Question 1

The main objection to Wegner's theory of Continental Drift was ________.&#10;A)the ocean basins show no evidence of opening and closing.&#10;B)clear evidence of land bridges,like the one connecting Alaska and eastern Russia,clearly exist and explain most of Wegner's observations without Continental Drift.&#10;C)Wegner's gravitational mechanism for the movement of continents would also stop the Earth's rotation which has not happened.&#10;D)the tracks of the moving continents could not be identified on the ocean floor.

Accepted Answer

Wegener's proposed mechanism for continental drift involved gravitational forces that would have also affected Earth's rotation, which was not observed, leading to skepticism about his theory.

Question 2

The figure below shows a ________ boundary.  &#10;A)convergent&#10;B)divergent&#10;C)hot spot&#10;D)transform

Accepted Answer

B

Question 3

Which of the following major discoveries was not made near or after World War II?&#10;A)the extensive ranges of mountain chains on the sea floor&#10;B)deep focus earthquakes that occur in some regions of the earth&#10;C)rift valleys in Africa&#10;D)the absence of rocks older than 200 million years on the sea floor

Accepted Answer

The discovery of rift valleys in Africa was made in the early 1900s by German explorer Gustav Nachtigal, long before World War II. The other three discoveries were made near or after World War II: extensive ranges of mountain chains on the sea floor were discovered in the 1950s and 1960s, deep focus earthquakes were first identified in the 1920s but not fully understood until the mid-20th century, and the absence of rocks older than 200 million years on the sea floor was first recognized in the 1940s and led to the development of plate tectonics theory.

Question 4

Why did scientists not accept the Continental Drift hypothesis?&#10;A)It did not explain how ocean basins form.&#10;B)It was based on observations from the southern hemisphere which was unfamiliar to most geologists.&#10;C)It was proposed by a woman.&#10;D)It did not explain most modern observations.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why did scientists not accept the Continental...

Question 5

What was the main view how the world worked geologically prior to the 1960s?&#10;A)It was generally believed that the earth was flat.&#10;B)It was generally believed that mountains were produced by vertical forces.&#10;C)It was generally believed that continents and oceans moved.&#10;D)It was generally believed that oceans formed as a result of meteorite impacts.

Accepted Answer

Prior to the 1960s, the prevailing view was that mountains were produced by vertical forces such as uplift or volcanic activity. This theory was known as the "geosynclinal theory" and was widely accepted until the development of plate tectonics in the 1960s.

Answer: C
 Prior to the 1960s, it was also believed that continents and oceans were fixed and did not move. This theory was known as the "continental drift" theory, proposed by Alfred Wegener in 1912. However, it was not widely accepted until the 1960s when the theory of plate tectonics was developed, which provided a mechanism for how continents and oceans could move.

Therefore, the best choice would be a combination of B and C, as they reflect the main views of geology prior to the 1960s.

Question 6

The largest lithospheric plate is the ________.&#10;A)Caribbean Plate&#10;B)North American Plate&#10;C)Pacific Plate&#10;D)Eurasian Plate

Accepted Answer

The Pacific Plate is the largest lithospheric plate, covering an area of approximately 103 million square kilometers. It stretches from the western coast of North America all the way to the eastern coast of Asia and includes the Pacific Ocean. The other choices are also large plates but are not as large as the Pacific Plate.

Question 7

In Wegener's time,scientists thought that the occurrence of fossils of the same organism in two different,disconnected continents was proof that ________.&#10;A)there had once been land bridges separating the continents&#10;B)the weather patterns had changed over time such that some organisms could be blown by the wind from one place to another.&#10;C)there were icebergs in the Atlantic Ocean that could carry organisms from Africa to South America&#10;D)birds flew between the continents and carried the organisms with them.

Accepted Answer

Wegener proposed his theory of continental drift, which suggested that the continents were once connected and had drifted apart over time. The presence of identical fossils on different continents supports this theory, as it suggests that these continents were once connected and the organisms were able to move freely between them before the continents split apart. The other options (B, C, and D) are unlikely explanations for the occurrence of identical fossils on different continents.

