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- 1. Multiple Choice
One piece of evidence that supports the Theory of Plate tectonics is the discovery of what in both South America and Africa?
Insects on both continents have similar feeding habits.
The rates of sedimentary rock formation are similar.
The ancient atmosphere in both places was identical.
Fossil remains of the same land-dwelling animal were found on each continent.
- 2. Multiple Choice
The earthquake experienced in California are related to tectonic plates because these catastrophic events are the result of -
two tectonic plates sliding past each other
tectonic plates melting as they slide into the mantle
tectonic plates being weathered over time
two tectonic plates pulling away from each other.
- 3. Multiple Choice
Alfred Wegener hypothesized that Earth's continents had once been a single large continent. Which data was Wegener unable to collect because of limited technology at the time of his studies?
Similar rocks in similar structures are found on different continents across Earth.
Facing coastlines of adjacent continents fit together like puzzle pieces.
The same fossils are found on continents separated by oceans.
The ages of deep-ocean rocks indicate seafloor spreading at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
- 4. Multiple Choice
The Himalayan Mountain Chain is most likely the result of which of the following interactions between major tectonic plates?
The indo-Australian plate is moving toward the Eurasian plate
The South American plate is moving away from the African plate
The Pacific plate is sliding northward past the North American plate
The Eurasian plate and the North American plate are diverging
- 5. Multiple Choice
What type of boundary results in a rift valley?
convergent
divergent
transform
- 6. Multiple Choice
A transform boundary where one tectonic plate slides past another, is likely to result in which of the following?
frequent earthquakes
rift valley formation
intense weathering
mountain building
- 7. Multiple Choice
One piece of evidence for the Plate Tectonic Theory is seafloor spreading. What happens to the age of rocks as you get further away from the mid ocean ridge?
The rocks get younger
the rocks get older
their age does not change
one rock layer melts as it moves under the other side
- 8. Multiple Choice
Folded mountains form at which type of plate boundary?
convergent
divergent
transform
- 9. Multiple Choice
Which geologic feature is most likely to form at a mid ocean ridge?
peninsula
volcano
delta
plateau
- 10. Multiple Choice
The map shows the locations of four active volcanoes in the Caribbean Sea. What do these volcanoes indicate about plate tectonics in the region?
The volcanoes form an island arc, indicating a converging plate boundary.
The volcanoes form a line, indicating a diverging plate boundary.
Two plates are moving past each other, causing faulting and magma formation.
Two plates are moving apart, creating new sea floor.
- 11. Multiple Choice
Scientists recently discovered that rocks collected form the Franklin Mountains in West Texas and rocks collected from mountains n eastern Antarctica were exactly the same age. Further research showed that the rocks were chemically and geologically the same and came from the same magma source. This discovery provides evidence of ---
coastal erosion
plate tectonics
ocean currents
glacial melting
- 12. Multiple Choice
The diagram shows a model of the movement of two tectonic plates. When the plates collide, one plate often moves below the other plate. The rising magma that can result from this type of plate movement may produce ---
fossil layers
volcanic islands
deep - sea sediment
seafloor spreading
- 13. Multiple Choice
What is the geologic process that formed the Himalayan Mountains?
two continental plates converging
an earthquake in a subduction zone
a tectonic plate moving over a hot spot
movement at a transform fault boundary
- 14. Multiple Choice
Rift valleys can form when fractures in Earth's crust widen. The valley walls slowly move at a rate of only a few millimeters a year. Which of these best describes the type of tectonic activity that forms rift valleys?
Rift valleys form where a continental plate moves under an oceanic plate.
Rift valleys form where a plate slides horizontally past another plate.
Rift valleys form where two plates move away form each other.
Rift valleys form where an oceanic plate moves under another oceanic plate.
