Question 1

The modern- day Red Sea is explained by plate tectonics theory because it is________ .

Accepted Answer

A)  a rare example of a two continent subduction zone where both the African and Arabian continental plates are both sinking under the Red Sea plate 
B)  a tiny remnant of a once immense ocean that was closed as Africa moved into Asia 
C)  a rift zone that may eventually open into a major ocean if Arabia and Africa continue to separate 
D)  the site of a transform fault along which Arabia is moving away from Africa 
A)  a rare example of a two continent subduction zone where both the African and Arabian continental plates are both sinking under the Red Sea plate 
B)  a tiny remnant of a once immense ocean that was closed as Africa moved into Asia 
C)  a rift zone that may eventually open into a major ocean if Arabia and Africa continue to separate 
D)  the site of a transform fault along which Arabia is moving away from Africa

Question 2

Which one of the following is an important fundamental assumption underlying the plate tectonic theory?

Accepted Answer

A)  Earth's magnetic field originates in the outer core. 
B)  Earth's diameter has been essentially constant over time. 
C)  Earth's ocean basins are very old and stable features. 
D)  Radioactive decay slows down at the extreme pressures of the inner core. 
A)  Earth's magnetic field originates in the outer core. 
B)  Earth's diameter has been essentially constant over time. 
C)  Earth's ocean basins are very old and stable features. 
D)  Radioactive decay slows down at the extreme pressures of the inner core.

Question 3

Approximately_________ major lithospheric plates exist today.

Accepted Answer

A)  11 
B)  2 
C)  4 
D)  7 
A)  11 
B)  2 
C)  4 
D)  7

Question 4

What is the inclination of Earth's magnetic field as recorded in a recent lava flow near 59 degrees north in Yukon?

Accepted Answer

A)  nearly horizontal and pointing north 
B)  nearly horizontal and pointing south 
C)  steeply inclined and pointing north 
D)  nearly vertical and pointing south 
A)  nearly horizontal and pointing north 
B)  nearly horizontal and pointing south 
C)  steeply inclined and pointing north 
D)  nearly vertical and pointing south

Question 5

New oceanic crust and lithosphere are formed at________ .

Accepted Answer

A)  divergent boundaries by submarine eruptions and intrusions of mafic magma 
B)  divergent boundaries by submarine eruptions and intrusions of felsic magma 
C)  convergent boundaries by submarine eruptions and intrusions of felsic magma 
D)  convergent boundaries by submarine eruptions and intrusions of mafic magma 
A)  divergent boundaries by submarine eruptions and intrusions of mafic magma 
B)  divergent boundaries by submarine eruptions and intrusions of felsic magma 
C)  convergent boundaries by submarine eruptions and intrusions of felsic magma 
D)  convergent boundaries by submarine eruptions and intrusions of mafic magma

Question 6

__________plate boundary is characterized by arcs of explosive composite cone volcanoes and deep- ocean trenches.

Accepted Answer

A)  Subduction 
B)  Divergent 
C)  Transform 
D)  Convergent 
A)  Subduction 
B)  Divergent 
C)  Transform 
D)  Convergent

Question 7

Where is the inclination of Earth's magnetic field the steepest?

Accepted Answer

A)  at the north and south poles 
B)  in the Bermuda triangle 
C)  latitudes between 45 and 50 degrees 
D)  at the equator 
A)  at the north and south poles 
B)  in the Bermuda triangle 
C)  latitudes between 45 and 50 degrees 
D)  at the equator

Question 8

Pangaea was _________.

Accepted Answer

A)  a super continent that formed in the late Paleozoic and broke apart in Triassic time 
B)  a large, ocean basin that opened in the Triassic and closed in the Paleocene 
C)  a huge mountain range formed when Africa pushed northward into Europe in Eocene time 
D)  a large, Precambrian shield area in Africa and South America that broke apart late in the Proterozoic Eon 
A)  a super continent that formed in the late Paleozoic and broke apart in Triassic time 
B)  a large, ocean basin that opened in the Triassic and closed in the Paleocene 
C)  a huge mountain range formed when Africa pushed northward into Europe in Eocene time 
D)  a large, Precambrian shield area in Africa and South America that broke apart late in the Proterozoic Eon

Question 9

What is the tectonic environment for the volcanoes Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya?

Accepted Answer

A)  continental rift 
B)  mid- ocean ridge seamounts 
C)  within- plate hot spot type 
D)  continental margin volcanic arc 
A)  continental rift 
B)  mid- ocean ridge seamounts 
C)  within- plate hot spot type 
D)  continental margin volcanic arc

Question 10

Deep ocean trenches are surficial evidence for _____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  sinking of oceanic lithosphere into the mantle at subduction zones 
B)  rising of hot asthenosphere from deep in the mantle 
C)  transform faulting between an oceanic plate and a continental plate 
D)  rifting beneath a continental plate and the beginning of continental drift 
A)  sinking of oceanic lithosphere into the mantle at subduction zones 
B)  rising of hot asthenosphere from deep in the mantle 
C)  transform faulting between an oceanic plate and a continental plate 
D)  rifting beneath a continental plate and the beginning of continental drift

Question 11

The largest mostly oceanic plate is the_________ .

