Plate Tectonics
Practice Test
1.
Which method uses sound waves for remote sensing?
a.
GPS
b.
Landsat satellite
c.
Topex/Poseison satellite
d.
sonar
2.
Why did Wegener think that the Antarctic continent had been closer to the equator in the geologic past?
a.
existence of the Transantarctic Mountains
b.
existence of volcanic rocks
c.
evidence of fossil fish
d.
existence of coal beds
3.
Wegener proposed that the continents were __________.
a.
formed at deep ocean trenches
b.
formed at mid-ocean ridges
c.
plowing through oceanic crust
d.
floating on top of oceanic crust
4.
A __________ is a device that can detect changes in the strength of the magnetic field.
a.
satellite
b.
GPS
c.
magnetometer
d.
sonar
5.
According to the figure, what types of minerals are ultramafic?
a.
feldspar and biotite
b.
feldspar and quartz
c.
pyroxine and olivine
d.
amphibole and pyronene
6.
According to the graph, what is the approximate depth range of ocean basins?
a.
6 km to 8 km
b.
8 km to 10 km
c.
1 km to 4 km
d.
2 km to 4 km
7.
What makes a mineral a gem?
a.
its pearly luster
b.
its rarity and beauty
c.
its association with native elements
d.
its deep color
8.
What is the electromagnetic spectrum?
a.
frequencies measured by satellites
b.
the arrangement of electromagnetic radiation
c.
energy emitted from Earth
d.
visible light
9.
How are the convection currents set in motion?
a.
slab push and ridge pull
b.
slab push
c.
the heat from radioactive decay
d.
spreading mid-ocean ridges
10.
What is the numerical value for the hardest mineral on the Mohs hardness scale?
a.
11
b.
10
c.
20
d.
100
11.
How are fjords formed?
a.
longshore current
b.
tectonic forces
c.
global cooling
d.
sea level rise
12.
Which is not a compositional classification of a magma?
a.
andesitic
b.
basaltic
c.
rhyolitic
d.
phaneritic
13.
According to the figure, where is an earthquake's focus most likely to occur?
a.
in the middle of the Pacific Ocean
b.
in northern Eurasia
c.
near the south pole
d.
along the west coast of North America
14.
An igneous rock with two distinct grain sizes has a __________ texture.
a.
fine-grained
b.
felsic
c.
coarse-grained
d.
porphyritic
15.
The __________ states that Earth's crust and ridged upper mantle are broken into plates that move at different rates and in different directions.
a.
theory of plate tectonics
b.
theory of seafloor spreading
c.
hypothesis of continental drift
d.
hypothesis of continental movement
16.
What two topographic features of the ocean floor were discovered only with the use of sonar?
a.
mid-ocean ridges and deep-sea trenches
b.
mid-ocean ridges and earthquakes
c.
shallow-sea trenches and volcanic islands
d.
volcanic islands and mid-ocean ridges
17.
What do the circles in the figure represent?
a.
wavelength
b.
bubbles
c.
water movement
d.
heat energy
18.
How are igneous rocks formed?
a.
from the compaction of loose sediments
b.
from the cementation of mineral grains
c.
from the crystallization of magma
d.
from increased pressures and temperatures
19.
What is thought to be the driving mechanism of plate movement?
a.
convection currents in the mantle
b.
continental drifting
c.
volcanoes
d.
conduction of heat in the mantle
20.
When the Moon, Earth, and Sun are aligned, large tidal ranges called __________ occur.
a.
full tides
b.
neap tides
c.
tidal ranges
d.
spring tides
