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WorksheetsPlate Tectonic Test Review
Total questions: 20
Worksheet time: 40mins
The diagram below provides information on when the fossils of certain organisms are found in the fossil record. Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the data in this diagram?
Jellyfish are the oldest living organisms that ever existed
Trilobites and dinosaurs did not live at the same time
Most mammals are in competition with birds for resources
Mammals did not appear until after the dinosaurs went extinct
A fossil of a tropical fern was found in Alaska. How can this be explained?
Tropical ferns grow in warm, humid climates. Alaska's climate has changed from war and humid to arctic over time.
Tropical ferns grow in warm, humid climates. Alaska's climate has changed from arctic to warm and humid over time.
The fossil moved with the plates as Pangaea broke apart millions of years ago.
The tropical fern became fossilized millions of years ago and since Pangaea never broke apart, the fossil was discovered at the same location it was last at.
The diagram below shows the collision of an oceanic plate and a continental plate. The collision between an oceanic plate and a continental plate is the result due to which geological event?
Hot liquid magma in the inner core pushing upward to Earth's crust
Convection currents, which occur due to the uneven heating, in the mantle
Volcanic eruptions occurring along coastlines
A meteor impact in the ocean basin
A science teacher shows his students an image of a volcanic mountain range and informs them it was created by the movement of Earth's tectonic plates. He asks his students to explain how this occurred. Which student's explanation is best?
Student A: An oceanic plate converged with an oceanic plate. Both plates subducted, forcing lava upward towards the surface of the Earth causing a volcanic eruption which created the mountains.
Student B: A continental plate converged with a continental plate. Neither plate subducted so lava was forced upward towards the surface of the Earth causing a volcanic eruption which created the mountains.
Student C: An oceanic plate converged with a continental plate. The denser, continental plate sank below the less dense oceanic plate causing magma to rise up through a weak spot in earth’s crust to create volcanic mountains.
Student D: An oceanic plate converged with a continental plate. The denser, oceanic plate sank below the less dense continental plate causing magma to rise up through a weak spot in Earth’s crust to create volcanic mountains.
What is the only geological event that occurs at a transform boundary?
Volcanoes
Folded mountains
Earthquakes
Mid-ocean ridges
Which geological feature is formed when two continental plates collide?
Mountain range
Ocean trench
Volcano
Rift valley
In the diagram below, tectonic plate movement has created a volcanic mountain range. Which of the following provides the best explanation as to why this happened?
An oceanic plate converged with a continental plate, and both plates subducted causing lava to rise up through a weak spot in Earth’s crust to create volcanic mountains.
An oceanic plate converged with a continental plate, and neither plate subducted causing lava to rise up through a weak spot in Earth’s crust to create volcanic mountains.
An oceanic plate converged with a continental plate. The more dense continental plate sank below the less dense oceanic plate causing magma to rise up through a weak spot in Earth’s crust to create volcanic mountains.
An oceanic plate converged with a continental plate. The more dense oceanic plate sank below the less dense continental plate causing magma to rise up through a weak spot in Earth’s crust to create volcanic mountains.
The landform illustrated in the diagram forms due to which type of boundary?
Transform boundary
Convergent collision boundary
Divergent boundary
Convergent subduction boundary
In December of 2004, an earthquake registering 9.0 on the Richter scale was recorded far off the coast of Sumatra. what is a common secondary effect of this type of earthquake?
A tsunami
A tornado
Global warming
Volcano eruption
The mountain shown below is composed of deformed sedimentary layers. This mountain is near a tectonic plate boundary and it is still increasing in elevation due to which of the following explanations?
Tectonic plates continuously colliding
Tectonic plates moving away from each other causing seafloor spreading
The subduction of one tectonic plate when colliding against a less dense tectonic plate
A fault within a tectonic plate near a transform boundary
On the map, dark circles indicate the positions of volcanoes along the Pacific Ocean, known as the "Ring of Fire". According to this map, which of the following describes where volcanoes are most likely to form within the Ring of Fire?
Volcanoes form in the middle of a tectonic palte
Volcanoes form below the surface of a tectonic plate
Volcanoes form where tectonic plates meet other plates
Volcanoes form where earthquakes are least likely to occur
How does fossil evidence support Wegener's hypothesis of continental drift?
Similar fossils found on far apart landmasses suggest that the continents were once a single landmass
Fossil evidence suggests that the continents have always been in their current positions.
No similarities exist between fossils on different continents.
Plant and animal fossils show evidence of changes in Earth’s polarity.
The San Andreas Fault, located in both Mexico and California, is watched closely by scientists for signs of an impending earthquake. Why do scientists think an earthquake is likely to happen at this location?
Scientists believe the chances of a major earthquake occurring at this location is increased greatly because earthquakes occur due to construction and there has been much more construction there in recent years.
Scientists believe that every location on Earth has a possibility of an earthquake occurring, but since the San Andreas Fault has never had one, scientists believe it is more likely to occur here soon.
The San Andreas Fault is at a known transform plate boundary. Scientists believe that for many years, the pressure at this boundary has been building to a peak and nearing the point of release of this pressure.
The San Andreas Fault is a crack within Earth’s crust that divides the part of California and Mexico that is sinking into the Pacific Ocean.
Which of the following provides the best evidence to support the theory that continents which sit atop tectonic plates have moved away from each other over the past million years?
The composition and thickness of rock layers varies at different depths.
The frequency of volcanic activity is higher at edges of tectonic plates.
Ocean currents can be disrupted near boundaries between tectonic plates.
Fossils of the same plants and animals are found on widely separated continents.
A group of students were constructing an explanation of movement at different plate boundaries. They created the following tables. Which table presents the most accurate information?
What must happen within Earth for a volcano to form?
A convection current at a subduction zone moves hot water from the mantle through the tectonic plates causing a volcano to erupt.
A convection current at a subduction zone moves hot magma from the mantle through the tectonic plates causing a volcano to erupt.
Convection currents at a mid-ocean ridge move magma to the surface causing volcanoes.
Convection currents at a rift valley move magma to the surface causing volcanoes.
Using the diagram to the right, the event that occurred along the line XY is described as a crack in the Earth’s crust. Which of the following scientific terms is most commonly used to describe this event?
Erosion
Fault
Sedimentary deposition
Volcanic eruption
Which of the following accurately describes the relationship between earthquakes and volcanoes?
Earthquakes usually cause volcanoes to erupt.
Earthquakes and volcanoes often are located where tectonic plates meet.
Volcanic eruptions usually cause severe earthquakes.
Earthquakes and volcanoes are not related in any way.
Students in an Earth science class were presented with the data table below showing the types of fossils found in various rock layers. All of the fossils in the table were found in the same location. Layer 1 is the youngest layer whereas Layer 3 is the oldest layer. Which of the following arguments best explains the data?
There are more fossils in Layer 3 than Layer 1 because Layer 3 is older.
There are no fossils from water animals in Layer 1 because the water dried up over time.
There are more fossils in Layer 3 than Layer 2 because the temperature became colder over time.
There are no fossils from land plants or animals because water animals consumed them.
The fossil remains of organisms with skeletons are not found in the lowest layers of rock discovered. How is the lack of fossilized skeletons in the lowest rock layers best explained?
Organisms with skeletons did not evolve until after these rock layers formed
The fossils of organisms with skeletons are only found in the oldest rocks
Fossil skeletons are usually crushed if other rock layers are above the ones they are in
Organisms with skeletons live only at the highest altitudes, which is where they turn to fossils
