wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

NEW

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

TEST - Pangea, Continental Drift Theory, Plates and Boundaries

Total questions: 45

Worksheet time: 4hrs 45mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Mountains on the Earth's surface form in random locations, with no relation to Earth's plates.

a)

True

b)

False

2.

What did scientist Alfred Wegener call the large super continent that once existed?

a)

Pangea

b)

Panamerica

c)

Eurasia

d)

Ring of Fire

3.

Which of these pieces of evidence did Wegener use to support his theory of continental drift?

a)

fossils from different continents

b)

subduction zones

c)

divergent boundaries

d)

seafloor spreading

4.

Which of these is NOT used as evidence that Earth's surface consists of plates that are in continuous motion?

a)

Mountains

b)

Volcanos

c)

earthquakes

d)

blizzards

5.

The rocky outer layer of the Earth is called the ____________.

a)

hydrosphere

b)

lithosphere

c)

atmosphere

d)

mantle

6.

Seafloor spreading explains why ___________.

a)

materials circulate within the Earth's mantle

b)

the oldest part of the ocean floor is found farthest from the mid-ocean ridge

c)

one portion of the Earth's crust dives beneath another portion

d)

the ocean has high and low tides.

7.

The Ring of Fire refers to ____________.

a)

an active erupting volcano

b)

the volcanoes surrounding the Pacific Ocean

c)

the land once known as Pangea

d)

the ocean has high and low tides

8.

Scientist think that tectonic plates can move when __________.

a)

high tide occurs

b)

materials circulate in the Earth's mantle

c)

magma is released from the mid-ocean ridge

d)

the lithosphere begins to melt

9.

A transform boundary exist where one of the Earth's plates _____________.

a)

moves away form another plate?

b)

slides past another plate.

c)

crashes into another plate

d)

dives beneath another plate

10.

What do we call the process in which one tectonic plate moves under another?

a)

weathering

b)

coasting

c)

subduction

d)

none of the above

11.

Where are most divergent boundaries found?

a)

ocean floor

b)

mountains

c)

valleys

d)

hilly regions

12.

What happens to plates at divergent plate boundaries?

a)

They collide

b)

They slide past each other

c)

They move apart

d)

None of the above

13.

What is another name for transform boundaries?

a)

Glaciers

b)

Plateaus

c)

Faults

d)

Hills

14.

What is the name of the transform boundary in California?

a)

The Danali Fault

b)

The Hayward Fault

c)

The Seismic Fault

d)

San Andreas Fault

15.
Who is the person credited with developing the theory of continental drift?
a)
Harry Hess
b)
Galileo
c)
Alfred Wegener
d)
Newton
16.
How does fossil evidence support Wegener's hypothesis of continental drift?
a)
Similar fossils are found along continental margins that appear to join together.
b)
Fossils are found in areas where the present-day climate could not have supported the organisms that made the fossils.
c)
Similar fossils of giant, land-dwelling dinosaurs are found on continents separated by oceans.
d)
all of the above
17.
The theory of continental drift named a key part of this idea Pangaea. What is Pangaea?
a)
One of the ancient animals that helped Wegener prove that fossils from different continents originally came from the same location
b)
 supercontinent that existed in Earth's distant past
c)
The underwater ocean range in the middle of the ocean
d)
The hot spot which gave rise to the Hawaiian Islands, among others
18.
What evidence did Wegener have for his theory of continental drift?
a)
He had no good evidence.
b)
He knew that plant and animal fossils as well as rock layers matched up in South America and Africa.
c)
He explained how the continents moved
19.
The Theory of Continental Drift states that Pangaea broke apart and the continents "drifted" away from each other
a)
True
b)
False
20.
What kind of plate boundary is shown here?
a)
divergent
b)
convergent
c)
transform
d)
strike slip
21.

What is this image of ?

a)

Revolving boundary

b)

San Andreas (Transform fault)

c)

Convergent

22.

The Great Rift Valley in Africa and the Mid-Ocean Ridge were all created by this boundary

a)

Divergent

b)

Convergent

c)

Reform

d)

Transform

23.

Tectonic Plate movement is caused by ______________.

a)

the rotation of the Earth

b)

ocean tides

c)

convection currents in the mantle

d)

the moon's gravity

24.

