Multiple Choice
Identify the choice
that best completes the statement or answers the question.
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1.
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Which is the thickest layer of the
Earth?
a. | crust | c. | mantle | b. | inner
core | d. | outer core |
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2.
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An earthquake is caused by sudden shifts in which
of the following layers of Earth?
a. | outer core | c. | inner
core | b. | crust | d. | mesosphere |
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3.
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The crustal plates of Earth move due to being
dragged along with
a. | convection currents in the mantle. | c. | the high tides of the oceans. | b. | the rotation of Earth on its axis. | d. | prevailing winds
in the jet stream. |
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4.
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Fossils of the fern Glossopteris have been found in
Africa, Australia, South America, and Antarctica. How do scientists explain this
observation?
a. | The wind blew the seeds across the oceans from continent
to continent. | b. | The fern developed
independently on each continent. | c. | The continents
were at one time joined together and then moved apart. | d. | The fern had adaptations to survive the different environments of the
continents. |
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5.
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Which theory explains the change in the position of
the continents during the history of Earth?
a. | natural selection | c. | big
bang | b. | plate tectonics | d. | rock
cycle |
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6.
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Which of these statements about Earth's crust
is true?
a. | It is a layer of solid rock that remains the same
throughout time. | b. | It includes the
continents, but not the ocean floor. | c. | It is a changing,
moving surface with the same thickness everywhere. | d. | It is a system of large masses called plates that slowly move together or
apart. |
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7.
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Compared to rocks in Earth's crust, rocks in
the mantle are more
a. | dense. | c. | granular. | b. | mineral-rich. | d. | porous. |
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8.
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A deep well or mine shaft goes through which layer
or layers of Earth?
a. | crust only | c. | crust
and mantle | b. | mantle
only | d. | mantle and core |
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9.
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Earth's core is mainly composed
of
a. | iron and aluminum. | c. | iron
and nickel. | b. | silicon and
hydrogen. | d. | silicon and oxygen. |
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10.
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What is the primary cause of volcanoes and
earthquakes?
a. | crustal plate movement | c. | higher than usual tides | b. | Earth's
gravitational force | d. | solar magnetic
storms |
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11.
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What landform is created when two continental
plates collide?
a. | mountain range | c. | volcano | b. | ocean
basin | d. | canyon |
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12.
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Scientists believe the Earth's inner core to
be solid. This is probably due to extremes in:
a. | depth. | c. | pressure. | b. | heat. | d. | temperature. |
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13.
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If we compare the temperature and pressure of the
Earth's mantle to the core, what differences can we expect as we move downward into the
Earth?
a. | Both the temperature and pressure
increase. | b. | Both the temperature and pressure
decrease. | c. | The temperature decreases and the pressure
increases. | d. | The temperature
increases and the pressure decreases. |
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14.
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Layer C in the diagram has the greatest temperature
and pressure. It is MOST LIKELY Earth's
a. | atmosphere. | c. | mantle. | b. | crust. | d. | core. |
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15.
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Layer A in the diagram has the lowest temperature
and pressure. What part of the Earth is labeled layer A?
a. | the atmosphere | c. | the
mantle | b. | the crust | d. | the
core |
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16.
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Why is the rock of the sea floor along a mid-ocean
ridge warmer than the rock of the sea floor that is farther away?
a. | Friction from earthquakes along a mid-ocean ridge heats
the rock around the ridge. | b. | Rock from the sea
floor near a mid-ocean ridge is warmer because it has more sediment covering
it. | c. | A mid-ocean ridge is taller than the surrounding sea
floor; therefore, it gets more energy from the Sun. | d. | Convection currents rise in the mantle along the mid-ocean ridge, transporting
heat from Earth’s interior. |
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17.
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The diagram below shows layers of Earth.
Whichof these describes the layer labeled A in the diagram?
a. | contains hot liquid minerals | b. | composed of solid iron and nickel | c. | exposed to high temperatures and pressure | d. | made up of brittle, rocky, slow-moving
plates |
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18.
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What do scientists think is the source of energy
that causes the movement of Earth’s lithospheric plates?
a. | energy radiating from the Sun | b. | energy from Earth’s magnetic poles | c. | energy from heat convection in the mantle | d. | energy released by volcanoes and
earthquakes |
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19.
