Deck 10: Earth Materials and Plate Tectonics

Question 1

Continental crust is ____ in composition.

A)granitic
B)metallic
C)basaltic
D)andesitic

Answer 1

A

Question 2

____ are nonfoliated metamorphic rocks.

A)Granite and gneiss
B)Slate and sandstone
C)Gneiss and schist
D)Marble and quartzite

Answer 2

D

Question 3

In the rock cycle, igneous rocks can be transformed into which two other rock types?

A)sedimentary and sediments
B)metamorphic and sedimentary
C)magma and sediments
D)metamorphic and magma

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Accretion specifically refers to ____.

A)the passage of geologic time
B)the rate of movement of a lithospheric plate
C)chunks of crust added to a continent by collision
D)the growth of continental shields

Question 5

A logical and probable explanation for moving lithospheric plates is ____.

A)the breakup of an ancient paleocontinent by volcanic eruptions
B)the presence of convection currents in the mantle
C)the reversal of the magnetic poles
D)the rapid shrinking of Earth's interior

Question 6

The San Andreas Fault separates which two plates?

A)Laurasian and Gondwanan
B)North American and Pacific
C)North American and Eurasian
D)North American and South American

Question 7

Intrusive igneous rocks are ____.

A)coarse-grained
B)clasts
C)regolith
D)rapidly cooled

Question 8

Hawaii is the result of a(n) ____.

A)island arc
B)convergent plate margin
C)divergent plate margin
D)hot spot

Question 9

The Mohorovičić discontinuity ____.

A)marks the boundary between Earth's crust and mantle
B)has been reached by drilling in the Gulf of Mexico
C)indicates a change in rock type from basalt to granite
D)indicates a change in rock type from igneous to sedimentary

Question 10

The two most common elements found in Earth's crust are ____.

A)silicon and magnesium
B)sodium and carbon
C)silicon and oxygen
D)silicon and aluminum

Question 11

Alfred Wegener is well known for hypothesizing that ____.

A)Earth's surface is broken into several major lithospheric plates
B)the magnetic poles have reversed on occasion during geologic time
C)over time, the continents change their geographic position
D)the inner core is molten

Question 12

What causes convection in the mantle?

A)volcanic eruptions
B)divergence of continental crust
C)heat
D)meteor impacts

Question 13

In terms of distance, the thickest internal structural layer of Earth is the ____.

A)mantle
B)asthenosphere
C)crust
D)outer core

Question 14

The most common mineral group found in Earth's crust are ____.

A)silicates
B)oxides
C)carbonates
D)chlorides

Question 15

Charged particles called ____ can be traded for other substances in a mineral.

A)atoms
B)elements
C)ions
D)positrons

Question 16

What is an example of a divergent plate boundary?

A)volcanic island arc
B)hotspot
C)transform fault
D)midoceanic ridge

Question 17

Much of what we know about the internal structure and composition of Earth has come from the study of ____.

A)satellite imagery
B)volcanic eruptions
C)seismic waves
D)deep-ocean sediments

Question 18

Limestone is a(n) ____.

A)chemical precipitate sedimentary rock
B)igneous rock
C)metamorphic rock
D)clastic sedimentary rock

Question 19

Rocks that have a reoriented crystalline structure and are more resistant to weathering are called ____.

A)igneous
B)clastic
C)metamorphic
D)extrusive

Question 20

Which of the following is an excellent North American example of a transform plate boundary?

A)Appalachian Mountains
B)Lake Michigan
C)San Andreas Fault
D)Rocky Mountains

Question 21

The East African rift valley lies along a subduction zone.

Question 22

Overall, rocks comprising the oceanic crust tend to be much older than rocks comprising the continents.

Question 23

Marble is metamorphosed limestone.

Question 24

The rigid and brittle asthenosphere overlies the plastic lithosphere.

Question 25

Which of the following is the smallest grain size category for clastic particles?

A)sand
B)gravel
C)silt
D)clay

Question 26

The study of paleogeography aims and understanding only the past.

Question 27

The boundaries between the distinct layers found in many sedimentary rocks are called ____.

A)foliation
B)outcrops
C)rock cycles
D)bedding planes

Question 28

The asthenosphere lies in the:

A)inner and outer core
B)mantle and crust
C)crust only
D)mantle only

Question 29

Coal is a ____.

A)metamorphic rock
B)sedimentary rock
C)intrusive igneous rock
D)extrusive igneous rock

Question 30

The theory of continental drift was first proposed in the 1950s.

Question 31

Plate divergence is found along subduction zones.

Question 32

When ____ cools and solidifies, it becomes an igneous rock.

A)limestone
B)magma
C)a mineral
D)shale

Question 33

A(n) ____ exists where markedly mismatching strata meet along an irregular eroded surface.

A)unconformity
B)bedding plane
C)hot spot
D)uniformity

Question 34

Continental shields are areas of ____.

A)organic sedimentary rocks
B)pyroclastics
C)basalt
D)ancient igneous and metamorphic rocks

Question 35

Metamorphic rocks can be metamorphosed.

Question 36

The crust makes up approximately what percentage of Earth's entire mass?

A)1%
B)10%
C)25%
D)50%

Question 37

In terms of geologic time, Earth is currently in the ____.

A)Mesozoic Era
B)Paleozoic Era
C)Cenozoic Era
D)Tertiary Period

Question 38

Iceland lies along a spreading center.

Question 39

Compared to oceanic crust, continental crust is thicker and less dense.

Question 40

Rocks on the ocean floor are all ____.

A)granite
B)geologically old
C)geologically young
D)sedimentary

Question 41

How does the theory of plate tectonics differ from the theory of continental drift? Discuss the major sources of evidence for the theory of plate tectonics.

Question 42

____________________ is the study of past geographical environments.

Question 43

A zone where new crust is formed due to the separation of two plates is labeled a(n) ____________________.

Question 44

____________________ is the term for molten rock material that lies beneath Earth's surface.

Question 45

The Hawaiian Islands formed as the Pacific Plate has moved over a(n) ____________________.

Question 46

The process in which a denser oceanic plate is forced deep below a lighter continental plate is known as ____________________.

Question 47

The supercontinent of ____________________ included all today's major landmasses.

Question 48

Many rock masses display simple stress fractures or cracks called ____________________.

Question 49

Explain the rock cycle.Include information on how the three major categories of rocks differ from each other.

Question 50

In plate tectonics terminology, the volcanic islands comprising the country of Japan are an example of a(n) ____________________.

Question 51

A(n) ____________________ is a mass of exposed bedrock.

Question 52

Lateral sliding of plate boundaries is called ____________________ movement.