Deck 10: Plate Tectonics and Regional Features

Question 1

On this map, identify the letter that is over an island arc.

A)A
B)B
C)C
D)D
E)feature is not labeled

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Oceanic crust is

A)thinner and less dense than continental crust.
B)thinner and denser than continental crust.
C)thicker and less dense than continental crust.
D)thicker and denser than continental crust.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

In this figure of Japan, the offshore trenches indicate

A)continental rifting.
B)a rift in a mid-ocean ridge formed by seafloor spreading.
C)a rift in a mid-ocean ridge formed by transform faulting.
D)subduction of oceanic crust.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

In the diagram below, which layer(s)correspond to the mantle?

A)1 and 2
B)3
C)3 and 4
D)4

Question 5

Which of the following features is associated with a deep oceanic trench?

A)mid-ocean ridge
B)linear island chain
C)seamount
D)island arc

Question 6

On this map, identify the letter that is over the Atlantic Ocean.

A)A
B)B
C)C
D)D
E)feature is not labeled

Question 7

On this southern continent, which side has a plate boundary?

A)the left (west)side
B)the right (east)side
C)both sides
D)neither side

Question 8

On this map of the south Atlantic, why is the mid-ocean ridge in the center of the ocean?

A)Subduction is consuming seafloor beneath both adjacent continents.
B)Seafloor is added to both sides during seafloor spreading.
C)Subduction has occurred under one and then another of the adjacent continents.
D)Seafloor spreading has stopped in this area.

Question 9

Why does the Tibetan Plateau, shown in this figure, have a high elevation?

A)transform faulting
B)seafloor spreading
C)continental rifting
D)continental collision
E)hot-spot activity

Question 10

The most voluminous layer of Earth is the

A)crust.
B)mantle.
C)outer core.
D)inner core.

Question 11

On this map, identify the letter that is over the Pacific Ocean.

A)A
B)B
C)C
D)D
E)feature is not labeled

Question 12

On this map, identify the letter that is over a mid-ocean ridge.

A)A
B)B
C)C
D)D
E)feature is not labeled

Question 13

In the diagram below, which layer is able to flow rather than being brittle?

A)1 because water helps lubricate it
B)2 because the rocks are of a different composition than in the other layers
C)1, 2, and 3 because it is not under as much pressure as 4
D)4 because it is under so much more pressure than 1, 2, and 3

Question 14

Which of the following features is present on the seafloor off the Pacific Northwest?

A)world's largest oceanic plateau
B)long, fairly straight fracture zone
C)world's largest linear island chain
D)island arc within oceanic plates

Question 15

On this map of the south Atlantic, what is the feature that makes a zigzag pattern on the seafloor?

A)island arc
B)linear island chain
C)subduction zone
D)mid-ocean ridge
E)None of these.

Question 16

What ideas brought a renewed interest to the idea of continental drift?

A)data that a submarine mountain occurred beneath the middle of the Atlantic Ocean
B)evidence that the entire Earth was once frozen
C)evidence that similar meteorites fall on different continents
D)evidence that a large meteorite caused extinction of the dinosaurs

Question 17

The hypothesis of continental drift was not widely accepted because

A)the hypothesis required that the entire Earth was once frozen.
B)the hypothesis required long, narrow land bridges that did not exist.
C)there was no mechanism to move continents through the oceanic crust.
D)All of these were reasons the hypothesis was not widely accepted.

Question 18

The leftmost block of wood is like a mountain range on Earth in that it

A)is composed of less dense materials and is a thick block (crust)compared to other blocks (land areas on Earth).
B)is composed of more dense materials and is a thick block (crust)compared to other blocks (land areas on Earth).
C)is over a part of the Earth where the mantle is unusually thin.
D)is underlain by ocean.

Question 19

Which of the layers in the diagram below are solid or mostly solid?

A)1 and 2
B)2 and 3
C)1, 2, and 3
D)All of them.

Question 20

How did the Red Sea, shown between Arabia and Africa in this figure, form?

