Unit 4: Plate Tectonics Test

Which letter best represents Earth's mantle?

• A) Q
• B) B
• C) C
• D) D

Which layer of Earth's interior is inferred to be composed of solid iron and nickel?

• A) asthenosphere
• B) stiffer mantle
• C) outer core
• D) inner core

Which statement represents the most logical conclusion to draw from this evidence?

• A) Mesosaurus migrated across the ocean from location X to location Y.
• B) Mesosaurus came into existence on several widely separated continents at different times.
• C) The continents of South America and Africa were joined when Mesosaurus lived.
• D) The present climates at locations X and Y are similar.

The theory of continental drift suggests that the

• A) continents moved due to changes in the Earth's orbital velocity
• B) continents moved due to the Coriolis effect caused by the Earth's rotation
• C) present-day continents of South America and Africa are moving toward each other
• D) present-day continents of South America and Africa once fit together like puzzle parts

The photograph below shows a portion of the San Andreas Fault in the western United States. The San Andreas Fault is an example of a

• A) transform plate boundary
• B) divergent plate boundary
• C) convergent plate boundary
• D) complex plate boundary

The Hawaiian Islands were formed as a result of

• A) lava flowing over Earth's surface where two tectonic plates move apart
• B) an oceanic plate moving over a mantle hot spot
• C) two oceanic plates colliding to form an island arc
• D) tectonic plates sliding past each other

Which mantle hot spot is correctly matched to its overlying tectonic plate?

• A) Tasman Hot Spot-Pacific Plate
• B) Canary Island Hot Spot-Eurasian Plate
• C) St. Helena Hot Spot-South American Plate
• D) Yellowstone Hot Spot-North American Plate

What is the primary geologic process occurring along the San Andreas Fault?

• A) transform movement
• B) spreading movement
• C) subduction
• D) convergence

Which cross section best represents the convection currents in the mantle beneath the Peru-Chile Trench?

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Which type of plate boundary is shown?

• A) divergent
• B) convergent
• C) transform
• D) complex