Question 8

Which of the following statements apply to the asthenosphere,but not the lithosphere?&#10;A)zone in the upper mantle that deforms by plastic flowage&#10;B)cool,rigid layer of crust and upper mantle that forms the tectonic plates&#10;C)deforms mainly by brittle fracturing and faulting&#10;D)partial melting of rising granitic plumes produces huge volumes of basaltic magma

Accepted Answer

The asthenosphere is a zone in the upper mantle that deforms by plastic flowage, while the lithosphere is a cool, rigid layer of crust and upper mantle that forms the tectonic plates and deforms mainly by brittle fracturing and faulting. Option B and C apply to the lithosphere. Option D refers to the process of melting of rising granitic plumes, but does not pertain to the asthenosphere or lithosphere specifically.

Question 9

Which of the following is not a type of plate boundary?&#10;A)hot spot&#10;B)transform&#10;C)convergent&#10;D)divergent

Accepted Answer

A hot spot is not a type of plate boundary. It is a location on Earth's surface where a mantle plume has risen up from the mantle, creating a hotspot of volcanic activity.

Question 10

The change from thinking the continents are stationary to understanding that the outer layer of the earth moves slowly nearly all of the time occurred primarily because ________.&#10;A)we got space travel and could see the motions&#10;B)we improved our surveying instruments significantly&#10;C)we had two world wars and learned a lot from them about the oceans that explained how continents moved&#10;D)we began to make global observations that required recognition that the continents and oceans had not always been in their current positions

Accepted Answer

The recognition that the continents and oceans had not always been in their current positions was the main reason for understanding that the outer layer of the earth moves slowly nearly all of the time. This understanding came about through global observations and the development of the theory of plate tectonics. Space travel and improved surveying instruments were not the primary reasons for this change in thinking, and while the two world wars did contribute to oceanographic research, they did not directly lead to the discovery of plate tectonics.

Question 11

________ was (were)never proposed as evidence supporting the existence of Pangaea.&#10;A)Geometrical fit between South America and Africa&#10;B)Islands of Precambrian rocks along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge&#10;C)Late Paleozoic glacial features&#10;D)Similar fossils on different continents

Accepted Answer

The answer of ________ was (were)never proposed as evidence supporting...

Question 12

Plate Tectonic boundaries were first identified by ________.&#10;A)mapping the mountain chains&#10;B)mapping subduction zone&#10;C)mapping earthquakes and volcanoes&#10;D)mapping continental margins

Accepted Answer

The answer of Plate Tectonic boundaries were first identified by...

Question 13

Glossopteris,a fossil found in Africa,Australia,India,South America,and Antarctica,is significant because ________.&#10;A)it demonstrated that wind could not have dispersed the organism over such a large area&#10;B)it demonstrated that water could not have dispersed the organism over such a large area&#10;C)it demonstrated that all of the continents where the fossil is found must have been tropical when the organism was alive&#10;D)it demonstrated that all of the continents where the fossil is found must have been cold when the organism was alive.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Glossopteris,a fossil found in Africa,Australia,India,South America,and Antarctica,is...

Question 14

Wegener's work is a good demonstration of the scientific method because ________.&#10;A)he was right,but no one believed him&#10;B)his hypothesis passed all of the scientific testing to become a theory&#10;C)his hypothesis did not pass all of the scientific tests to become a theory&#10;D)he was wrong,and as a result,no one believed him

Accepted Answer

The answer of Wegener's work is a good demonstration of...

Question 15

The lithosphere is the outer layer of the earth characterized by ________.&#10;A)soft rocks that flow easily&#10;B)hard rocks that break&#10;C)layers of both hard and soft rocks&#10;D)magma

Accepted Answer

The answer of The lithosphere is the outer layer of...

Question 16

The former late Paleozoic supercontinent is known as ________.&#10;A)Pandomonia&#10;B)Pancakea&#10;C)Pangaea&#10;D)Panatopia

Accepted Answer

The answer of The former late Paleozoic supercontinent is known...

Question 17

Wegener thought that ________.&#10;A)there were once two big continents that were separated later by the Atlantic Ocean&#10;B)there was once one big continent that was later separated by the Atlantic Ocean&#10;C)there was once one big continent that later broke into several pieces&#10;D)there were once several continents that recombined to form the continents we have today

Accepted Answer

The answer of Wegener thought that ________.&#10;A)there were once two...

Question 18

A transform boundary is characterized by ________.&#10;A)a deep,vertical fault along which two plates slide past one another in opposite directions&#10;B)stratovolcanoes on the edge of a plate and shield volcanoes on the adjacent plate&#10;C)two converging oceanic plates meeting head-on and piling up into a mid-ocean ridge&#10;D)a divergent boundary where the continental plate changes to an oceanic plate

Accepted Answer

The answer of A transform boundary is characterized by ________.&#10;A)a...

