Unit 4 practice mcqs APES

Magma fills the gap between tectonic plates, forming new crust at ________.

• subsidence zones

• subduction zones

• sedimentation zones

• divergent faults

Earthquakes release huge amounts of energy accumulated through which of the following processes?

• tectonic plates constantly pushing against one another

• compressed magma being forced to the surface through cracks and vents

• the relentless back-and-forth movement of ocean tides

• sudden heating of the earth’s core

Which three processes are needed in order to convert metamorphic or igneous rock into sedimentary rock?

• heating, pressure, and stress

• erosion, heating, and transportation

• pressure, erosion, and heat

• weathering, erosion, and deposition

Using the Richter scale, an earthquake of magnitude 5.0 is how many times more powerful than an earthquake of magnitude 4.0?

• 1.25

• 5

• 10

• 50

Subduction zones tend to produce deep undersea trenches as a result of

• two tectonic plates moving directly away from each other

• two tectonic plates sliding past each other

• one tectonic plate being pulled apart at the center

• one tectonic plate being forced to bend under another

Tsunamis, like the one that hit northeastern Japan in March 2011, are usually caused by

• magma suddenly released into the ocean

• earthquakes under the ocean floor

• rapid closing of an ocean trench

• subsidence of land near the ocean

If a nearby city experiences earthquake damage of intensity XI, the earthquake’s Richter scale magnitude is most likely to be

• 0.9 or less

• 1.0 to 2.9

• 3.0 to 4.9

• 7.0 or greater

Volcanoes can spew several types of gas, but the two main components are

• oxygen gas

• carbon dioxide

• hydrogen gas

• hydrogen sulfide

• water vapor

In which of the following environments are laterite soils more likely to form?

• grasslands

• tundra

• conifer forests

• tropics

Coastal wetlands are ecologically important because they do all of the following EXCEPT

• reduce the impact of storms coming inland

• harbor a high level of biodiversity

• help to cycle nutrients

• offer an important refuge for large marine mammals