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Unit 2 Review- Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics (2023)

Total questions: 30

Worksheet time: 2hrs 30mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

This moment magnitude scale measures:

a)

the amount of radon gas released

b)

the movement of plates

c)

the strength of an earthquake

d)

the weight of tectonic plates

2.

Earthquakes can be severe along the San Andreas Fault in Southern California, but volcanoes are nonexistent. Which statement BEST explains this pattern?

a)

The crust is thin and weak at the location of this fault

b)

The material along this fault is smooth and fine grained.

c)

The material in the mantle solidified due to cooling under this fault.

d)

The crustal plates slide along each other without subducting at this fault

3.

A volcano found in the center of a tectonic plate tends to be a result of which phenomenon?

a)

strong earthquake

b)

activity at hot spot

c)

pressure in thick sediments that produces heat

d)

unusually excessive erosion that wears away at bedrock

4.

A volcano releases a towering plume of toxic ash and gases into the atmosphere. Which of these would best allow scientists to warn officials of a need for evacuation of people living far away from the volcano?

a)

computer modeling of movement of the atmosphere

b)

an accurate measurement of the height of the volcano

c)

a careful count of the number of people living near the volcano

d)

an estimate of the number of gas masks available for emergency personnel

5.

A lahar is a mixture of water and rock fragments that can flow down a volcano after an eruption. Based on the characteristics of their adjacent volcanoes, which of these areas would have the lowest probability of experiencing a lahar after an eruption?

a)

a farmstead in Iceland, near volcanoes and massive glaciers

b)

a city in Colombia, next to a volcano with a snow-covered peak

c)

a ranch in Hawaii, near a volcano that is rising up from the ocean floor

d)

a town in Washington state, next to volcanic ranges and a large river valley

6.

Where are most volcanoes located?

a)

at divergent boundaries, transform boundaries, and hot spots

b)

at convergent boundaries, divergent boundaries, and hot spots

c)

at convergent boundaries, hot spots, and transform boundaries

d)

at divergent boundaries, convergent boundaries, and transform boundaries

7.

The diagram below shows the locations of several volcanic mountains on the big island of Hawaii. Which two volcanic mountain summits are closest to 50 kilometers apart?

a)

Hualalai and Kilauea

b)

Kilauea and Mauna Kea

c)

Mauna Kea and Kohala

d)

Mauna Loa and Kohala

8.

Tectonic motion caused tension between plates in Earth’s crust. A sudden release of this energy occurred. Based on this information, which event happened?

a)

subsidence

b)

earthquake

c)

volcanic eruption

d)

meteoroid impact

9.

A topographic map of part of Arizona is shown below. Which of the labeled points on the map has the steepest slope?

a)

1

b)

2

c)

3

d)

4

10.

On the ocean floor, there are long mountain ranges called mid-ocean ridges. Which description explains how these geological structures were formed?

a)

a transform boundary where one oceanic plate slides past another oceanic plate

b)

a divergent boundary where two oceanic plates move apart from one another

c)

a convergent boundary where an oceanic plate sinks beneath a continental plate

d)

a convergent boundary where an oceanic plate sinks beneath another oceanic plate

11.

Which movement of tectonic plates caused the rift valley to form?

a)

Two tectonic plates separated from each other.

b)

Two tectonic plates collided with each other.

c)

One tectonic plate slid under another.

d)

One tectonic plate slid past another.

12.

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?

a)

divergent boundary

b)

convergent boundary

c)

phase boundary

d)

transform boundary

13.

Which type of waves are the fastest and first to arrive after an earthquake?

a)

p-waves

b)

s-waves

c)

surface waves

14.

The surface of Earth is composed of large tectonic plates that are constantly shifting as they float on top of molten rock. Which process must occur in the mantle to make the plates move?

a)

normal faulting

b)

seafloor spreading

c)

igneous intrusions

d)

convection currents

15.

Plate movement can form different features on Earth. The movement of tectonic plates can be both a constructive and a destructive force. At which type of plate boundary is new crust formed?

a)

convergent

b)

subduction

c)

transform

d)

divergent

16.

Which geological feature is found where these two continental plates converge?

a)

folded mountains

b)

shield volcanoes

c)

trenches

d)

ridges

17.

2. The diagram shows two plates of crust on Earth moving away from each other.

Which event will MOST likely occur at Point A?

a)

An eroded mountain will rise.

b)

Magma will form new crust.

c)

A freshwater lake will develop.

d)

Rivers will form a canyon.

18.

Most mountains on Earth occur in huge ranges stretching for thousands of miles. Which event is MOST likely to cause the formation of these mountain ranges?

a)

erosion of rocks

b)

deposition of sediments

c)

volcanic eruptions

d)

movement of plates

19.

The formation of the Himalayan Mountains is one example of land features caused by compressive forces. Which action led to the formation of these mountains?

a)

seafloor spreading

b)

strike-slip faulting

c)

colliding plates

d)

hot spots

20.

The diagram below represents a process that occurs within Earth’s mantle.

What process is represented by this diagram?

a)

rotation

b)

conduction

c)

radiation

d)

convection

21.

Idea that the earth's crust is made up of moving plates is...

a)

lithosphere

b)

seismologist

c)

theory of plate tectonics

d)

tsunami

22.

In the plate tectonics theory, the Earth is divided into approximately how many large plates?

a)

3: Pacific, Antarctic, African

b)

5: N. American, S. American, Eurasian, African, Australian

c)

7: N. American, S. American, Eurasian, African, Australian, Antarctic, Pacific

d)

9: N. American, S. American, Eurasian, African, Australian, Antarctic, Pacific, Indian, Atlantic

23.

What drives plate tectonics?

a)

abduction zones

b)

subduction zones

c)

convection currents in the core

d)

convection currents in the mantle

24.

The epicenter is:

a)

The point on the Earth's surface located directly above the focus of an earthquake

b)

The location where the earthquake begins. The ground ruptures at this spot, then seismic waves radiate outward in all directions

25.

The most destructive type of wave is a

a)

P-wave

b)

S-wave

c)

Surface wave

d)

transverse wave

26.
What geological forces might be responsible for this range of mountains?
a)
diverging tectonic plates
b)
erosion of the land by the ocean
c)
converging tectonic plates
d)
deposition of sediments by the ocean
27.

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

a)

Converging

b)

Diverging

c)

Sliding

d)

No movement

28.

The type of plate boundary between South American Plate and Nazca plate is

a)

convergent

b)

divergent

c)

transform

d)

uncertain/complex

29.

What evidence did Wegener use to support the Theory of Continental Drift?

a)

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

b)

glacier scars and other climate evidence from temperature

c)

mountain ranges and rocks line up across continents

d)

all of the above

30.

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 land mass

d)

In the future, Africa and South America will be part of the same land mass