Plate Tectonics Test Review

Front

What is the asthenosphere?

Back

The asthenosphere is the plastic-like and less rigid part of the upper mantle that carries the tectonic plates.

Front

What happens when two tectonic plates collide?

Back

When two tectonic plates collide, they can push together, forming high nonvolcanic mountains.

Front

What is a volcanic mountain range?

Back

A volcanic mountain range forms when one oceanic plate melts underneath a continental plate, creating composite volcanoes.

Front

What is the oldest crust in a tectonic plate boundary diagram?

Back

The oldest crust is typically found farthest from the mid-ocean ridge, often indicated as area 1 in diagrams.

Front

What geologic feature is likely to form in the Great Rift Valley in a million years?

Back

An inland sea is the most likely geologic feature to form in the Great Rift Valley over a million years.

Front

What is the lithosphere?

Back

The lithosphere is the rigid outer layer of the Earth, consisting of the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle.

Front

What is the process of subduction?

Back

Subduction is the process where one tectonic plate slides under another, often leading to volcanic activity.

Front

What are tectonic plates?

Back

Tectonic plates are large sections of the Earth's lithosphere that move and interact at their boundaries.

Front

What is a transform boundary?

Back

A transform boundary is where two tectonic plates slide past each other horizontally, causing earthquakes.

Front

What is continental drift?

Back

Continental drift is the theory that continents have moved over geological time and were once joined together.