Accepted Answer

A)  Antarctic 
B)  Scotian 
C)  Atlantic 
D)  Pacific 
A)  Antarctic 
B)  Scotian 
C)  Atlantic 
D)  Pacific

Question 12

Provide an example of Wegener's conjectures about continental drift for which there is no evidence.

Accepted Answer

continents plowed th

Question 13

Cooler, older, oceanic lithosphere sinks into the mantle at_________ .

Accepted Answer

A)  transform fault zones along divergent plate boundaries 
B)  rift zones along mid- ocean ridges 
C)  sites of long- lived, hot spot volcanism in the ocean basins 
D)  subduction zones along convergent plate boundaries 
A)  transform fault zones along divergent plate boundaries 
B)  rift zones along mid- ocean ridges 
C)  sites of long- lived, hot spot volcanism in the ocean basins 
D)  subduction zones along convergent plate boundaries

Question 14

Which of the following most accurately describes the volcanoes of the Hawaiian Islands?

Accepted Answer

A)  composite cone volcanoes associated with a mid- Pacific transform fault 
B)  shield volcanoes fed by a long- lived hot spot below the Pacific plate 
C)  composite cone volcanoes associated with subduction and a convergent plate boundary 
D)  shield volcanoes associated with a mid- Pacific ridge and spreading centre 
A)  composite cone volcanoes associated with a mid- Pacific transform fault 
B)  shield volcanoes fed by a long- lived hot spot below the Pacific plate 
C)  composite cone volcanoes associated with subduction and a convergent plate boundary 
D)  shield volcanoes associated with a mid- Pacific ridge and spreading centre

Question 15

Most transform faults are located _______.

Accepted Answer

A)  in the ocean basins connecting offsets along the mid- ocean ridge system 
B)  within continents at old continental sutures or along continental margins 
C)  at ridge- ridge- ridge triple junctions 
D)  along the crests of mountain ranges like the Alpine fault in New Zealand 
A)  in the ocean basins connecting offsets along the mid- ocean ridge system 
B)  within continents at old continental sutures or along continental margins 
C)  at ridge- ridge- ridge triple junctions 
D)  along the crests of mountain ranges like the Alpine fault in New Zealand

Question 16

The Aleutian Islands occur at________ .

Accepted Answer

A)  a transform boundary where North America has moved towards Alaska 
B)  a convergent, continental margin with uplifted fault blocks, much like those of the Basin and Range Province 
C)  a divergent boundary where shield volcanoes are forming 
D)  an ocean- ocean convergent boundary on a volcanic arc above a northward- subducting Pacific plate 
A)  a transform boundary where North America has moved towards Alaska 
B)  a convergent, continental margin with uplifted fault blocks, much like those of the Basin and Range Province 
C)  a divergent boundary where shield volcanoes are forming 
D)  an ocean- ocean convergent boundary on a volcanic arc above a northward- subducting Pacific plate

Question 17

A transform plate boundary is characterized by__________ .

Accepted Answer

A)  composite cone volcanoes on the edge of a plate and shield volcanoes on the adjacent plate 
B)  a deep, vertical strike- slip fault along which two plates slide past one another in opposite directions 
C)  a divergent boundary where the continental plate changes to an oceanic plate 
D)  two, converging, oceanic plates meeting head- on and piling up into a mid- ocean ridge 
A)  composite cone volcanoes on the edge of a plate and shield volcanoes on the adjacent plate 
B)  a deep, vertical strike- slip fault along which two plates slide past one another in opposite directions 
C)  a divergent boundary where the continental plate changes to an oceanic plate 
D)  two, converging, oceanic plates meeting head- on and piling up into a mid- ocean ridge

Question 18

_________discovered tranform faults and first proposed that Earth's outer shell comprises several rigid plates.

Accepted Answer

A)  J. Tuzo Wilson 
B)  James Hutton 
C)  Charles Darwin 
D)  Harry Hess 
A)  J. Tuzo Wilson 
B)  James Hutton 
C)  Charles Darwin 
D)  Harry Hess

Question 19

Which of the following energy sources is thought to directly drive the lateral motions of Earth's lithospheric plates?

Accepted Answer

A)  rotational spinning of the Earth, with the plates dragging behind 
B)  tidal gravitational attractive forces of the Sun and Moon 
C)  export of heat from deep in the mantle to the top of the asthenosphere and descending cold material in a solid state convective flow 
D)  electric and magnetic fields generated in and radiating from the inner core 
A)  rotational spinning of the Earth, with the plates dragging behind 
B)  tidal gravitational attractive forces of the Sun and Moon 
C)  export of heat from deep in the mantle to the top of the asthenosphere and descending cold material in a solid state convective flow 
D)  electric and magnetic fields generated in and radiating from the inner core

Question 20

What was the unexpected contribution of Keith Runcorn and his students to the continental drift controversy?

