Chapter 1: Earth's Changing Surface

What did people in Europe during the Middle Ages believe about the earth's changes?

• The earth's surface changes due to human activities.
• The earth's surface has always remained the same.
• The earth's surface changes rapidly due to natural forces.
• The earth's surface changes slowly over time.

What did geologists discover about the continents during the 1800s and early 1900s?

• The continents were once joined together.
• The continents were created by human activities.
• The continents have always been separate.
• The continents were formed by volcanic eruptions.

Who was Shen Kua and what did he observe about Earth's surface features?

• A European scientist who studied rocks and fossils.
• A Chinese scientist who realized Earth's surface changes slowly.
• An African scientist who discovered evidence of continental drift.
• An American scientist who studied volcanic eruptions.

Who proposed the theory of continental drift?

• Alfred Wegener
• Shen Kua
• European explorers
• Geologists from the 1800s

What did Alfred Wegener conclude about the continents?

• They have always been in their current positions.
• They were formed by human activities.
• They have moved apart slowly over millions of years.
• They were created by volcanic eruptions.

What happened to the climate of Antarctica according to Wegener's theory?

• It remained the same as other continents.
• It became warmer over time.
• It experienced volcanic eruptions.
• It became colder and covered in ice.

What did scientists discover about the ocean floor in the 1870s?

• It is made of basalt, a heavy rock.
• It is made of lighter rocks than the continents.
• It is the same as the continents.
• It is covered in ice and snow.

What evidence did geologists find to support the idea of continental drift?

• The discovery of ancient civilizations on all the continents.
• Matching rock layers and fossils on different continents.
• The presence of coal and salt deposits on all the continents.
• Similar climates on all the continents.

What was the name of the supercontinent proposed by Alfred Wegener?

• Laurasia
• Eurasia
• Pangaea
• Gondwana

Why did some scientists criticize Wegener's theory of continental drift?

• It didn't explain how the continents moved.
• It didn't provide evidence of rock formations.
• It didn't explain how the climate changed on the continents.
• It didn't explain how the continents fit together.