Which correctly identifies the geologic process that formed the Himalayan mountains (The World's Tallest Mountains, including Mt. Everest)?

a)

Two continental plates converging

b)

An earthquake in a subduction zone

c)

A tectonic plate moving over a hot plate

d)

Movement at a transform fault boundary

25.

Volcanoes and Earthquakes typically occur _______________.

a)

along plate boundaries

b)

only under water

c)

only in hawaii

d)

where it is usually hot

26.

What type of boundary is this?

a)

Divergent

b)

Convergent

c)

Transform

27.

What evidence did Wegener use in his Continental Drift theory?

a)

Continents and fossils fitting together/matching-up like puzzle pieces

b)

Plant and animal fossils

c)

mountain ranges and coal deposits line up across continents

d)

all of the above

28.

What type of Boundary is this? What event will occur at this boundary?

a)

Transform / Earthquakes

b)

Subduction / Volcano Eruption

c)

Tornado / Rain

d)

Mountain Building / Volcanism

29.

Why did people not believe in Wegener's theory about continental drift?

a)

There was a competing theory at the time that was more believable.

b)

There was no data showing the continents ever moved.

c)

The scientists did not know the force responsible for moving the continents.

d)

The scientist presenting the data was unreliable.

30.

The Himalayas are an example of what happens at a?

a)

convergent boundary

b)

divergent boundary

c)

transform boundary

d)

allegiant boundary

31.
What is this a picture of?
a)
plate tectonics
b)
continental drift
c)
pangea
d)
glacier scaring
32.
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
33.
What does the word Pangea mean?
a)
big land mass
b)
old land
c)
all land
34.
What was Pangea?
a)
An ancient Mountain Range that divided Africa
b)
A large valley where civilization began.
c)
A supercontinent where all Earth's land masses were joined.
d)
A large meteor that hit Earth and destroyed all of the dinosaurs
35.
How many continents are on the Earth?
a)
7
b)
4
c)
5
d)
2
36.
What is the name of the object by number 1?
a)
North America
b)
South America
c)
United States
d)
Europe 
37.
What is the name of the object by number 5?
a)
Australia  
b)
Africa
c)
Asia
d)
Europe 
38.
The Theory of Continental Drift states that Pangaea broke apart and the continents "drifted" away from each other
a)
True
b)
False
39.
Which continent do you live on?
a)
South America
b)
Africa
c)
North America
40.

The earthquakes experienced in California are related to tectonic plates because these catastrophic events are the result of -

a)

two tectonic plates sliding past each other.

b)

tectonic plates melting as they slide into the mantle.

c)

tectonic plates being weathered over time.

d)

two tectonic plates pulling away from each other.

41.

One piece of evidence that supports the Theory of Plate Tectonics is the discovery of what in both South America and Africa?

a)

The ancient atmosphere in both places was identical.

b)

The rates of weathering of rock are similar.

c)

Fossil remains of the same land-dwelling animal.

d)

Plants on both continents have similar flowers.

42.

Even before modern observations provided evidence that supports the Theory of Plate Tectonics, people developed theories that the continents were once joined together. Using only maps, they observed that -

a)

most of the larger land masses are in the Northern Hemisphere.

b)

continents with the most moderate climates were located near the Equator.

c)

the shapes of continents appeared to allow them to fit together.

d)

the oceans have decreased in size throughout the history of Earth.

43.

Which of the following features is likely to form where two tectonic plates push toward each other?

a)

Ocean shoreline

b)

Mountain range

c)

Mid-ocean ridge

d)

Rift valley

44.

Which of the following crustal features would be the result of two continental tectonic plates moving away from each other?

a)

Mountain range

b)

Volcanoes on land

c)

Rift valley

d)

Mid-ocean ridge

45.

Every 100,000 to 200,000 years, the magnetic poles of Earth reverse. Rocks that contain iron provide a record of both normal and reversed magnetic poles. The pattern of normal and reversed magnetic poles as recorded in the rock on either side of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge provide evidence supporting the Theory of Plate Tectonics because -

a)

the composition of the rock changed every time the plates pushed against each other.

b)

the symmetric pattern shows where plates are moving away from each other.

c)

deposits of iron in the rock were only made when the plates stopped moving.

d)

" the bands of rock showing normal and reversed poles are not all the same width."