A)subduction of Arabia beneath Africa
B)subduction of Africa beneath Arabia
C)a continental collision
D)continental rifting followed by seafloor spreading
E)transform faulting followed by a continental collision

Question 21

Mid-ocean ridges form where two ocean plates

A)collide.
B)diverge.
C)subduct.
D)slide past each other.
E)are destroyed.

Question 22

Which way are the plates moving in this figure?

A)away from each other
B)directly toward each other
C)toward each other at an angle
D)horizontally sliding by one another
E)there is no way to tell

Question 23

What types of plate boundaries are shown in this figure?

A)divergent
B)convergent
C)transform
D)divergent and transform
E)convergent and divergent

Question 24

A convergent plate boundary is most likely associated with a(n)

A)oceanic trench.
B)a linear chain of island.
C)mid-ocean ridge.
D)transform fault.
E)None of these.

Question 25

The stages associated with continental rifting are, in order from earliest to latest,

A)narrow ocean basin, continental rift, uplift, wide ocean basin.
B)narrow ocean basin, wide ocean basin, continental rift, uplift.
C)uplift, wide ocean basin, narrow ocean basin, continental rift.
D)wide ocean basin, narrow ocean basin, uplift, continental rift.
E)uplift, continental rift, narrow ocean basin, wide ocean basin.

Question 26

What type of plate boundary is depicted by the smaller arrows in the center of this figure?

A)divergent boundary
B)convergent boundary
C)transform boundary
D)hot spot
E)None of these.

Question 27

Which data were used to develop the hypothesis of continental drift?

A)the shape of the continents
B)the distribution of fossils
C)the distribution of glacial deposits and directions of glacial scratch marks
D)All of these.

Question 28

What is being depicted by this figure?

A)continental collision
B)continent-continent convergence
C)early stages of seafloor spreading
D)early stages of subduction
E)a boundary that is mostly a transform fault

Question 29

This figure depicts what type of boundary?

A)oceanic divergent boundary
B)ocean-ocean convergent boundary
C)ocean-continent convergent boundary
D)transform boundary
E)continental collision

Question 30

Which area(s)on this world map is likely to have volcanoes above sea level?

A)A
B)B
C)C
D)D

Question 31

What occurs at mid-ocean ridges?

A)oceanic crust is destroyed
B)continental crust is destroyed
C)oceanic crust is created
D)continental crust is created
E)all crust is destroyed by magma

Question 32

An oceanic transform plate boundary is most likely associated with a(n)

A)oceanic trench.
B)mountain belt or island arc.
C)mid-ocean ridge.
D)All of these.

Question 33

Which area(s)on this world map are likely to be near a plate boundary?

A)A and B
B)A and D
C)B and D
D)C and D
E)A, B, and C

Question 34

A divergent plate boundary is most likely associated with a(n)

A)oceanic trench.
B)mountain belt or island arc.
C)mid-ocean ridge.
D)None of these.

Question 35

Which of the following statements is true?

A)Earthquakes are more widespread than volcanoes or high mountains.
B)High mountains are more widespread than volcanoes or earthquakes.
C)Volcanoes are more widespread than earthquakes or high mountains.

Question 36

Which area(s)on this world map is likely to have earthquakes?

A)A
B)B
C)C
D)D
E)A, B, and C only

Question 37

Mid-ocean ridges are higher than surrounding oceanic crust primarily because

A)two plates are colliding.
B)the crust is thicker and stronger.
C)transform faulting uplifts the rocks.
D)the lithosphere is thinner and hotter.

Question 38

The main way new oceanic crust is created is by

A)eruption of lavas and solidification of magmas at depth.
B)sediment scraped off a subducting slab.
C)continents that subside below sea level.
D)continental rifting, before the continents separate.
E)magmas along an ocean-continent convergent boundary.

Question 39

What type of plate boundary is depicted in this figure?

A)continental rift
B)ocean-ocean convergent boundary
C)ocean-continent convergent boundary
D)divergent and transform boundaries
E)continental collision

Question 40

What type of plate boundary is depicted in this figure?

