The Earth System Unit Review

A difference between the oceanic crust and the continental crust is that the oceanic crust is:

• composed chiefly of sedimentary rocks

• more dense than the continental crust

• older than the continental crust

• continually being created

Which of the following has the greatest direct influence on movement of the lithosphere?

• the sun

• the moon

• Earth's core

• Earth's mantle

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When an earthquake occurs, the speed of the seismic waves changes as they

• move through different materials

• are pulled by the force of gravity

• lose energy to surrounding rocks

• reflect off of boundaries

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Which is the basic composition of Earth’s core?

• The solid inner core is surrounded by a liquid outer core.

• The liquid inner core is surrounded by a solid outer core.

• Both the inner core and the outer core are solid.

• Both the inner core and the outer core are liquid.

Which event MOST likely takes place as the result of crustal movement along transform boundaries?

• earthquakes

• volcanic activity

• mountain building

• trenches

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Alfred Wegener proposed the theory of continental drift around 1912. Which of these components of his theory is now known to be FALSE?

• Similar plants and animals live on continents separated by oceans.

• All existing continents were once joined into a supercontinent.

• The boundaries of many neighboring continents fit together.

• The Moon’s gravity and Earth’s spin can move the continents.

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Which of these geologic features results from tectonic plates slowly moving over a hot spot?

• plateaus

• islands

• canyons

• deltas

As early as the 1600s, scientists noticed that the continents appeared to fit together like pieces of a puzzle. The idea that the continents were once together and had drifted apart was not widely accepted. In the 1940s, technology used on submarines led to evidence of continental movement. This technology allowed the scientists to do which of these?

• to explain the causes of continental movement

• to determine fossil evidence of continental drift

• to prevent further movement of continents

• to reject theories of continental drift

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The diagram below shows a cross section of a tectonic plate boundary.

Which terms BEST describe features 1, 2, and 3?

• 1 – continental crust, 2 – mantle, 3 – oceanic crust

• 1 – mantle, 2 – oceanic crust, 3 – continental crust

• 1 – oceanic crust, 2 – mantle, 3 – continental crust

• 1 – continental crust, 2 – oceanic crust, 3 – mantle

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At the mid-ocean ridge, new oceanic crust is continually being produced. How does Earth’s size change as the new crust is produced?

• Earth’s size is growing larger because new crust is being added next to old crust.

• Earth’s size is growing smaller because the new crust pushes the continents closer together.

• Earth’s size is unchanged because as new crust is produced, earthquakes occur breaking up the old crust.

• Earth’s size is unchanged because as new crust is produced, old crust is forced down to the mantle where it melts.

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