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Teacher: Mrs. Zimmerman
Plate Tectonics and Mountains Practice Test
Plate Tectonics Tutoiral
URL: http://www.hartrao.ac.za/geodesy/tectonics.html
Questions
1. Fossils of organisms that lived in shallow water can be found in horizontal sedimentary rock layers at great ocean depths. This
fact is generally interpreted by most Earth scientists as evidence that
1. the cold water deep in the ocean kills shallow water organisms
2. sunlight once penetrated to the deepest parts of the ocean
3. organisms that live in deep water evolved from species that once lived in shallow water
4. sections of the Earth's crust have changed their elevations relative to sea level
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2. The diagram represents a partial cross section of a model of the Earth. The arrows show inferred motions within the Earth.
Which property of the oceanic crust in regions F and G is a result of these inferred motions?
1. The crystal size of the rock decreases constantly as distance form the mid­ocean ridge increases.
2. The temperature of the basaltic rock increases as distance from the mid­ocean ridge increases.
3. Heat­flow measurements steadily increase as distance from the mid­ocean ridge increases.
4. The age of the igneous rock increases as distance from the mid­ocean ridge increases.
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3. Folded sedimentary rock layers are usually caused by
1. deposition of sediments in folded layers
2. differences in sediment density during deposition
3. a rise in sea level after deposition
4. crustal movement occurring after deposition
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4. Which statement best supports the theory of continental drift?
1. Basaltic rock is found to be progressively younger at increasing distances from a mid­ocean ridge.
2. Marine fossils are often found in deep­well drill cores.
3. The present continents appear to fit together as pieces of a larger land mass.
4. Areas of shallow­water seas tend to accumulate sediment, which gradually sinks.
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5. The diagrams below show patterns of convection currents under the Mid­Atlantic Ridge. Many scientists believe that
convection currents in the mantle between South America and Africa caused the separation of the two continents and the
formation of the Mid­Atlantic Ridge. Which diagram best represents the currents described in this theory?
1. 2. 3. 4. ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­
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6. The diagram shows one side of an oceanic ridge and a portion of the ocean floor.
Which graph below best illustrates the age of the basalt as the distance from an oceanic ridge increases?
1. 3. 2. 4. ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­
7. The diagrams below show cross sections of exposed bedrock. Which cross section shows the least evidence of crustal
movement?
1. 3. 2. 4. ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­
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8. The best evidence of crustal movement would be provided by
1. dinosaur tracks found in the surface bedrock
2. marine fossils found on a mountaintop
3. weathered bedrock found at the bottom of a cliff
4. ripple marks found in sandy sediment
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9. Which evidence supports the theory of seafloor spreading?
1. The rocks of the ocean floor and the continents have similar origins.
2. In the ocean floor, rocks near the mid­ocean ridge are cooler than rocks near the continents.
3. The pattern of magnetic orientation of rocks is similar on both sides of the mid­ocean ridge.
4. The density of oceanic crust is greater than the density of continental crust.
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10. In Earth’s interior, which zone has a temperature higher than its melting point?
1. crust
3. inner core
2. stiffer mantle 4. outer core
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11. In the diagram, letters A and B represent locations near the edge of a continent.
A geologist who compares nonsedimentary rock samples from locations A and B would probably find that the samples from
location A contain
1. more granite
2. more basalt
3. more fossils
4. the same minerals and fossils
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12. The diagram represents a cross section of a portion of Earth’s crust.
Which past activity in this region is suggested by the shape of these sedimentary rock layers?
1. widespread volcanic activity
2. horizontal sorting
3. glacial deposition
4. crustal movements
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13. A comparison of seismic graphs taken at a location in the ocean with those taken at the center of a continent would indicate that
the crustal thickness under the oceans is probably
1. less than that under the continents
2. more than that under the continents
3. equal to that under the continents
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14. Theories about the composition of Earth’s core are supported by meteorites that are composed primarily of
1. oxygen and silicon 3. aluminum and oxygen
2. aluminum and iron 4. iron and nickel
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15. The primary cause of convection currents in Earth’s mantle is believed to be the
1. differences in densities of earth materials
2. subsidence of the crust
3. occurrence of earthquakes
4. rotation of the Earth
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16. The diagrams represent four kinds of plate movements that occur in Earth’s crust. The arrows show the relative motions of the
crustal plates at each boundary.
Figure 1
At location C, the movement of the crustal plates is a direct cause of
1. magnetic reversals
2. folded mountains ranges
3. the formation of continental crust
4. the formation of oceanic crust
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17. Which features are commonly formed at the plate boundaries where continental crust converges with oceanic crust?
1. large volcanic mountain ranges parallel to the coast at the center of the continents
2. a deep ocean trench and a continental volcanic mountain range near the coast
3. an underwater volcanic mountain range and rift valley on the ocean ridge near the coast
4. long chains of mid­ocean volcanic islands perpendicular to the coast
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18. Base your answer on the passage and map below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The passage provides some
information about the sediments under Portland, Oregon, and the map shows where Portland is located.
