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Plate Tectonics and Earth's Structure

Total questions: 20

Worksheet time: 18mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What is the theory that explains how the Earth's lithosphere is divided into several large and small plates that move and interact with each other?

a)

Continental Drift

b)

Pangaea

c)

Plate Tectonics

d)

Seafloor Spreading

2.

Who proposed the theory of continental drift?

a)

Alfred Wegener

b)

Isaac Newton

c)

Marie Curie

d)

Charles Darwin

3.

What is the name of the supercontinent that existed about 300 million years ago, which later broke apart to form the current continents?

a)

Atlantis

b)

Laurasia

c)

Gondwana

d)

Pangaea

4.

What are the three types of plate boundaries?

a)

Divergent boundaries, convergent boundaries, and transform boundaries

b)

Subduction boundaries, collision boundaries, and sliding boundaries

c)

Tectonic boundaries, fault boundaries, and rift boundaries

d)

Oceanic boundaries, continental boundaries, and island boundaries

5.

Which type of plate boundary occurs when two plates move away from each other?

a)

Transform plate boundary

b)

Divergent plate boundary

c)

Convergent plate boundary

d)

Subduction plate boundary

6.

Which type of plate boundary occurs when two plates collide and one is forced beneath the other?

a)

Subduction plate boundary

b)

Convergent plate boundary

c)

Transform plate boundary

d)

Divergent plate boundary

7.

Which type of plate boundary occurs when two plates slide past each other horizontally?

a)

convergent plate boundary

b)

divergent plate boundary

c)

subduction plate boundary

d)

transform plate boundary

8.

What is the term for the shaking or trembling of the Earth's surface caused by the sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust?

a)

ground shaking

b)

tremor

c)

seismic activity

d)

earthquake

9.

Which best describes the relationship between depth into the earth and temperature/density/pressure?

a)

As depth into the earth increases temperature, density, and pressure decrease.

b)

As depth into the earth increases temperature, density, and pressure increase.

c)

As depth into the earth decreases temperature, density, and pressure increase.

d)

As depth into the earth increases temperature and density increases but pressure decreases.

10.

Which layers of the earth make up the lithosphere?

a)

Upper mantle and crust

b)

continental and oceanic crust

c)

Mantle, crust, outer core

d)

Inner core and outer core

11.

71% of earth's surface is covered in ___________.

a)

Trees

b)

Desert

c)

Urban development

d)

Water

12.

What is the energy source for convection currents in the asthenosphere?

a)

Geothermal heat

b)

Heat from the sun that permeates through earth's crust

c)

Heat from the core

d)

Earth's magnetic field

13.

Which type of crust is denser; continental crust or oceanic crust?

a)

Continental crust

b)

Oceanic Crust

14.

Why does oceanic crust subduct below continental crust?

a)

Continental crust is denser than oceanic crust

b)

Oceanic crust is more drawn to earth's iron core

c)

Oceanic crust is denser than continental crust

d)

Oceanic crust is further below continental crust so it's the first to subduct

15.

Where do volcanoes tend to form?

a)

Hotter area's of the earth

b)

Geothermal vents

c)

Island chains

d)

Subduction zones

16.

Which of these is not a geological event due to the movement of tectonic plates?

a)

Deltas forming

b)

Volcanoes

c)

Earthquakes

d)

Mountain forming

17.

Why do volcanoes form at subduction zones and not other boundaries?

a)

Convergent boundaries produce infant volcanoes that are destroyed before they can release magma.

b)

At subduction zones the dense oceanic crust melts, becomes less dense, and rises to the surface as hot magma

c)

Transform boundaries are when tectonic plates slide past each other creating too much energy that would destroy volcano formation

18.

Why would fossils of the same type of land animal be found on two continents separated by an ocean?

a)

Early humans brought plant and animal specimens between continents

b)

Over time the land animals evolved flippers, gills, and other aquatic body parts to swim to the other continent

c)

The continents were once together in Pangea

d)

The environments the fossils were found in are similar. Therefore they created the same types of animals.

19.

Why does magma rise in convection currents when it's heated up and sink when it cools down?

a)

When magma heats up it become less dense which causes it to rise.

b)

When magma heats up it becomes attracted to the oceanic crust on the surface

c)

When magma cool off it becomes more attracted to earth's core so it sinks

20.

Which of these observations DO NOT support continental drift theory

a)

The continents seem to fit together well

b)

The same fossils are found on different continents

c)

Different landforms are found on different continents

d)

The continents are still moving a few centimeters each year