Continental Margins and Plate Tectonics Quiz

What primarily distinguishes active continental margins from passive continental margins?

• Proximity to tectonic plate boundaries
• Depth of the continental shelf
• Presence of submarine canyons
• Type of oceanic crust

Which of the following best describes the continental shelf?

• A steep slope leading to the abyssal plain
• A flat, shallow area that was once dry land
• The deepest part of the ocean
• An area with high volcanic activity

What is the primary cause of the formation of seamounts?

• Erosion of continental crust
• Volcanic activity
• Sediment accumulation
• Tectonic uplift

Which type of plate boundary is characterized by plates sliding past each other?

• Divergent
• Convergent
• Transform
• Subduction

What geological feature is formed at divergent boundaries?

• Mountain ranges
• Mid-ocean ridges
• Deep sea trenches
• Volcanic island arcs

How do hydrothermal vents contribute to ocean ecosystems?

• By providing sunlight for photosynthesis
• By releasing nutrients and minerals
• By creating underwater currents
• By forming new land masses

What is the significance of the central rift valley at the mid-ocean ridge?

• It is a site of high volcanic activity
• It marks the point where plates converge
• It is where plates are pulling apart
• It is the deepest part of the ocean

Which of the following statements about the abyssal plain is true?

• It is the shallowest part of the ocean
• It is formed by sediment accumulation over millions of years
• It is characterized by high volcanic activity
• It contains the highest biodiversity

What drives the movement of tectonic plates?

• Wind patterns
• Ocean currents
• Convection currents in the mantle
• Solar radiation

What type of boundary forms when an oceanic plate subducts beneath a continental plate?

• Transform boundary
• Divergent boundary
• Oceanic-continental convergent boundary
• Continental-continental convergent boundary