Bad seismic combination under Portland:
Earthquake faults and jiggly sediment
Using a technique called seismic profiling, researchers have found evidence of ancient earthquake faults under Portland,
Oregon. The faults may still be active, a USGS [United States Geological Survey] seismologist will announce tomorrow.
The research also turned up a 250­foot deep layer of silt and mud, deep under the city, which may have been caused by
a catastrophic ice dam break some 15,000 years ago.
The two findings could together mean bad news, as soft sediment is known to amplify ground shaking during strong
earthquakes. In the 1989 San Francisco earthquake, much of the damage to buildings was caused by liquefaction, a
shaking and sinking of sandy, water saturated soil along waterways….
– Robert Roy Britt, excerpted from "Bad sesimic combination under Portland: Earthquake faults and jiggly sediment,"
explorezone.com 05/03/99
Figure 2
What type of tectonic plate boundary is shown at the San Andreas Fault?
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19. Base your answer to the question on the information below and on your knowledge of Earth science.
In the 1930s, most scientists believed that Earth’s crust and interior were solid and motionless. A small group of
scientists were talking about “continental drift,” which is the idea that Earth’s crust is not stationary, but is constantly
shifting and moving.
From seismic data, geophysical evidence, and laboratory experiments, scientists now generally agree that lithospheric
plates move at the surface. Both Earth’s surface and interior are in motion. Solid rock in the mantle can be softened and
shaped when subjected to the heat and pressure within Earth’s interior over millions of years.
Subduction processes are believed by many scientists to be the driving force of plate tectonics. At present, this theory
cannot be directly observed and confirmed. The lithospheric plates have moved in the past and are still moving today.
The details of why and how they move will continue to challenge scientists.
Figure 3
Earth’s crust is described as "constantly shifting and moving." Give one example of geologic evidence that supports the
conclusion that continents have drifted apart.
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20. [Refer to figure 3]
The information given suggests that "subduction processes are the driving force of plate tectonics." Identify a specific location
of a subduction zone on Earth.
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21. [Refer to figure 3]
According to the Earth Science Reference Tables, at what inferred depth is mantle rock partially melted and slowly moving
below the lithospheric plates?
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22. Which layer of Earth is composed of both the crust and the rigid mantle?
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23. Base your answer to the question on the block diagram below. The diagram shows the tectonic plate boundary between Africa
and North America 300 million years ago, as these two continents united into a single landmass. The arrows at letters A, B, C,
and D represent relative crustal movements. Letter X shows the eruption of a volcano at that time.
Figure 4
Identify the type of tectonic plate motion represented by the arrow shown at D.
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24. [Refer to figure 4]
Identify the type of tectonic motion represented by the arrows shown at A, B, and C.
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25. Base your answer to this question on the cross section below, which shows the bedrock structure of a portion of the lithosphere. Letters A through D
represent locations in the lithosphere.
Figure 5
Explain why the oceanic crust subducts beneath the continental crust when the two plates collide.
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26. Compared to Earth’s continental crust, Earth’s oceanic crust is
1. thinner and more dense 3. thicker and more dense
2. thinner and less dense 4. thicker and less dense
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27. The map below shows the northern section of the boundary between the Arabian Plate and the African Plate. Arrows show the
relative direction of plate motion.
Which type of plate boundary is located at the Jordan Fault?
1. divergent
3. convergent
2. subduction 4. transform
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28. Base your answer to the question on the cross section below, which shows an underwater mountain range in the Atlantic Ocean.
The oceanic bedrock is composed mainly of basalt. Points X and Y are locations in the bedrock that have been diverging at the
same rate. The movement of the North American Plate and Eurasian Plate is shown by the two arrows.
Figure 6
Which statements best describe the age and magnetic orientation of the basalts found at locations X and Y?
1. The basalt at location X is younger than the basalt at location Y. Both locations have the same magnetic orientation.
2. The basalts at locations X and Y are the same age. Both locations have the same magnetic orientation.
3. The basalts at locations X and Y are the same age. Location X has normal magnetic orientation and location Y has
reversed magnetic orientation.
4. The basalt at location X is older than the basalt at location Y. Location X has reversed magnetic orientation and location
Y has normal magnetic orientation.
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29. Base your answer to this question on the map of the Mid­Atlantic Ridge shown below. Points A through D are locations on the
ocean floor. Line XY connects locations in North America and Africa.
Figure 7
In which cross section do the arrows best show the convection occurring within the asthenosphere beneath line XY?
1. 3. 2. 4. ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­
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30. When two tectonic plates collide, oceanic crust usually subducts beneath continental crust because oceanic crust is primarily
composed of igneous rock that has
1. low density and is mafic
2. low density and is felsic
3. high density and is mafic
4. high density and is felsic
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31. Alternating parallel bands of normal and reversed magnetic polarity are found in the basaltic bedrock on either side of the
1. Mid­Atlantic Ridge
3. San Andreas Fault
2. Yellowstone Hot Spot 4. Peru­Chile Trench
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32. The Mariana Trench was most likely created by the:
1. convergence of the Pacific and Philippine Plates
2. divergence of the Eurasian and Philippine Plates
3. sliding of the Pacific Plate past the North American Plate
4. movement of the Pacific Plate over the Hawaii Hot Spot
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