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Which of these BEST describes how oceanic and
continental crusts differ?
a. | The continental crust is older and thinner than the
continental crust. | b. | The continental
crust is older and thicker than the oceanic crust. | c. | The oceanic crust is older and thicker than the continental
crust. | d. | The oceanic crust is older and thinner than the
continental crust. |
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20.
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At which of these locations would Earth’s
crust be thinnest?
a. | at Death Valley in California | c. | at Mount Everest in the Himalayas | b. | at the South Pole in Antarctica | d. | at the bottom of
the Pacific Ocean |
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21.
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Ms. Dean asked her students to find pictures of
geological features that have been formed as a result of the movement of Earth’s crust. Which
picture will be the BEST for the students to use?
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22.
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Lee drew a diagram with arrows showing the
direction of movement of two plates of Earth’s crust.
Which feature is MOST LIKELY to be formed as a result of this
movement?
a. | deltas | c. | grasslands | b. | waterfalls | d. | volcanic islands |
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23.
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Volcanoes are locations where
a. | tectonic plates collide and
crumble. | b. | tectonic plates slide past each
other. | c. | hot magma pushes up on Earth’s
surface. | d. | hot magma pulls down on Earth’s
surface. |
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24.
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These fossils were found in rocks at the top of a
mountain.
Which of these explains why the fossils were at
the top of a mountain?
a. | The mountain was once in a
desert. | b. | Prehistoric people carried the shells to the top of the
mountain. | c. | Ocean sediments became rock and then were raised when
the mountain formed. | d. | Birds carried
these animals to the mountaintop where they eventually formed
fossils. |
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25.
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The San Francisco Bay area experienced a large
earthquake in 1989. This earthquake occurred along the San Andreas Fault system. What causes
earthquakes along this fault system?
a. | The eruption of nearby
volcanoes. | b. | A sudden movement
of tectonic plates. | c. | The smooth
movement of tectonic plates. | d. | A movement of the
hot spot in the mantle. |
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26.
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The mapbelow shows the location of the Andes
mountains in South America.
Which explanation describes how these mountains
MOST LIKELY formed?
a. | Separating tectonic plates forced the land
upward. | b. | Sediments deposited by rivers caused the land to
rise. | c. | Erosion from wind and water carved the mountains out of
the land. | d. | An oceanic tectonic plate collided and subducted under a
continental plate. |
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27.
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When two sections of the Earth’s crust
collide, one plate can be forced beneath the other. This is called subduction. What is a possible
consequence of subduction?
a. | earthquakes | c. | volcano formation | b. | continental
drift | d. | mountain formation |
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28.
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A deep well or mine shaft goes through which layer
or layers of Earth?
a. | crust only | c. | crust
and mantle | b. | mantle
only | d. | mantle and core |
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29.
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Which layer of the Earth is made up of tectonic
plates?
a. | core | c. | asthenosphere | b. | mesosphere | d. | lithosphere |
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30.
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The thickest part of a tectonic plate lies
below
a. | the middle of the ocean. | c. | the center of a continent. | b. | a mountain range. | d. | a coastal
plain. |
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31.
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Earth's oceanic crust is ____ than the
continental crust.
a. | thinner but denser | c. | thicker but less dense | b. | thicker and
denser | d. | thinner and less dense |
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32.
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Which type of crust is made mostly of
basalt?
a. | the lithosphere | c. | continental crust | b. | oceanic
crust | d. | mountainous crust |
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33.
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Continental crust is made mostly of two kinds of
rock. They are
a. | lithospheric and metamorphic | c. | granite and basalt | b. | basalt and
igneous | d. | rocks and granite |
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34.
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How do scientists collect information about the
inside of the Earth?
a. | studying seismic waves and drilling
holes | c. | by digging deep mines down into the different layers of
the Earth | b. | by using satellite technology | d. | by drilling holes
and studying volcanoes |
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35.
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How many elements make up about 90 percent of the
crust?
a. | all 107 | c. | 5 | b. | about
93 | d. | 10 |
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