Question 1

A normal fault has little or no vertical movements of the two blocks.

Accepted Answer

A normal fault is a type of dip-slip fault where the hanging wall moves down relative to the footwall due to tensional stress. This results in vertical movement and displacement of the two blocks.

Question 2

Terranes are relatively small crustal fragments (microcontinents, volcanic island arcs, or oceanic plateaus)that may be accreted to continents when subduction brings them to a trench.

Accepted Answer

This statement accurately describes what terranes are and how they can be accreted to continents through subduction.

Question 3

In this figure, the letter "C" is the location.

Accepted Answer

There is no figure or context provided to determine the location of the letter "C". The given code seems to be a random alphanumeric string.

Question 4

The North American Cordillera consists of many terranes which bear magnetic and fossil evidence suggesting they originated far to the south of the modern-day positions.

Accepted Answer

The North American Cordillera consists of many terranes which have been transported and accreted to their current location over millions of years. Magnetic and fossil evidence suggest that these terranes originated in different locations, including ones far to the south of their current positions.

Question 5

How did the Himalayas form?

Accepted Answer

The Himalayas formed due to the collision of India and Eurasia. The Indian Plate collided with the Eurasian Plate around 50 million years ago, leading to the uplift of the Himalayas. This collision caused the Indian Plate to be forced beneath the Eurasian Plate, which led to the formation of the Himalayan mountain range.

Question 6

________ is/are an example of ductile deformation.

Accepted Answer

Ductile deformation is the type of deformation where the rocks undergo plastic deformation without breaking or fracturing. Folds are a classic example of ductile deformation where the rocks bend or curve due to forces acting upon them without breaking or fracturing. On the other hand, dip-slip faults and strike-slip faults are examples of brittle deformation where the rocks break or fracture due to forces acting upon them, and earthquakes are a result of the sudden release of energy due to brittle deformation. Hence, the correct answer is A) Folds.

Question 7

Domes are broad circular downwarped structures.

Accepted Answer

Domes are broad, circular, or elliptical upward-arching structures, not downward.

Question 8

Seismic waves may reflect, but not diffract or refract, as they encounter different layers in Earth's interior.

Accepted Answer

Seismic waves can diffract and refract as they encounter different layers with varying densities, velocities, and compositions in Earth's interior, which can cause them to change direction and speed. This phenomenon is what allows scientists to use seismic data to study the structure and composition of Earth's interior.

Question 9

These rock layers in this photo have experienced elastic deformation.

Accepted Answer

The answer of  
These rock layers in this photo...

Question 10

In a reverse fault, the hanging wall block moves up with respect to the footwall block.

Accepted Answer

This is correct. In a reverse fault, the hanging wall block moves up with respect to the footwall block.

Question 11

This photo shows an anticline.

Accepted Answer

The answer of  
This photo shows an anticline....

Question 12

Thrust faults shorten the crust horizontally and thicken it vertically.

Accepted Answer

Thrust faults occur when one rock mass is pushed over another along a nearly horizontal fault plane, resulting in horizontal shortening and vertical thickening of the crust.

Question 13

Mountain belts form by ________.

Accepted Answer

Mountain belts can form by any or all of these processes: the accretion of terranes (pieces of land that have different origins), orogenesis (the process of mountain building through tectonic plate movement and collision), and the eruption of a continental volcanic arc (a chain of volcanic mountains formed above a subduction zone). Therefore, the best choice is D, all of the above.

Question 14

An accretionary wedge is a typical feature found along subduction zones.

Accepted Answer

An accretionary wedge is a common feature found along subduction zones where the oceanic plate is subducting beneath a continental plate. As the oceanic plate slides beneath the continental plate, sediment and rock are scraped off the top of the subducting plate and accumulate in a wedge-shaped deposit known as an accretionary wedge. Over time, this sediment can become compressed and deformed, creating complex geological structures and rock formations within the wedge.

Question 15

Earth's divergent oceanic ridge system produces a belt of earthquake activity where seafloor spreading generates many frequent quakes of small magnitude.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. The process of seafloor spreading at divergent plate boundaries results in frequent small earthquakes along the oceanic ridge system.

Question 16

A tsunami looks like a massive, curling wave that towers above the coast before smashing into it.

Accepted Answer

Tsunamis are often not towering or curling waves but rather appear as a rapidly rising or falling tide that floods coastal areas with little to no warning.

Question 17

What kind of fold is illustrated in this photograph? At what sort of tectonic boundary situation is it likely to have formed?

Accepted Answer

The fold in the photograph is an anticline, where the rock layers have been folded upward into an arch shape. This type of fold is usually associated with convergent tectonic boundaries, where two plates are colliding and compressing the rock layers.

Question 18

What kind of fault is illustrated in this figure?

Accepted Answer

The answer of 
What kind of fault is illustrated in...

Question 19

Subduction leads to orogenesis.

Accepted Answer

Subduction occurs when one tectonic plate is forced under another, usually in a convergent boundary. This process causes deformation, compression, and uplift of rocks and can lead to the formation of mountains and other landforms. This process of mountain building is known as orogenesis. Therefore, subduction leads to orogenesis.

Question 20

The mountains and valleys of the Basin and Range Province of western United States formed in response to tensional stresses and normal faulting.

Accepted Answer

The Basin and Range Province is characterized by tensional stresses that have resulted in the formation of normal faults, which have created the extensive mountain ranges and valleys that are observed in the region.

Quiz 6: Restless Earth: Earthquakes, Geologic Structures, and Mountain Building