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Worksheets

Drift, Tectonics and Seafloor Spreading

Total questions: 38

Worksheet time: 10hrs 30mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
What are the puzzle pieces of the Earth's surface called?
a)
Tectonic plates
b)
Puzzles
c)
Earthquakes
2.

The movement of the tectonic plates is caused by

a)

the rotation of the Earth.

b)

convection currents in the asthenosphere

c)

the gravity of the iron-nickel core.

d)

the Moho discontinuity.

3.

Observe this diagram of a plate boundary. One statement BEST describes what is happening. It is that

a)

the oceanic crust is melting.

b)

the denser oceanic crust is subducting under the less dense continental crust

c)

volcanic islands are forming.

d)

the tectonic plates are moving away from each other.

4.

Most geologists think that the movement of Earth’s plates is caused by _______

a)

convection.

b)

continental drift.

c)

subduction.

d)

conduction.

5.

A place where two plates slip past each other, moving in opposite directions, is known as a _______

a)

transform boundary.

b)

divergent boundary.

c)

convergent boundary.

d)

rift valley.

6.

The place where two plates come together is known as a _______

a)

transform boundary.

b)

divergent boundary.

c)

convergent boundary.

d)

rift valley.

7.

Below is a picture of sea-floor spreading. How are the ocean crusts moving?

a)

Converging

b)

Diverging

c)

Sliding

d)

No movement

8.

The San Andreas Fault in California is known as an active earthquake area. What type of

boundary is it?

a)

Converging

b)

Diverging

c)

Transform

d)

Sea Floor Spreading

9.
What are the two types of crust
a)
continental and oceanic
b)
ocean and upper
c)
lower and upper
d)
pizza and subway
10.
What does the theory of continental drift state?
a)
The continents were once joined in a super-continent and have moved over time
b)
Continents are stationary and do not move
c)
The Earth is broken into lithospheric plates that move due to convection currents
d)
none of the above
11.
What evidence did Wegener use in his theory?
a)
Continents and fossils fitting together/matching-up like puzzle pieces 
b)
glacier scars and evidence from temperature
c)
mountain ranges and coal deposits line up across continents
d)
all of the above
12.
Why did no one believe Wegener's thoery?
a)
He could not explain HOW the continents moved
b)
He didn't have evidence
c)
His data was wrong
d)
He didn't use the right technology to gather data
13.

A divergent boundary occurs where plates ....

a)

Pull apart

b)

Come together

c)

Slide past each other

d)

subducting

14.

How is it possible for new crust to be formed without increasing the surface area of the Earth?

a)

Crust is recycled in subduction zones at the same time it is created at mid-ocean ridges

b)

New crust is underwater where it sinks

c)

New crust breaks more easily than old crust

d)

The oldest crust just breaks apart as the plates move

15.

The average density of continental crust is 2.8 g/cm3 and the average density of oceanic crusts is 3.2 g/cm3. If these two plates came together, what would 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 sink under the continental plate.

d)

The two plates would meet head on and rise up to form mountains.

16.
Which of the following objects best represents the movement that occurs during sea-floor spreading?
a)
Elevator
b)
Conveyor belt
c)
Rollercoaster
d)
Hot air balloon
17.

Scientists use ______ to map the ocean floor

a)

radar

b)

pulsar

c)

lidar

d)

sonar

18.

The OLDEST seafloor is located

a)

closest to the mid-ocean ridge.

b)

farthest from the mid-ocean ridge.

c)

east of Hawaii

d)

west of California

19.

Which of the following supports the theory of seafloor spreading?

a)

Correlation of rock layers

b)

Crustal slab pull

c)

Magnetic reversals recorded in rocks

d)

Continuous mountain chains

20.

Seafloor spreading...

a)

creates new oceanic crust

b)

destroys or recycles crust

c)

creates new continental crust

d)

creates old crust

21.

Rock at the mid ocean ridges...

a)

is the oldest rock on the earth.

b)

is older than continental rock.

c)

is younger than continental rock.

22.

The magnetic pattern of ocean-floor rocks on one side of an ocean ridge is_____________.

a)

a mirror image of that on the other side

b)

younger than other side

c)

much different pattern

d)

at right angles to the ridge

23.

A change in Earth' s magnetic field is called a

a)

magnetic reversal

b)

subduction

c)

paleomagnetism

d)

slab pull

24.

The Pacific Ocean is shrinking because

a)

water is evaporating quickly near the Equator

b)

ocean crust in the Pacific is getting recycled faster than it's being created

c)

it has less glaciers melting into it than the Atlantic

d)

the plates are converging

25.
What type of features are associated with a divergent boundary?
a)
Rift valleys
b)
Volcanic mountains
c)
Fold mountains
d)
Fault block mountains
26.
Which of these phenomenon is not directly cased by plate tectonics 
a)
Volcanic eruptions
b)
Earthquakes
c)
Tsunamis
d)
Landslides
27.
A plate boundary at which two plate move parallel to each other in opposite directions
a)
convergent plate boundary
b)
divergent plate boundary
c)
transform plate boundary
d)
subduction
28.
What feature is formed on the continental crust at an oceanic-continental convergent boundary?
a)
volcanoes
b)
mid-ocean ridge
c)
ocean trench
d)
none of these features are formed at a oceanic-continental convergent boundary
29.

What is the name of the layer that contains the upper layer of the upper mantle and crust?

a)

Asthenosphere

b)

Mesosphere

c)

Lithosphere

d)

Transosphere

30.
This layer of Earth is solid Iron and Nickel
a)
Outer Core
b)
Mantle
c)
Inner Core
d)
Crust
31.
Scientists think that convection currents that move the plates flow in Earth's
a)
Continental crust
b)
oceanic crust
c)
Asthenosphere
d)
Lithosphere
32.

The _________ is the largest layer of the Earth.

a)

Inner Core

b)

Outer Core

c)

Crust

d)

Lower Mantle

33.
What happens to pressure as we move from the crust to the inner core?
a)
Pressure Decreases
b)
Pressure Increases
c)
Nothing
34.
What happens to temperature as we move from the crust to the inner core?
a)
Decreases
b)
Increases
35.

What is the rising of hot liquid and the sinking of cooled liquid called?

a)

Confection current

b)

Convention current

c)

Convection current

d)

Lava lamp

36.
Mantle material rises in convection currents because heated materials become more dense.
a)
True
b)
False
37.
Convection currents affect the movement of plates on the Earth's crust.
a)
True
b)
False
38.
Scientists believe that differences in ____ cause hot, plastic-like rock in the asthenosphere to rise toward Earth's surface.
a)
magnetism
b)
weight
c)
density
d)
force