Download PAST EXAM QUESTIONS

Geol 101: Physical Geology
PAST EXAM QUESTIONS
LECTURE 3: PLATE TECTONICS I
3. The theory of plate tectonics had its origin in the concept of ___________ introduced in 1910 by Alfred Wegener.
A. seafloor spreading
B. subduction
C. continental drift
D. paleomagnetic reversals
E. jigsaw geology
3. The first line of evidence used to promote continental drift was that…
A. paleomagnetic fields are not consistent with the modern day magnetic field
B. the magnetic field underwent numerous reversals throughout Earth’s history
C. the continents seems to fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle
D. lines of islands on moving plates formed above hotspots
E. scientists could tell that the continents are still moving today
3. Which of the following is NOT one of the lines of evidence initially used to develop the theory of plate tectonics?
A. the shapes of the continents seem to fit so well together
B. there are similar fossils of plants and animals on different continents
C. paleomagnetic poles do not match up unless the continents used to be together
D. the geology matches up from one continent to another
E. there is clear evidence that the continents plowed their way through ancient oceanic crust
3. The supercontinent that broke apart to form Gondwana and Laurasia was called:
A. Wegener
B. Pangea
C. Tethys
D. Panthalassa
E. Kattenhornia
3. Plate tectonics theory suggests that the continents were once all combined into a supercontinent called (1)
__________, with the southern part called (2) __________ and the northern part called
(3) __________.
A. (1) Pangea (2) Laurasia (3) Gondwana
B. (1) Pangea (2) Gondwana (3) Laurasia
C. (1) Pangea (2) Gondwana (3) Eurasia
D. (1) Gondwana (2) Laurentia (3) Pangea
E. (1) Gondwana (2) Pangea (3) Laurentia
3. South America and Africa do not fit together perfectly when matched up across the Atlantic Ocean because:
A. they were never together to begin with
B. parts of the continents were long ago subducted
C. their shapes have changed since Pangea broke up
D. the magnetic field has changed since the breakup of the continents
E. the true boundaries of the continents are actually 900m below sea level
1
3. If the coastlines of North America and Eurasia are matched up, the (1) ___________ mountains in North America
match up with the (2) _________ in Eurasia, suggesting that they used to be one continuous mountain range.
A. (1) Appalachians
(2) Caledonides
B. (1) Appalachians
(2) Alps
C. (1) Rockies
(2) Alps
D. (1) Rockies
(2) Caledonides
E. (1) Cascades
(2) Appalachians
3. Evidence that North America used to be connected to Europe is given by the fact that the following two
mountain chains seem to match up from one continent to the other:
A. Rockies and Caledonides
B. Appalachians and Caledonides
C. Rockies and Himalayas
D. Appalachians and Himalayas
E. Appalachians and Alps
3. Which of the following continents is NOT considered to have been part of Gondwana before it broke apart?
A. Africa
B. North America
C. South America
D. Australia
E. Antarctica
3. One line of evidence that Africa and South America used to be one continent is that they both show evidence of
a type of plant called:
A. Cynognathus
B. Glossopteris
C. Lystrosaurus
D. Mesosaurus
E. Cycad
3. One line of evidence that Africa and South America used to be one continent is that they both show fossil
evidence of a type of plant with large seeds. This plant was called:
A. Cynognathus
B. Glossopteris
C. Tyrannosaurus
D. Mesosaurus
E. Alto Redwood
3. Africa and South America both contains fossils of a type of freshwater reptile called:
A. Cynognathus
B. Glossopteris
C. Tyrannosaurus
D. Mesosaurus
E. Kattenhornus
3. Africa and South America both show fossil evidence of a type of freshwater reptile called:
A. Simonsaurus
B. Glossopteris
C. Tyrannosaurus
D. Mesosaurus
E. Barney
2
3. Which of the following is NOT considered to be a part of Gondwana?
A. Asia
B. Africa
C. India
D. Australia
E. Antarctica
3. Which of the following continents does NOT show evidence of an ice age during the Carboniferous because it
was part of Laurasia in northern Pangea and so was near to the equator?
A. North America
B. Africa
C. India
D. Australia
E. Antarctica
3. Although Pangea’s southern Gondwana continents contain evidence of an ice age during the Carboniferous
Period, there are no equivalent aged glacial deposits in the northern Laurasia continents because:
A. Gondwana was near the south pole in the Carboniferous, but Laurasia was near the
equator
B. Laurasia was near the south pole in the Carboniferous, but Gondwana was near the equator
C. the glacial deposits in Gondwana did not form in the Carboniferous after all
D. Laurasia did not exist during the Carboniferous
E. we haven’t looked hard enough for glacial deposits in Laurasia
3. Which of the following is good evidence that South America and Africa were once joined together?
A. they both show evidence of an ice age during the Carboniferous Period
B. the shapes of their coastlines are very similar
C. they have similar distributions of rocks that are about 550 million years old
D. they both contain fossils of a type of plant species called Glossopteris
E. all of the above
3. Which of the following is NOT one of the lines of evidence that South America and Africa were once joined
together?
A. they both show evidence of tropical climates in the south during the Carboniferous to
Permian Periods
B. the shapes of their coastlines are very similar
C. they have similar distributions of rocks that are about 550 million years old
D. they both contain fossils of a type of plant species called Glossopteris
E. they have similar-aged glacial evidence and consistent glacier flow directions
3. Modern day northern hemisphere continents have a lot of coal that is Carboniferous in age. Keeping this in mind,
which of the following statements is FALSE?
A. there were a lot of swampy areas during the Carboniferous
B. there was an ice age during the Carboniferous
C. the northern hemisphere continents were closer to the equator in the Carboniferous
D. the coal could have formed with the continents at their current latitudes
E. Laurasia and Gondwana had very different climates during the Carboniferous
3. North America and Europe seem to show different paleomagnetic north pole locations for similar-aged rocks. The
reason for this is:
A. there was more than one north pole when these rocks formed
3
B. the pole was wandering around so the paleomagnetic record is inaccurate
C. North America and Europe used to be together, so the poles are actually the same
D. the rocks on each continent cannot be similar in age, as was originally thought
E. the true edge of the continents is somewhere beneath the continental slope
4