Question 19

The asthenosphere is the second layer of the Earth characterized by ________.&#10;A)soft rocks that flow easily&#10;B)hard rocks that break&#10;C)layers of both hard and soft rocks&#10;D)magma

Accepted Answer

The answer of The asthenosphere is the second layer of...

Question 20

Most deformation occurs along plate boundaries because ________.&#10;A)that is where the molten material makes it easy to deform rock&#10;B)the plates are in constant motion and as a result the boundaries are where they interact&#10;C)the plates were broken along their boundaries so that is where they are weakest&#10;D)plates are rigid in their interior but the boundaries are in the asthenosphere.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Most deformation occurs along plate boundaries because...

Question 21

Which one of the following is an important fundamental assumption underlying the plate tectonic theory?&#10;A)Earth's magnetic field originates in the outer core.&#10;B)Earth's surface area has been essentially constant over time.&#10;C)Radioactive decay slows down at the extreme pressures of the inner core.&#10;D)Earth's ocean basins are very old and stable features.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which one of the following is an...

Question 22

What is a typical rate for seafloor spreading?&#10;A)2 cm/s&#10;B)2 cm/hr&#10;C)2 cm/day&#10;D)2 cm/yr

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is a typical rate for seafloor...

Question 23

The ________ is an example of an active,continent-continent collision.&#10;A)Arabian Peninsula slamming into North Africa under the Red Sea&#10;B)westward movement of the South American plate over the Nazca plate&#10;C)northern movement of Baja California and a sliver of western California toward the Hawaiian Islands&#10;D)northward movement of India into Eurasia

Accepted Answer

The answer of The ________ is an example of an...

Question 24

Why do scientists think that lithosphere has to be destroyed somewhere on or in the earth?&#10;A)There is not enough lithosphere on the earth to account for what has been produced in the last 200 million years.&#10;B)Lithosphere is created at divergent boundaries and the earth is not getting any larger.&#10;C)The moon is moving away from the earth and this would not happen if the earth had more lithosphere to increase its mass.&#10;D)The earth is getting smaller as the new oceanic crust cools and contracts.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why do scientists think that lithosphere has...

Question 25

Mount St.Helens and the other Cascade volcanoes are ________.&#10;A)young,active stratovolcanoes built on a continental margin above a sinking slab of oceanic lithosphere&#10;B)a row of young,active,shield volcanoes built as western North America moved over a hot spot deep in the mantle&#10;C)old,deeply eroded stratovolcanoes built before the Pacific Ocean existed&#10;D)old,deeply eroded,basaltic shield volcanoes built when western North America was over the present-day site of the Hawaiian hot spot

Accepted Answer

The answer of Mount St.Helens and the other Cascade volcanoes...

Question 26

Volcanoes form above subduction zones because ________.&#10;A)the subducting lithosphere melts as it descends and the magma rises to form volcanoes&#10;B)the lithosphere thickens above the subducting lithosphere and causes volcanoes to form&#10;C)the asthenosphere is displaced by the subducting lithosphere and rises to the surface to form volcanoes&#10;D)water is squeezed out of the subducting slab and the water triggers melting of the overlying asthenosphere

Accepted Answer

The answer of Volcanoes form above subduction zones because ________.&#10;A)the...

Question 27

Oceanic lithosphere subducts (sinks into the asthenosphere)because ________.&#10;A)old oceanic lithosphere is more dense that the asthenosphere&#10;B)the upwelling magma at divergent boundaries pushes the lithospheric plate into the asthenosphere&#10;C)the pressure from two plates colliding forces one plate into the asthenosphere&#10;D)The convection of the mantle pulls the lithosphere into the asthenosphere

Accepted Answer

The answer of Oceanic lithosphere subducts (sinks into the asthenosphere)because...

Question 28

An identifying characteristic of convergent boundaries is ________.&#10;A)linear mountain chains on the seafloor&#10;B)long linear valleys with faults along the sides&#10;C)deep,linear trenches in the seafloor&#10;D)seamounts and atolls on the seafloor

Accepted Answer

The answer of An identifying characteristic of convergent boundaries is...

Question 29

Oceanic ridges represent ________ percent of the earth's surface.&#10;A)5&#10;B)10&#10;C)20&#10;D)30

Accepted Answer

The answer of Oceanic ridges represent ________ percent of the...

