Plate Tectonics Quiz

Which statement best describes Pangaea?

• A continent that was destroyed by subduction millions of years ago

• One giant continent that formed when all the continents were together

• A fossil Alfred Wegener discovered on both Africa and South American

• The process of continents moving and shifting around over millions of years

What discovery lead to the theory of plate tectonics?

• Greenhouse effect

• Earth’s magnetic field

• Gravity

• Mid-ocean ridge found at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean using SONAR

What form of heat transfer is the driving force behind plate tectonics?

• conduction

• radiation

• convection

• insulation

What causes new crust to be formed on Earth?

• the wind

• subduction

• the ocean water

• sea-floor spreading

Which of the following best describes subduction?

• two continental plates collide to make mountain chains

• two oceanic plates diverge in the process of seafloor spreading

• one oceanic plates and one continental plate converge and the more dense plate slides under the less dense plate

• two oceanic plates slide past each other causing many earthquakes

What causes the Earth’s crust to be destroyed/recycled?

• Subduction

• Sea-floor spreading

• Divergent boundaries

• Convection

____ crust is more dense than ____ crust which causes it to subduct forming volcanoes.

• continental, oceanic

• oceanic, continental

• continental, coastal

• coastal, oceanic

Number of major types of faults is

• One

• Two

• Three

Normal fault takes place when crust is

• pushed towards

• pulled apart

• slide past

When tensional force is applied to rock layers, it develops a

• normal fault

• reverse fault

• strike-slip fault