Question 1

As far back as 1620, Sir Francis Bacon commented on the similarity of the shorelines of western Africa and eastern South America and posited that the Old and New Worlds might once have been joined.

Accepted Answer

Sir Francis Bacon did not comment on the similarity of the shorelines of western Africa and eastern South America. It was actually Alfred Wegener in the early 20th century who proposed the theory of continental drift, suggesting that continents were once joined.

Question 2

Gondwana consisted of which current continents?
A)South America, Africa, Australia, Antarctica, and India
B)Africa, South America, Antarctica, and Australia
C)South America, Africa, India, and Australia
D)South Africa, India, Africa, and Australia
E)South America, Central America, and India

Accepted Answer

Gondwana was a supercontinent that existed from the Neoproterozoic (about 600 million years ago) until the Jurassic (about 180 million years ago). It consisted of South America, Africa, Australia, Antarctica, and India.

Question 3

Plate movement plays a major role in the present non-random distribution of plants and animals.

Accepted Answer

Plate movement can lead to the separation of land masses, creating barriers for plant and animal dispersal and resulting in the evolution of distinct species in different regions. It can also cause the formation of mountain ranges, which can further fragment habitats and create unique ecological niches. Therefore, plate movement has played a significant role in shaping the distribution and diversity of life on Earth.

Question 4

Who was the first person to suggest that all of the continents had originally been joined together as the supercontinent Pangaea?
A)Snider-Pelligrini, in 1858
B)Frank Taylor, in 1910
C)Alfred Wegener, in 1912
D)Alexander du Toit, in 1937
E)Harry Hess, in 1962

Accepted Answer

Alfred Wegener was the first person to propose the theory of continental drift and the existence of the supercontinent Pangaea in 1912. Snider-Pelligrini may have mentioned the idea in passing, but did not develop it into a theory. Frank Taylor did not propose the idea of Pangaea, but instead suggested that the continents had been connected by land bridges. Alexander du Toit built upon Wegener's theory in 1937, and Harry Hess proposed the theory of seafloor spreading in 1962, which supported the concept of continental drift.

Question 5

Slab-pull and ridge-push are thought to be the primary facilitators of continental plate movement.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Slab-pull and ridge-push are thought to be...

Question 6

Why did Alexander du Toit feel it was necessary to propose a northern landmass he named Laurasia?
A)Pangaea did not account for all known landmasses.
B)The landmass helped resolve climatological inconsistencies.
C)Paleomagnetic studies of the seafloor proved its existence.
D)A large mass of Gondwana had broken off and drifted northward.
E)Recent ocean voyages discovered remnants of its existence.

Accepted Answer

Alexander du Toit proposed the existence of Laurasia to explain climatological inconsistencies encountered in earlier hypotheses about the distribution of continents. He believed that the northern hemisphere needed a larger landmass to explain the distribution of fossils from certain geological periods. This led him to propose the existence of Laurasia, a northern landmass made up of North America, Europe, and Asia.

Question 7

Earth's lithosphere is part of the asthenosphere, and is hot and semi-plastic.

Accepted Answer

The lithosphere is actually the uppermost and rigid layer of the Earth's crust, while the asthenosphere is below it and is more hot and semi-plastic.

Question 8

Edward Suess thought the similarity of fossil plants and animals in Gondwana was due to ____.
A)the appearance and disappearance of connecting land bridges on the southern continents
B)the fact that Gondwana had always been one giant supercontinent
C)the extremely slow rate of evolution that occurred during the late Paleozoic
D)geographical barriers between Gondwana and Pangaea
E)interbreeding among most related species

Accepted Answer

Edward Suess proposed that the similarity of fossil plants and animals in Gondwana was due to the appearance and disappearance of connecting land bridges on the southern continents, allowing for the exchange of species and leading to similar biotas in different regions.

