wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

Plate Tectonics Review

Total questions: 36

Worksheet time: 39mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
What causes the tectonic plates to move?
a)
convection of magma
b)
the earth's magnetic field
c)
the earth spinning
d)
earth's gravitational pull
2.

Which set of events is most common along tectonic plate boundaries?

a)

Earthquakes and volcanoes

b)

Erosion and earthquakes

c)

Tidal waves and volcanoes

d)

Hurricanes and tsunamis

3.

What is the thinnest and outer most layer of the Earth, that we live on?

a)

Outer Core

b)

Crust

c)

Mantle

d)

Inner core

4.

What was the name given to all the continents when they were joined as one super continent?

a)

Supreme Continent

b)

Eurasia

c)

Plate tectonics

d)

Pangaea

5.
Earth's plates are....
a)
Constantly moving and changing the face of the Earth
b)
Never moved
c)
Move seldom and very fast
d)
move when they feel like it
6.
Which of these is a key piece of evidence of contiental drift?
a)
Continent shapes
b)
Fossil record
c)
Rock layers
d)
All of the above
7.
This scientist built most of the evidence for continental drift.
a)
Alfred Wegener
b)
Sean Carroll
c)
Fred Calfred
d)
John Williams
8.
This is when two plates converge but one slides under the other due to density.
a)
Uplift
b)
Subduction
c)
Trench
d)
None of the above
9.
This type of plate boundary is when two plates move apart.
a)
Convergent
b)
Transform
c)
Divergent
d)
Subductive
10.
This type of plate boundary is when two plates crash into each other.
a)
Convergent
b)
Transform
c)
Divergent
d)
Subductive
11.
This type of plate boundary is when two plates slide past each other.
a)
Convergent
b)
Transform
c)
Divergent
d)
Subductive
12.

Rocks on each plate rub up against each other and build up a lot of potential energy. Once this energy is great enough, the rocks will break and the energy will be released. This causes...

a)

Volcanic eruptions

b)

Earthquakes

c)

Both volcanic eruptions and earthquakes

d)

First an earthquake and then a volcanic eruption

13.

Match the following images with vocabulary.

a)
1.

Continental Drift

b)
2.

Divergent Boundary

c)
3.

Transform Boundary

d)
4.

Convergent Boundary

14.

Select all that are TRUE about Subduction.

a)

Only seen in divergent boundary

b)

Only seen in convergent boundary

c)

Occurs when a plate slides underneath

d)

Occurs when a plate slides against another

15.

Peru and Chile are part of South America, which sits on the South American tectonic plate. The Nazca plate is moving toward the South American plate. It is pushed downward, which causes it to slide under the South American plate. Based on this information, what feature could we expect to see off the coast of Peru and Chile?

a)

new Continent formation

b)

Poor fishing conditions

c)

Deep ocean trench

d)

Severe tropical storms

16.

Drag the labels to the correct the locations on the diagram.

17.

The majority of the world's earthquakes and volcanoes occur along the _ .

(a)  

18.

​ North American Plate

19.

Identify Plates

20.

Identify Plates

21.

Which ocean is currently feeling a bit 'tide-y' and shrinking?

a)

Atlantic

b)

Arctic

c)

Pacific

d)

Antarctic

e)

Indian

22.

In the vast ocean of tectonic activity, how many major plate boundaries are there swimming beneath the surface?

a)

8

b)

5

c)

6

d)

7

23.

What natural wonder is created when magma makes a splashy debut on the earth's surface?

a)

Earthquakes

b)

Volcanoes

c)

Tornadoes

d)

Hurricane

e)

Tsunami

24.

What do you call those deep-sea chimneys that blow off steam instead of lava? They're quite the 'current' topic!

a)

Hydrothermal Vents

b)

Volcanoes

c)

Hot

d)

None of the above

25.

Ahoy! Imagine you're a deep-sea explorer, and you've discovered a mysterious underwater volcano. What do you call the molten rock that flows like a sea current and cools to form new oceanic crust?

a)

Magma

b)

Lava

c)

Sediment

d)

Basalt

26.

What do you call the oceanic dance floor where tectonic plates boogie apart, letting magma rise and create new crust?

a)

Divergent Boundary

b)

Convergent Boundary

c)

Transform Fault

d)

Subduction Zone

27.

Which of the following is NOT a wave of evidence for Continental drift?

a)

a. Fossil Correlation

b)

b. Rock and Mountain Correlation

c)

c. Climatological Studies

d)

d. Fit of Continents

28.

Just like the tides, some ocean plates expand while others contract as the older crust that forms them is

a)

a. Recycled

b)

b. Moved

c)

c. Created

d)

d. Frozen

29.

What is the term for the process where oceanic crust is continuously created at mid-ocean ridges?

a)

Seafloor Spreading

b)

Plate Tectonics

c)

Continental Drift

d)

Subduction

30.

In sea-floor spreading, molten material rises from the mantle and erupts

a)

along the edges of all the continents.

b)

along mid-ocean ridges.

c)

in deep-ocean trenches.

d)

at the north and south poles.

31.

The process by which the ocean floor sinks beneath a deep-ocean trench and back into the mantle is known as _______

a)

convection.

b)

continental drift.

c)

subduction.

d)

conduction.

32.

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

a)

convection.

b)

continental drift.

c)

subduction.

d)

conduction.

33.

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

34.
Where would the oldest rock be found?
a)
L
b)
M
c)
N
d)
O
35.
What is Pangaea?
a)
the name of a German scientist
b)
the name of the super-continent that existed millions of years ago
c)
another name for continental drift
d)
the name of an ancient fossil
36.
Mountains form from ...
a)
plates sliding past one another
b)
collision of plates
c)
plates moving away from each other