WorksheetsPlate Motion
Total questions: 20
Worksheet time: 10mins
Which of the following best explains why Earth is tectonically active?
Earth’s solid surface layer rotates more rapidly than the layers beneath it.
Areas of Earth’s solid surface layer are under great pressure from ocean water.
Earth’s solid surface layer sits on a layer of semimolten rock that slowly flows.
Areas of Earth’s solid surface layer are thicker and so heavier than other areas.
Which of the following would most likely slow Earth’s tectonic activity?
Earth’s crust becomes cooler.
Earth’s mantle becomes warmer.
Earth’s mantle becomes cooler.
Earth’s outer core becomes warmer.
Which analogy BEST illustrates how Earth’s plates move?
A glass shatters as it falls from a table onto a tile floor.
A tree root grows into a ledge and breaks off a piece of rock.
Burning diesel fuel forces a piston downward, turning the crankshaft.
A moving sidewalk transports travelers from one gate to another at an airport.
Which statement best describes why fossils of the same land-dwelling species have been discovered in both South America and Africa?
These organisms migrated to these two continents.
These organisms were separated by the formation of new mountain ranges.
These organisms became extinct due to climate changes on these continents.
These organisms once lived on one large landmass that later split into two continents.
Extreme conditions make Antarctica difficult for vegetative growth. Most of the plants that grow in Antarctica are simple plants, such as mosses. However, scientists found many fossils of broad-leaved plants that are now extinct. Which statement explains why extinct broad-leaved plants have been found in Antarctica?
Polar regions of Earth provided enough water to support plant life.
Tsunamis carried rocks containing plant fossils to Antarctica over time.
Antarctica was once joined with other continents farther from the South Pole.
Earth’s South Pole was located where the equator is today millions of years ago.
When scientists proposed the theory of continental drift, there were many skeptics. Which discovery confirmed that the continents move on plates?
deep-sea currents
earthquake formation
spreading of the sea floor
sedimentary rocks
Which is the best explanation why the remains of a small reptile living millions of years ago have been found only in Brazil and South Africa?
subduction
plate tectonics
mass extinction
converging boundaries
The theory of plate tectonics is based on
evidence of sea floor spreading.
topographic mapping of mountain ranges.
an analysis of soil at the plate boundaries.
volcanic activity along coastlines.
The Appalachian mountain range in North America is similar in age and rock composition to mountain ranges in Britain and Norway. Similarly, a mountain range that runs east to west in South Africa matches a mountain range in Argentina. Which theory does this evidence support?
Continents that are now separated were once joined together.
Regions with similar climates show similar geological activity.
Mountain building occurred at the same time in different regions.
Erosion destroyed mountain ranges connecting separate continents.
Fossils of the fern Glossopteris have been found in the continents of South America, Africa, Asia, and Antarctica. The seeds of this fern were too small to be dispersed by wind. Which is best supported by the presence of Glossopteris fossils on these continents?
Glossopteris was versatile enough to adapt to all climates.
The landmasses were joined together in prehistoric times.
Fossils were much better preserved in the southern continents.
The northern climate regions were not suitable for plant growth.
Antarctica is located on the South Pole of Earth where the climate is harsh and bitterly cold. Scientists have discovered fossils of ectothermic (cold-blooded) animals in Antarctica. Which most likely explains how these ectothermic animals survived in Antarctica?
Ectothermic animals were adapted to the cold.
Ectothermic animals would migrate to cold places in the summer.
Ancient humans living in Antarctica kept a variety of organisms in their shelters.
The plate on which Antarctica rests was once closer to the equator than it is today.
Which of the following is the most recent evidence of plate tectonics?
volcanic activity and sea-floor spreading at the mid-ocean ridges
similar fossils found on continents that are now separated by oceans
the observation that the continents of South America and Africa fit together like in a puzzle
similar rock formations found on different continents that are now separated by oceans
Seafloor spreading occurs at divergent boundaries. Which statement best identifies the geologic process taking place at the point where seafloor spreading occurs?
a trench is forming
new crust is forming
oceanic crust is subducting
a continental plate is subducting
Which piece of evidence supports plate tectonic theory?
plant fossils that are similar in size
the weathering and erosion of coastlines
new crust formed by seafloor spreading
rocks with different physical appearances
Which of the following helped in the development of the theory of plate tectonics?
measuring the depth of oceans near deep-sea trenches
detecting magnetic striations on land once covered by glaciers
understanding the ways organisms adapted to topographical changes
understanding rock formations of a similar age occurring on two separate continents
Which of the following is the best evidence of Earth’s crust changing over millions of years as a result of plate tectonics?
Rocks are fracturing due to ice in the Himalaya Mountains.
Coastal land is being displaced by large waves from the Atlantic Ocean.
Rocks are being eroded by wind to form sand dunes in the Sahara Desert.
Landmasses are drifting apart and forming the East African Rift Valley.
Which of these features of Earth’s crust are caused by the shifting of tectonic plates?
mid-ocean ridges
desert sand dunes
U-shaped valleys
continental shelves
Which of the following observations best supports Alfred Wegener’s theory of continental drift?
Similar animal species are found in Asia and North America.
Patterns of the major oceanic currents stay consistent from year to year.
Changes in Earth’s magnetic field have been documented in ocean floor rocks.
Identical fossils are found along the coastal region of Africa and South America.
South America and Africa are two continents separated by a large ocean. Scientists have found 200-million-year-old Mesosaurus fossils on both continents. What is the most likely explanation for how these fossils came to be found on both continents?
The continents were both created through volcanic activity.
The fossils were brought to South America by explorers.
The animals crossed a land bridge that once connected the continents.
The continents were once attached to each other and then drifted apart.
The diagram below shows the continents present day continents once joined together as one super continent.
Eurasia
Gondwanaland
Laurasia
Pangaea