- 15. Multiple Choice
In the early 1900s, a hypothesis was introduced that proposed a single large landmass broke into smaller landmasses forming the continents which drifted in to their present locations. What is the name of this hypothesis?
continental drift
continental shift
plate movement
plate tectonics
- 16. Multiple Choice
Which layer of Earth does a tectonic plate ride on top of?
asthenosphere
atmosphere
lithosphere
stratosphere
- 17. Multiple Choice
Where have great amounts of volcanic activity been found to be concentrated?
along seashores
near magnetic poles
near plate boundaries
at high elevations
- 18. Multiple Choice
Which process is best explained by the theory of plate tectonics?
changes in air pressure
earth quakes
food chains and webs
life cycles of plants
- 19. Multiple Choice
There are long mountain belts that divide the sea floor and generate new sea floor as magma rises and erupts onto Earth's surface. What are these mountain belts known as?
magnetic poles
mid-ocean ridges
ocean trenches
sediment layer
- 20. Multiple Choice
Which of the following discoveries is evidence supporting the idea of continental drift?
the discovery of matching plant and animal fossils found on different continents
the discovery that most earthquakes are near plate boundaries
the discovery that rock age increases as distance from mid-ocean ridges increases
the discovery of sea - floor rock patterns due to magnetic reversal
- 21. Multiple Choice
The evidence supporting continental drift supports plate tectonics, because plate tectonics is a modified, expanded version of continental drift hypothesis. In the mid 1900s, additional evidence was found that led to the development of the theory of plate tectonics. Which is an example of this additional evidence?
coal deposits in areas that are not tropical
sea-floor processes
matching animal fossils found on different continents
plant fossils found on different continents
- 22. Multiple Choice
Which of the following statements is evidence for the theory of plate tectonics but does not suggest that the continents were once connected?
matching rock layers on separate continents
similar land features on separated, present-day continents
the interlocking of present - day coastlines, such as Africa and South America
thin layer of sediment covering ocean floor, indicating that it was relatively young
- 23. Multiple Choice
Which of the following statements provided early evidence supporting the hypothesis of continental drift?
interlocking shapes of present day coastlines
mid-ocean ridges generating new sea floor
matching magnetic patterns of sea floor
dating of rocks showing increase in age as distance from mid-ocean ridge
- 24. Multiple Choice
Which of the following explains how the theory of plate tectonics is most beneficial to society in terms of safety?
helps explain why mountain ranges exist
helps scientists to better understand fossil distribution
helps locate areas with higher potentials for earthquakes
helps explain the presence of coal in non-tropical regions
- 25. Multiple Choice
Fossils of the cynognathus have been discovered on both South America and Africa. How does this evidence help to support the hypothesis of continental drift?
this evidence shows that this creature inhabited both continents because it swam across the ocean.
this evidence shows that the two continents have similar climatic conditions
this evidence show that the Cynognathus could not have swum or flown such great distances, so the continents were once connected
this evidence shows that the Cynognathus could have flown between the continents over time
- 26. Multiple Choice
The Atlas Mountains in Africa are part of the same mountain chain as the Appalachian Mountains in North America, indicating that they were once connected. How does this evidence relate to the theory of plate tectonics?
This evidence shows that the two continents have similar landforms
This evidence shows that the mountains contain fossil evidence
This evidence show that sea-floor spreading occurs, and magnetic reversal patterns exist on the sea floor
This evidence show that they were once a single mountain range when the continents were connected and were later separated as the continents drifted apart.
- 27. Multiple Choice
Examining rocks that form on either side of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge provides evidence that supports the theory of Plate Tectonics. This is because we see evidence of plate movement in the fact that as we look at rocks farther and farther from the ridge, the rocks --
have a higher iron content.
are made up of smaller particles
become thicker and thicker
are consistently older
- 28. Multiple Choice
The most recently formed crust on Earth would be found where -
plates are moving sideways past each other.
one plate is sliding under another plate.
two plates are pushing directly towards each other
two plates are moving apart from each other.
- 29. Multiple Choice
Which of the following features is likely to form where two tectonic plates push toward each other?
ocean shoreline
mountain range
mid-ocean ridge
rift valley
- 30. Multiple Choice
The earthquakes experienced in California are related to tectonic plates because these catastrophic events are the result of -
two tectonic plates sliding past each other.
tectonic plates melting as they slide into the mantle
tectonic plates being weathered over time.
two tectonic plates pulling away from each other.
- 31. Multiple Choice
Which of the following crustal features would be the result of two continental plates moving away from each other?
Mountain range
volcanoes on land
rift valley
mid - ocean ridge
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