Question 30

The most obvious evidence of a Plate boundary where two plates move apart is(are)________.&#10;A)earthquakes&#10;B)strike-slip faults on the sea floor&#10;C)mountain building along the plate boundary&#10;D)upwelling of hot material from the mantle

Accepted Answer

The answer of The most obvious evidence of a Plate...

Question 31

Which of the following is in a place where continental rifting is occurring today?&#10;A)Himalayan Mountains in India and surrounding regions&#10;B)Andes in South America&#10;C)Mt.Kilimanjaro in East Africa&#10;D)Mt.Fuji in Japan

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is in a...

Question 32

Oceanic island arcs are similar to continental volcanic arcs in that ________.&#10;A)oceanic island arcs form on continents when oceanic lithosphere is subducted&#10;B)oceanic islands arcs form by the same mechanism as continental arcs&#10;C)continental arcs make islands that are arc-shaped&#10;D)major continental mountain ranges formed from island arcs

Accepted Answer

The answer of Oceanic island arcs are similar to continental...

Question 33

When two plates move together,lithosphere is ________.&#10;A)not changed&#10;B)destroyed&#10;C)created&#10;D)melted

Accepted Answer

The answer of When two plates move together,lithosphere is ________.&#10;A)not...

Question 34

Material that was once considered to be asthenosphere can change to lithosphere by ________.&#10;A)rising to a shallow level&#10;B)thickening to 100 km&#10;C)heating so that it will flow&#10;D)cooling so that it will break

Accepted Answer

The answer of Material that was once considered to be...

Question 35

All of the earth's ocean basins are ________.&#10;A)less than 2 million years old&#10;B)less than 20 million years old&#10;C)less than 200 million years old&#10;D)less than 2000 million years old

Accepted Answer

The answer of All of the earth's ocean basins are...

Question 36

Deep ocean trenches are surficial evidence for ________.&#10;A)rifting beneath a continental plate and the beginning of continental drift&#10;B)sinking of oceanic lithosphere into the mantle at a subduction zone&#10;C)rising of hot asthenosphere from deep in the mantle&#10;D)transform faulting between an oceanic plate and a continental plate

Accepted Answer

The answer of Deep ocean trenches are surficial evidence for...

Question 37

Evidence that tensile stresses are actively pulling the lithosphere apart in an ocean ridge system is given by ________.&#10;A)the width of the ridge system&#10;B)the height of the ridge system&#10;C)the existence of a rift valley in a ridge system&#10;D)the lack of thick sediments on the ridge system sea floor

Accepted Answer

The answer of Evidence that tensile stresses are actively pulling...

Question 38

New York and London are on two separate plates so the distance between the cities is ________.&#10;A)stationary&#10;B)increasing&#10;C)decreasing&#10;D)always changing direction

Accepted Answer

The answer of New York and London are on two...

Question 39

The Himalayas formed as a result of ________.&#10;A)an ocean-ocean convergence&#10;B)an ocean-continent convergence&#10;C)a continent-continent convergence&#10;D)a hot spot

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Himalayas formed as a result of...

Question 40

When two continents converge,________.&#10;A)the heavier continent is subducted&#10;B)the lighter continent is subducted&#10;C)the sediments trapped between them are pushed up and deformed to make a mountain range&#10;D)a volcanic arc forms on the upper plate

Accepted Answer

The answer of When two continents converge,________.&#10;A)the heavier continent is...

Question 41

What is GPS (Global Positioning System)used for in the study of plate tectonics?&#10;A)It measures paleomagnetism.&#10;B)It measures velocity of a plate.&#10;C)It measures age of a plate.&#10;D)It measures elevation of a plate.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is GPS (Global Positioning System)used for...

Question 42

A map of the ages of the sea floor shows ________.&#10;A)the direction of the plate motions&#10;B)the location of modern plate boundaries&#10;C)how much material was produced at the ridges during a given period of time&#10;D)how fast the plates are moving

Accepted Answer

The answer of A map of the ages of the...

Question 43

fossil evidence fit of the continents paleomagnetism ancient climates

Accepted Answer

The answer of fossil evidence fit of the continents paleomagnetism...

Question 44

Which convection model suggests &#34;sluggish flow&#34; in the lower mantle?&#10;A)slab pull&#10;B)layer cake&#10;C)whole mantle&#10;D)ridge push

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which convection model suggests &#34;sluggish flow&#34; in...

