Plate Tectonics
Practice Test
1.
What was one reason that Wegener's hypothesis of continental drift was rejected?
a.
He could not explain where the continents had moved.
b.
He could not support that the continents were once adjacent.
c.
He could not support the idea that climates of certain landmasses had been different .
d.
He could not explain what was moving the continents.
2.
Which method uses sound waves for remote sensing?
a.
GPS
b.
sonar
c.
Landsat satellite
d.
Topex/Poseison satellite
3.
Peridotite and dunite have __________ compositions.
a.
felsic
b.
mafic
c.
intermediate
d.
ultramafic
4.
What causes the seafloor to spread?
a.
rising molten magma
b.
drifting continental crust
c.
sinking magma
d.
earthquakes
5.
What is the numerical value for the hardest mineral on the Mohs hardness scale?
a.
11
b.
10
c.
100
d.
20
6.
What is the polarity of a magnetic field that has the same polarity as the present magnetic field?
a.
a magnetic reversal
b.
a normal polarity
c.
a reverse polarity
d.
an isochron
7.
How does a Landsat satellite differentiate between objects on Earth's surface?
a.
Landsat satellites take pictures using visible light.
b.
Landsat measures the longest frequencies of electromagnetic radiation from Earth.
c.
Features on Earth radiate warmth at different frequencies, which show up as different colors on Landsat images.
d.
Landsat uses a single detector to measure the intensities of energy.
8.
What is thought to be the driving mechanism of plate movement?
a.
continental drifting
b.
convection currents in the mantle
c.
volcanoes
d.
conduction of heat in the mantle
9.
According to the figure, what type of rocks can include quartz?
a.
basalt
b.
peridotite
c.
gabbro
d.
granite
10.
According to the figure, where is an earthquake's focus most likely to occur?
a.
along the west coast of North America
b.
near the south pole
c.
in the middle of the Pacific Ocean
d.
in northern Eurasia
11.
According to the table, what happens to the water temperature as depth increases?
Ocean depth (m)
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
1100
1200
Water temperature (°C)
23
23
23
15
5.5
5
5
5
5
4.5
4.5
4
a.
It fluctuates.
b.
It increases.
c.
It remains constant.
d.
It decreases.
12.
Which rock shown in the figure cooled the fastest?
a.
fine-grained
b.
porphorytic
c.
coarse-grained
d.
glassy
13.
Which current shown in the map brings warm water to the east coast of the U.S.?
a.
North Atlantic Current
b.
Equatorial Countercurrent
c.
Canary Current
d.
Gulf Stream
14.
Oceanic crust melts at __________ than continental crust.
a.
the same temperature
b.
higher temperatures
c.
lower temperatures
d.
higher pressures and lower temperatures
15.
What is the source of cold water of Earth's oceans?
a.
years with long winters
b.
years with cold temperatures
c.
equatorial seas
d.
polar seas
16.
How are the convection currents set in motion?
a.
the heat from radioactive decay
b.
slab push
c.
spreading mid-ocean ridges
d.
slab push and ridge pull
17.
A mineral's __________ is the color when it is powdered.
a.
streak
b.
density
c.
luster
d.
hardness
18.
Why did Wegener think that the Antarctic continent had been closer to the equator in the geologic past?
a.
existence of volcanic rocks
b.
existence of coal beds
c.
existence of the Transantarctic Mountains
d.
evidence of fossil fish
19.
Identify the subduction zone in the figure.
a.
B
b.
A
c.
D
d.
C
20.
__________ are submerged basaltic volcanoes more than 1 km high.
a.
Fracture zones
b.
Submarine canyons
c.
Seamounts
d.
Shelf breaks