A)oceanic divergent boundary
B)ocean-ocean convergent boundary
C)ocean-continent convergent boundary
D)continental collision boundary
E)transform boundary

Question 41

This figure shows plate boundaries south of Alaska.Which location is likely to contain volcanoes above a subduction zone?

A)1
B)2
C)3
D)4
E)2 and 3

Question 42

Which of the following is NOT happening in the area shown by this figure?

A)plates are moving apart
B)eruptions onto the seafloor
C)release of water by a descending plate
D)melting of rising mantle
E)faulting

Question 43

A continent has an oceanic trench offshore of its coast.Which of the following is probably NOT present along this side of the continent?

A)a mountain belt
B)earthquakes
C)volcanoes
D)melting along a mid-ocean ridge
E)subduction of an oceanic plate

Question 44

This figure shows plate boundaries south of Alaska.Which location is on a transform boundary?

A)1
B)2
C)3
D)4
E)2 and 3

Question 45

This figure shows plate boundaries south of Alaska.Which location is along a convergent boundary?

A)1
B)2
C)3
D)4
E)2 and 3

Question 46

What causes magnetic stripes on the seafloor, such as those shown here?

A)Volcanic rocks in oceanic crust are covered by a variable thickness of sediment.
B)Some oceanic crust consists of volcanic rocks and some is composed of sediment.
C)Sometimes Earth's magnetic field points north and sometimes it points south.
D)Some volcanic rocks are formed in normal ways and others have pillows.

Question 47

Which feature on this figure is formed by melting of mantle above the slab?

A)A
B)B
C)C
D)D
E)E

Question 48

On the accompanying figure, what type of feature is located in the area of number 3?

A)transform fault
B)mid-ocean ridge
C)linear island chain
D)fracture zone

Question 49

On this map of the South Atlantic, which letter is on a transform fault?

A)A
B)B
C)C
D)D

Question 50

A force that is important in driving plate tectonics is

A)slab pull.
B)ridge push.
C)upwelling mantle, such as in hot spots.
D)All of these.

Question 51

Which feature on this figure is formed by bending of the subducted plate?

A)A
B)B
C)C
D)D
E)E

Question 52

Which of the following best represents the sequence by which a continent splits apart?

A)seafloor spreading, then continental rifting, then uplift due to mantle upwelling
B)continental rifting, then seafloor spreading, then uplift due to mantle upwelling
C)uplift due to mantle upwelling, then continental rifting, then seafloor spreading
D)None of these.

Question 53

Which of the following contains a modern continental rift?

A)eastern North America
B)eastern Africa
C)eastern Europe
D)eastern Pacific Ocean
E)East Timor

Question 54

Which of the following is associated with a mid-ocean ridge?

A)an island arc
B)magma produced as the mantles rise up
C)melting of the subducting plate
D)lower topography than surrounding seafloor
E)continental rift

Question 55

This diagram shows magnetic stripes on either side of the mid-ocean ridge.How many times did the magnetic field change polarity to form all of the stripes shown here?

A)twice
B)three times
C)five times
D)eleven times

Question 56

On this map of the South Atlantic, which letter is on an oceanic fracture zone?

A)A
B)B
C)C
D)D

Question 57

On this map of the South Atlantic, which letter is on a site of seafloor spreading?

A)A
B)B
C)C
D)D

Question 58

How fast do plates move relative to one another?

A)centimeters per year
B)meters per year
C)kilometers per year
D)one hundred kilometers per year

Question 59

On this figure of a continental collision, which continent would have had subduction-related magmatism?

A)the continent on the left
B)the continent on the right
C)both continents
D)neither continent

Question 60

On the accompanying figure, what type of feature is located in the area of number 4?

A)transform fault
B)mid-ocean ridge
C)linear island chain
D)fracture zone

Question 61

Oceanic plateaus form from basaltic volcanism originating from

A)hot spots.
B)mid-ocean ridges.
C)trenches.

Question 62

The Earth's magnetic field is generated by

A)salty water moving through the deep parts of the crust.
B)convection currents in the asthenosphere.
C)movement of iron and electrical currents within Earth's outer core.
D)aligned magnetic minerals within Earth's inner core.

