separation of sedimentary rock layers
The diagram above represents a process that occurs within Earth’s mantle. What process is represented by this diagram?
rotation
conduction
radiation
convection
The diagram shows a region of the Earth's crust known as a subduction zone. What causes the oceanic crust to be pushed under the continental crust?
the weight of the ocean water on the oceanic crust
the higher density of the oceanic crust
the depth of the oceanic crust
the reduction of friction on the oceanic crust
A volcano found in the center of a tectonic plate tends to be a result of which phenomenon?
pressure in thick sediments that produce heat
a strong earthquake
activity at a hot spot
unusually excessive erosion that wears away bedrock
Tectonic motion caused tension between plates within Earth’s crust. A sudden release of this energy occurred. Based on this information, which event happened?
meteorite impact
volcanic eruption
earthquake
subsidence
At which type of margin does mountain building produce mountains composed entirely of pre-existing crust material?
convergent boundary between an oceanic plate and a continental plate
divergent boundary between an oceanic plate and a continental plate
convergent boundary between two continental plates
divergent boundary between two oceanic plates
When tectonic plates move, they create different landforms. Which is LEAST likely to be associated with the tectonic plate movement that produces volcanoes?
hot spot
rift valley
subduction zone
transform boundary
The Appalachian Mountain Range in North America is similar in age and rock composition to mountain ranges in Britain and Norway. Similarly, a mountain range that runs east to west in South Africa matches a mountain range in Argentina. Which theory does this evidence support?
Mountain building occurred at the same time in different regions.
Regions with similar climates show similar geological activity.
Erosion destroyed mountain ranges connecting separate continents.
Continents that are now separated were once joined together.
The diagram shows a topographic map of the big island of Hawaii. Which volcanic mountain is the highest?
Mauna Loa
Mauna Kea
Hualalai
Kilauea