Question 9

Glacially deposited strata were important in the development of continental drift theory because ____.
A)the distribution of glacial deposits indicated that the entire Earth must have been glaciated at one time
B)the distribution of coal-swamp deposits indicated that the entire Earth must have been very warm while glaciers formed
C)they indicated that large glaciers affect the rate of continental drift
D)the glacial deposits indicated that all of the southern continents must have been closer to the South Pole and contiguous
E)they showed how glacier formation remained constant even when continents drifted

Accepted Answer

Glacially deposited strata indicate that glaciers existed in areas that are now warm and tropical, suggesting that the continents must have drifted significantly. The distribution of glacial deposits on multiple southern continents also suggests that they were once joined and in close proximity to the South Pole.

Question 10

If the continents were once joined together, rocks and mountain ranges on the margins of each should have ____.
A)formed under the same conditions and in the same sequence
B)formed the same sequences but at different times
C)formed under different conditions at different times
D)formed different sequences at the same time
E)slowed down the process of continental drift

Accepted Answer

The theory of continental drift suggests that continents were once joined together in a supercontinent (Pangaea). If this is true, rocks and mountain ranges on the margins of each continent that were once connected should have formed under the same conditions and in the same sequence, as they would have been part of the same geological processes before the continents drifted apart.

Question 11

Mantle plumes do not move with continental plates.

Accepted Answer

Mantle plumes are stationary upwellings of hot molten rock from deep within the Earth's mantle. They are believed to be fixed in place and do not move with the movement of continental plates.

Question 12

Interest in continental drift waned until studies of Earth's magnetic field and oceanographic research showed that ____.
A)present-day oceans basins are old features that resulted from the breakup of Pangaea
B)continents were constantly being pulled toward the poles by magnetic forces
C)present-day ocean basins are not as old as continents but instead, are geologically young features that resulted from the breakup of Pangaea
D)iron-rich continental plate material was being pulled into the ocean by Earth's magnetic field
E)present-day ocean basins are old features that resulted from erosion of continental coastlines

Accepted Answer

Studies of Earth's magnetic field and oceanographic research showed that present-day ocean basins are not as old as continents but instead, are geologically young features that resulted from the breakup of Pangaea. This supports the theory of continental drift, which suggests that the continents were once joined together in a supercontinent called Pangaea and have since moved apart.

Question 13

Features associated with convergent plate boundaries include volcanic island arcs, oceanic trenches, and mountain belts.

Accepted Answer

Convergent plate boundaries occur where two plates are moving towards each other. This can result in subduction zones where one plate is forced under the other, causing volcanic activity and the formation of volcanic island arcs. It can also lead to the formation of oceanic trenches and mountain belts as the two plates collide and are pushed upwards.

Question 14

Wegener's critics pointed out to him that the configuration of coastlines results from erosional and depositional processes and therefore is continuously being modified. What idea were they arguing against ?
A)continental movement due to erosion and deposition rather than plate tectonics
B)continental fit between South America and Africa
C)land bridges continually appearing and disappearing
D)ocean currents having minimal effect on large landmasses
E)using coastline geology for predicting movements of continents

Accepted Answer

Wegener's critics were arguing against the idea of continental fit between South America and Africa, which was a key part of Wegener's theory of continental drift. They believed that the matching coastlines were simply a coincidence shaped by erosion and deposition, not evidence of the continents once being joined.

Question 15

The paleomagnetism of geologically recent rocks from different continents is generally consistent with Earth's current magnetic field, whereas ancient rocks show different orientations.

Accepted Answer

The statement is correct. The paleomagnetism of geologically recent rocks is consistent with the current magnetic field of Earth, whereas ancient rocks show different orientations due to the changing magnetic field over time.

Question 16

The long, complex process of petroleum generation in the Persian Gulf began when the remains of marine organisms accumulated with bottom sediments and were buried.

Accepted Answer

This is the correct process of petroleum generation in the Persian Gulf.