Question 63

Most oceanic plateaus are

A)small pieces rifted apart from continents.
B)places where the seafloor has been buckled upward by convergence.
C)constructed by volcanic eruptions probably over mantle plumes.
D)large fan-shaped mounds deposited by turbidity currents.

Question 64

Which feature is interpreted to be in the Yellowstone region (1)?

A)a continental collision
B)a meteorite impact
C)a continental hot spot
D)a foreland basin

Question 65

What can occur during the evolution of a hot spot?

A)an initial period of subsidence as magmas rise from the mantle
B)formation of a fold and thrust belt
C)formation of rifts that radiate out from the hot spot
D)thickening of the crust beneath a passive margin
E)None of these.

Question 66

Most oceanic islands and seamounts are

A)small pieces rifted apart from continents.
B)places where the seafloor has been buckled upward by convergence.
C)constructed by volcanic eruptions that first occur under water.
D)large fan-shaped mounds deposited by turbidity currents.

Question 67

If the area shown in this figure is 240 kilometers wide, and the oldest crest is 4 million years old, what was the approximate rate of seafloor spreading across this ridge?

A)0.24 kilometers per million years
B)2.4 kilometers per million years
C)60 kilometers per million years
D)240 kilometers per million years
E)960 kilometers per million years

Question 68

Which of the following happened to form the features in this region?

A)formation of a continental hot spot
B)continental rifting
C)seafloor spreading
D)volcanism that produced new land
E)All of these.

Question 69

What is associated with reversed magnetic polarity?

A)A compass needle would point south.
B)The magnetic signal of seafloor formed with this polarity would be stronger compared to adjacent areas of the seafloor.
C)There are much fewer intervals of reversed polarity than normal polarity.
D)All of these.

Question 70

Hot spots form linear island chains because

A)the plate moves relative to the underlying hot spot.
B)they are aligned with trenches formed by subduction.
C)they occur along the mid-oceanic ridges.

Question 71

This figure shows a northwest-southeast line of islands and seamounts near Hawaii.If location 3 has the oldest rocks and Hawaii (1)has the youngest rocks, which way is the plate moving with respect to the hot spot?

A)northwest
B)southeast
C)northwest and southeast
D)It is not moving in a consistent direction.

Question 72

Which of the following is NOT interpreted to be related to a continental hot spot?

A)Afar region of east Africa
B)high elevations of Tibet
C)Yellowstone
D)Snake River Plain of Idaho
E)All of these are related to a continental hot spot.

Question 73

What is a use of understanding magnetic reversals?

A)matching the patterns of reversals in a rock sequence to the magnetic timescale
B)studying magnetic stripes on the seafloor
C)calculating rates of seafloor spreading
D)All of these.

Question 74

What do the island chains of Hawaii, Tahiti, and Tristan da Cunha have in common?

A)They formed from hot spots.
B)They are part of island arcs.
C)They are part of an oceanic plateau.

Question 75

This diagram shows magnetic stripes on either side of the mid-ocean ridge.How many different ages of stripes are represented in this diagram?

A)2
B)3
C)4
D)6
E)11

Question 76

On this map of the area around Yellowstone, which feature is interpreted to record the position of the hot spot over time?

A)2, the Snake River Plain
B)3, the Uinta Mountains
C)4, the Bonneville Salt Flats
D)All of these.

Question 77

If you drilled into an oceanic plateau, you would most likely find

A)a thin layer of oceanic sediment over continental crust.
B)andesitic volcanoes buried by turbidity currents.
C)a normal thickness of oceanic crust overlain by andesitic volcanoes.
D)large amounts of basalt derived from melting in the mantle.

Question 78

What rock type forms oceanic plateaus?

A)basalt
B)granite
C)rhyolite

Question 79

If you wanted to locate hot spots on Earth, which of the following would NOT be good place to look?

A)the volcanically active end of a linear island chain
B)clusters of volcanically active islands
C)Hawaii and the Galapagos
D)All of these would be good places.

Question 80

The red dots that coincide with volcanically active island chains shown on the map are called

A)hot spots.
B)mid-ocean ridges.
C)abyssal plains.
D)island arcs.