Name: 
 

Plate Tectonics


Completion
Complete each sentence or statement.
 

1. 
Oceanic crust is made up mostly of an igneous rock called ____________________.
 

 

2. 
A continental plate collides with an oceanic plate at a(n) ____________________ boundary.
 

 

3. 
When continental plates pull apart at a divergent boundary on land, a(n) ____________________ forms.
 

 

4. 
A change in the volume or shape of Earth's crust is called ____________________.
 

 

5. 
Two of Earth's plates slip past each other, moving in opposite directions, along a ____________________ boundary.
 

 

6. 
The block of rock that lies above a fault is called the _________________________.
 

 

7. 
The process of ______________________________ continually adds new crust to the ocean floor along both sides of the mid-ocean ridge.
 

 

Short Answer
 
 
plate_tectonics_files/i0100000.jpg
 

8. 
Will a normal fault result from the stresses being applied to the rock unit in diagram D? Explain.
 

9. 
In diagram B, which type of fault will form if the stress force continues? Explain.
 

10. 
What caused the rock layers to take on the shape shown in diagram C?
 
 
plate_tectonics_files/i0140000.jpg
 

11. 
Which letter identifies the continental shelf?
 

12. 
What is the feature labeled D?
 

13. 
Compare and contrast the features labeled E and F.
 

14. 
Which feature is part of the continuous underwater mountain range that circles Earth?
 

15. 
What is the feature labeled C?
 

16. 
Which layer of Earth is made up partly of crust and partly of mantle material?
 

17. 
What kind of risk is shown on the map and how is this risk determined?
 

18. 
Overall, which layer of Earth appears to be the thickest?
 

19. 
The asthenosphere is part of which layer of Earth?
 

20. 
Earth's solid inner core spins inside the hot, molten metal of which layer?
 

21. 
According to the map, which part of the United States is least likely to suffer earthquake damage?
 

Multiple Choice
Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
 

22. 
What does a seismograph record?
a.
the Mercalli scale rating for an earthquake
b.
the speed of seismic waves
c.
the ground movements caused by seismic waves
d.
the location of the epicenter
 

23. 
In what direction do seismic waves carry the energy of an earthquake?
a.
away from the focus
b.
toward the focus
c.
from the surface to the interior
d.
through the mantle only
 

24. 
A fold in rock that bends upward into an arch is called a(n)
a.
anticline.
b.
syncline.
c.
plateau.
d.
canyon.
 

25. 
Which of the following can cause damage days or months after a large earthquake?
a.
the arrival of surface waves
b.
liquefaction
c.
a tsunami
d.
an aftershock
 

26. 
S waves are also known as
a.
primary waves.
b.
secondary waves.
c.
surface waves.
d.
focus waves.
 

27. 
Because stress is a force, it
a.
takes energy out of rock.
b.
adds energy to rock.
c.
adds volume to rock.
d.
makes rock harder.
 

28. 
In the process of sea-floor spreading, where does molten material rise from the mantle and erupt?
a.
along the edges of all the continents
b.
along the mid-ocean ridge
c.
in deep-ocean trenches
d.
at the north and south poles
 

29. 
A nearly flat region of the ocean floor, covered with thick layers of sediment, is called a(n)
a.
seamount.
b.
abyssal plain.
c.
continental slope.
d.
mid-ocean ridge.
 

30. 
The place where two plates come together is known as a
a.
transform boundary.
b.
divergent boundary.
c.
convergent boundary.
d.
rift valley.
 

31. 
Compared to P waves and S waves, surface waves move
a.
faster.
b.
slower.
c.
at the same rate.
d.
farther from the epicenter.
 

32. 
Which of the following does NOT make studying the ocean floor difficult?
a.
The ocean consists of salt water rather than fresh.
b.
The deep ocean is in total darkness.
c.
The water in the deep ocean is extremely cold.
d.
There is tremendous pressure in the deep ocean.
 

33. 
Which scale would most likely be used to tell how much earthquake damage was done to people, homes, and buildings?
a.
the Richter scale
b.
the Mercalli scale
c.
the moment magnitude scale
d.
the seismic scale
 

34. 
What technology did scientists use in the mid-1900s to map the mid-ocean ridge?
a.
satellites
b.
deep-sea diving
c.
submarines
d.
sonar
 

35. 
The point beneath Earth's surface where rock breaks under stress and triggers an earthquake is called the
a.
syncline.
b.
footwall.
c.
epicenter.
d.
focus.
 

36. 
What is the correct order (starting from the surface) of Earth's layers?
a.
crust, outer core, inner core, mantle
b.
mantle, outer core, inner core, crust
c.
crust, mantle, outer core, inner core
d.
outer core, inner core, crust, mantle
 

37. 
The process by which the ocean floor sinks through a deep-ocean trench and back into the mantle is known as
a.
convection.
b.
continental drift.
c.
subduction.
d.
conduction.
 

38. 
In a normal fault, the part of the fault that lies below the other part is called the
a.
hanging wall.
b.
reverse fault.
c.
footwall.
d.
anticline.
 

39. 
What is Pangaea?
a.
the name of a German scientist
b.
the name of the supercontinent that existed millions of years ago
c.
another name for continental drift
d.
the name of an ancient fossil
 

40. 
A place where two plates slip past each other, moving in opposite directions, is known as a
a.
transform boundary.
b.
divergent boundary.
c.
convergent boundary.
d.
rift valley.
 

41. 
According to Wegener's hypothesis of continental drift,
a.
Earth's surface is made up of seven major landmasses.
b.
the continents do not move.
c.
Earth is slowly cooling and shrinking.
d.
the continents were once joined together in a single landmass.
 

42. 
A gently sloping, shallow area of the ocean floor that extends outward from the edge of a continent is
a.
continental shelf.
b.
continental slope.
c.
abyssal plain.
d.
mid-ocean ridge.
 

43. 
Any change in the volume or shape of Earth's crust is called
a.
shearing.
b.
tension.
c.
compression.
d.
deformation.
 

44. 
A collision between two pieces of continental crust at a converging boundary produces a
a.
mid-ocean ridge.
b.
deep-ocean trench.
c.
rift valley.
d.
mountain range.
 

45. 
Stress that pushes a mass of rock in two opposite, horizontal directions is called
a.
shearing.
b.
tension.
c.
compression.