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SeafIoor Spreading Theory

Total questions: 20

Worksheet time: 20mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

A divergent boundary occurs where plates ....

a)

Pull apart

b)

Come together

c)

Slide past each other

d)

subducting

2.
Where would the oldest rock be found?
a)
L
b)
M
c)
N
d)
O
3.

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

4.

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.

5.
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
6.

Scientists use ______ to map the ocean floor

a)

radar

b)

pulsar

c)

lidar

d)

sonar

7.

At its oldest, ocean crust is about __________ years old

a)

300-350 million

b)

180-200 million

c)

3.5 billion

d)

10-20 million

8.

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

9.

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

10.

Seafloor spreading...

a)

creates new oceanic crust

b)

destroys or recycles crust

c)

creates new continental crust

d)

creates old crust

11.

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.

12.
In the Atlantic ocean, where is the youngest seafloor located?
a)
Towards the edges, near the eastern and western continents
b)
Towards the middle of the ocean
c)
Towards the north and south poles
d)
Young seafloor is located randomly throughout the ocean
13.

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

14.

The study of the Earth's magnetic record is called

a)

ridge push

b)

convection

c)

paleomagnetism

d)

subduction

15.

A change in Earth' s magnetic field is called a

a)

magnetic reversal

b)

subduction

c)

paleomagnetism

d)

slab pull

16.

Which of Earth's layers produces its magnetic fields?

a)

asthenosphere

b)

mantle

c)

outer core

d)

inner core

17.

Which of the following does NOT support the theory of seafloor spreading?

a)

pillow shaped rocks show that magma seeps into the ocean at divergent plate boundary

b)

oldest rocks are farthest away from the mid-ocean ridge and youngest rocks are at the ridge

c)

magnetic reversals recorded in the ocean crust match up together on each side of the mid-ocean ridge

d)

the youngest rocks are farthest away from the mid-ocean ridge and the oldest are at the ridge

18.

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

19.

What type of plate activity is creating the Himalayas?

a)

divergence of the Indian Ocean and Asia

b)

convergence of India and Asia

c)

strike slip faulting

d)

subduction

20.

Mid-ocean ridges can be found in

a)

the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans

b)

the Pacific and the Indian Oceans

c)

all of Earth's oceans

d)

only the Atlantic Ocean