Accepted Answer

A)  Apparent polar wander paths for rocks of various ages in Europe demonstrated that either the magnetic pole, or the continent's position, had wandered with time. 
B)  Magnetic stripes on the seafloor demonstrated magnetic reversals and seafloor spreading. 
C)  Reversed magnetic north directions preserved in rocks demonstrated that the location of Earth's axis had changed markedly throughout time, implying periodic cataclysms that shifted the continents during pole reversals. 
D)  Discordance of the Earth and Moon's magnetic pole orientations proved that the poles of one or both had drifted with the lithosphere since they were formed. 
A)  Apparent polar wander paths for rocks of various ages in Europe demonstrated that either the magnetic pole, or the continent's position, had wandered with time. 
B)  Magnetic stripes on the seafloor demonstrated magnetic reversals and seafloor spreading. 
C)  Reversed magnetic north directions preserved in rocks demonstrated that the location of Earth's axis had changed markedly throughout time, implying periodic cataclysms that shifted the continents during pole reversals. 
D)  Discordance of the Earth and Moon's magnetic pole orientations proved that the poles of one or both had drifted with the lithosphere since they were formed.

The modern- day Red Sea is explained by plate tectonics theory because it is________ .

Which one of the following is an important fundamental assumption underlying the plate tectonic theory?

Approximately_________ major lithospheric plates exist today.

What is the inclination of Earth's magnetic field as recorded in a recent lava flow near 59 degrees north in Yukon?

New oceanic crust and lithosphere are formed at________ .

__________plate boundary is characterized by arcs of explosive composite cone volcanoes and deep- ocean trenches.

Where is the inclination of Earth's magnetic field the steepest?

Pangaea was _________.

What is the tectonic environment for the volcanoes Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya?

Deep ocean trenches are surficial evidence for _____________.

The largest mostly oceanic plate is the_________ .

Provide an example of Wegener's conjectures about continental drift for which there is no evidence.

Cooler, older, oceanic lithosphere sinks into the mantle at_________ .

Which of the following most accurately describes the volcanoes of the Hawaiian Islands?

Most transform faults are located _______.

The Aleutian Islands occur at________ .

A transform plate boundary is characterized by__________ .

_________discovered tranform faults and first proposed that Earth's outer shell comprises several rigid plates.

Which of the following energy sources is thought to directly drive the lateral motions of Earth's lithospheric plates?

What was the unexpected contribution of Keith Runcorn and his students to the continental drift controversy?

An Introduction to Geology and Plate Tectonics

Minerals: the Building Blocks of Rocks

Volcanoes and Volcanic Processes

Weathering and Soil

Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphism and Metamorphic Rocks

Geologic Time

Crustal Deformation

Earthquakes and Earths Interior

The Ocean Floor

Plate Tectonics: the Framework for Modern Geology

Mountain Building and Continental Frameworks

Mass Wasting: the Work of Gravity

Running Water

Groundwater

Glaciers and Glaciation

Deserts and Winds

Shorelines

Mineral and Energy Resources

Filters

Exam 3: Igneous Rocks

The modern- day Red Sea is explained by plate tectonics theory because it is________ .

Which one of the following is an important fundamental assumption underlying the plate tectonic theory?

Approximately_________ major lithospheric plates exist today.

What is the inclination of Earth's magnetic field as recorded in a recent lava flow near 59 degrees north in Yukon?

New oceanic crust and lithosphere are formed at________ .

__________plate boundary is characterized by arcs of explosive composite cone volcanoes and deep- ocean trenches.

Where is the inclination of Earth's magnetic field the steepest?

Pangaea was _________.

What is the tectonic environment for the volcanoes Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya?

Deep ocean trenches are surficial evidence for _____________.

The largest mostly oceanic plate is the_________ .

Provide an example of Wegener's conjectures about continental drift for which there is no evidence.

Cooler, older, oceanic lithosphere sinks into the mantle at_________ .

Which of the following most accurately describes the volcanoes of the Hawaiian Islands?

Most transform faults are located _______.

The Aleutian Islands occur at________ .

A transform plate boundary is characterized by__________ .

_________discovered tranform faults and first proposed that Earth's outer shell comprises several rigid plates.

Which of the following energy sources is thought to directly drive the lateral motions of Earth's lithospheric plates?

What was the unexpected contribution of Keith Runcorn and his students to the continental drift controversy?

An Introduction to Geology and Plate Tectonics

Minerals: the Building Blocks of Rocks

Volcanoes and Volcanic Processes

Weathering and Soil

Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphism and Metamorphic Rocks

Geologic Time

Crustal Deformation

Earthquakes and Earths Interior

The Ocean Floor

Plate Tectonics: the Framework for Modern Geology

Mountain Building and Continental Frameworks

Mass Wasting: the Work of Gravity

Running Water

Groundwater

Glaciers and Glaciation

Deserts and Winds

Shorelines

Mineral and Energy Resources

Filters