Question 45

A very long-lived magma source located deep in the mantle is called a ________.&#10;A)magma welt&#10;B)basalt spout&#10;C)melt well&#10;D)hot spot

Accepted Answer

The answer of A very long-lived magma source located deep...

Question 46

All of the following are evidence supporting the theory of plate tectonics except for ________.&#10;A)changes in the Moon's orbit due to shifting plates&#10;B)ocean floor drilling&#10;C)hot spots&#10;D)paleomagnetism

Accepted Answer

The answer of All of the following are evidence supporting...

Question 47

Which of the following plates is getting significantly smaller?&#10;A)Pacific&#10;B)North America&#10;C)Africa&#10;D)Eurasia

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following plates is getting...

Question 48

The Hawaiian Island-Emperor Seamount chain formed as a result of ________.&#10;A)convergent plate boundary activities&#10;B)divergent plate boundary activities&#10;C)transform plate boundary activities&#10;D)hot spot activities

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Hawaiian Island-Emperor Seamount chain formed as...

Question 49

Which parts of Pangaea broke apart first?&#10;A)Africa and Australia&#10;B)Europe and the United States&#10;C)Europe and Africa&#10;D)The United States and Africa

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which parts of Pangaea broke apart first?&#10;A)Africa...

Question 50

slab pull mantle drag ridge push hot spot track

Accepted Answer

The answer of slab pull mantle drag ridge push hot...

Question 51

A major problem with Wegener's Continental Drift Hypothesis was that he could not find rocks or other geologic features that would have been continuous from one continent to the next if the continents had been together.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A major problem with Wegener's Continental Drift...

Question 52

Apparent changes in the position of the magnetic pole measured in rocks in Europe is attributed to ________.&#10;A)changes in the solar flux&#10;B)movement of lithospheric plates&#10;C)polar wandering&#10;D)random magnetic reversals

Accepted Answer

The answer of Apparent changes in the position of the...

Question 53

Which ocean formed as a direct result of the breakup of Pangaea?&#10;A)Pacific&#10;B)Arctic&#10;C)Mediterranean&#10;D)Atlantic

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which ocean formed as a direct result...

Question 54

Which of the following is considered the most important driving factor for Plate Tectonics?&#10;A)slab pull&#10;B)layer cake&#10;C)whole mantle&#10;D)ridge push

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is considered the...

Question 55

Which of the following is not evidence collected by the Glomar Challenger in support of the Plate Tectonic model?&#10;A)Fossils increase in age with increasing distance from the ridges.&#10;B)Continental crust is typically several hundred million years old or older.&#10;C)Oceanic crust is less than 180 million years old.&#10;D)Sediments get thicker with increasing distance from the ridges.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is not evidence...

Question 56

Fracture zone associated with transform boundaries are ________.&#10;A)active faults&#10;B)inactive faults&#10;C)fractures in the seafloor that did not become faults&#10;D)topographic markers of where Pangaea originally broke apart

Accepted Answer

The answer of Fracture zone associated with transform boundaries are...

Question 57

The major driving force of Plate Tectonics is ________.&#10;A)subduction of cold,dense lithosphere&#10;B)subduction of hot lithosphere&#10;C)decompression melting and the rise of magmas at spreading ridges&#10;D)heating of magma near the surface of the lithosphere

Accepted Answer

The answer of The major driving force of Plate Tectonics...

Question 58

The San Andreas fault zone in California is an example of ________.&#10;A)a transform plate boundary&#10;B)a continental rift&#10;C)a divergent plate boundary&#10;D)an ocean-continent collision

Accepted Answer

The answer of The San Andreas fault zone in California...

Question 59

Hawaii island arc volcanic arc subduction

Accepted Answer

The answer of Hawaii island arc volcanic arc subduction...

Question 60

oceanic ridge seafloor spreading arc volcanoes divergent

Accepted Answer

The answer of oceanic ridge seafloor spreading arc volcanoes divergent...

Question 61

Fossils from the sea floor became older with increased distance from the ridges.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Fossils from the sea floor became older...

Question 62

Japan and the Aleutian Islands have formed from a(n)________ to ________ convergent boundary.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Japan and the Aleutian Islands have formed...

Question 63

Lithosphere is destroyed at transform plate boundaries.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Lithosphere is destroyed at transform plate boundaries....

Question 64

Hawaii is the oldest island of the Hawaiian Island chain.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Hawaii is the oldest island of the...

Deck 7: Plate Tectonics: a Scientific Revolution Unfolds