Question 17

Which statement best explains why glacial deposits have given strong evidence of the existence of Gondwana?
A)A single continent in low latitudes would result in low latitude glaciation.
B)Glacial striations have shown that all glaciers on each continent flowed to a central location.
C)Fossil plants indicate a tropical climate in the northern continents.
D)The existence of a single continent in high latitudes is more sensible than low latitude glaciation on several continents AND glacial striations have shown that all glaciers on each continent flowed from a central location.
E)The existence of a single continent in high latitudes is more sensible than low latitude glaciation on several continents AND fossil plants indicate a tropical climate in the northern continents.

Accepted Answer

The existence of glacial deposits on all continents in high latitudes strongly suggests that they were once joined together in a single continent, which is more sensible than multiple continents having low latitude glaciation. Glacial striations have also shown that glaciers on each continent flowed from a central location, further supporting the idea of a single large continent. The fossil plants indicating a tropical climate in the northern continents are not directly related to the evidence for the existence of Gondwana based on glacial deposits.

Question 18

Oceanic ridges are geologically stable features made up almost entirely of sedimentary rock.

Accepted Answer

Oceanic ridges are actually geologically active features where tectonic plates are spreading apart, causing magma to rise and solidify into new crust. The majority of the rock is volcanic and igneous, not sedimentary.

Question 19

To determine plate positions in various times in the past, geologists date the magnetic anomalies on the seafloor and determine the distance from the ridge axis to that magnetic anomaly.

Accepted Answer

The answer of To determine plate positions in various times...

Question 20

A continental margin ____.
A)is primarily above sea level
B)is the transition zone from the exposed land to the ocean floor
C)does not include the continental slope
D)always transitions to an oceanic ridge
E)are where submarine hydrothermal vents are found

Accepted Answer

A continental margin is the transition zone between the continental crust and the oceanic crust. It includes the continental shelf, slope, and rise. It is not primarily above sea level as most of it is submerged. It does not always transition to an oceanic ridge, and the presence of submarine hydrothermal vents is not a defining characteristic of a continental margin.

Quiz 2: Plate Tectonics: a Unifying Theory

As far back as 1620, Sir Francis Bacon commented on the similarity of the shorelines of western Africa and eastern South America and posited that the Old and New Worlds might once have been joined.

Gondwana consisted of which current continents?

Plate movement plays a major role in the present non-random distribution of plants and animals.

Who was the first person to suggest that all of the continents had originally been joined together as the supercontinent Pangaea?

Slab-pull and ridge-push are thought to be the primary facilitators of continental plate movement.

Why did Alexander du Toit feel it was necessary to propose a northern landmass he named Laurasia?

Earth's lithosphere is part of the asthenosphere, and is hot and semi-plastic.

Edward Suess thought the similarity of fossil plants and animals in Gondwana was due to ____.

Glacially deposited strata were important in the development of continental drift theory because ____.

If the continents were once joined together, rocks and mountain ranges on the margins of each should have ____.

Mantle plumes do not move with continental plates.

Interest in continental drift waned until studies of Earth's magnetic field and oceanographic research showed that ____.

Features associated with convergent plate boundaries include volcanic island arcs, oceanic trenches, and mountain belts.

Wegener's critics pointed out to him that the configuration of coastlines results from erosional and depositional processes and therefore is continuously being modified. What idea were they arguing against ?

The paleomagnetism of geologically recent rocks from different continents is generally consistent with Earth's current magnetic field, whereas ancient rocks show different orientations.

The long, complex process of petroleum generation in the Persian Gulf began when the remains of marine organisms accumulated with bottom sediments and were buried.

Which statement best explains why glacial deposits have given strong evidence of the existence of Gondwana?

Oceanic ridges are geologically stable features made up almost entirely of sedimentary rock.

To determine plate positions in various times in the past, geologists date the magnetic anomalies on the seafloor and determine the distance from the ridge axis to that magnetic anomaly.

A continental margin ____.