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Tectonics Pretest

Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
 

 1. 
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.
 

 2. 
What landform is created when two continental plates collide?
a.
mountain range
c.
volcano
b.
ocean basin
d.
canyon
 

 3. 
Earthquakes are most likely to occur where
a.
the pressure cracks thin areas of Earth's crust.
b.
heat causes the mantle to expand.
c.
bubbles of magma rise to the surface.
d.
two plates slide past each other, transform boundary.
 

 4. 
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
 

 5. 
Most earthquakes are caused by
a.
the tilting of Earth's axis.
c.
tectonic movement.
b.
underground water erosion.
d.
the Moon's gravitational pull.
 

 6. 
The thinnest part of a tectonic plate lies beneath
a.
the middle of the ocean.
c.
the center of a continent.
b.
a mountain range.
d.
a coastal plain.
 

 7. 
Sea-floor spreading occurs at which type of plate boundary?
a.
a divergent boundary
c.
a convergent boundary
b.
a transform boundary
d.
all of the above
 

 8. 
The theory of plate tectonics attempts to explain the
a.
composition of Earth's inner regions.
c.
gravitational forces of Earth.
b.
movement of Earth's upper layers.
d.
layering of sedimentary rock.
 

 9. 
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
 

 10. 
When two tectonic plates slide past each other horizontally, the boundary between them is called a
a.
divergent boundary.
c.
convergent boundary.
b.
transform boundary.
d.
subduction zone.
 

 11. 
When two tectonic plates move away from one another, the boundary between them is called a
a.
divergent boundary.
c.
convergent boundary.
b.
transform boundary.
d.
subduction zone.
 

 12. 
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.
 

 13. 
Which layer of the Earth is made up of tectonic plates?
a.
core
c.
asthenosphere
b.
mesosphere
d.
lithosphere
 

 14. 
A boundary where two tectonic plates come together, or collide, is called a
a.
divergent boundary.
c.
transform boundary.
b.
convergent boundary.
d.
transfer boundary.
 

 15. 
The Mariana trench is the deepest point in the oceans—11,033 m below sea level. This trench was formed at a ____ boundary, where one tectonic plate was subducted beneath the other.
a.
divergent
c.
convergent
b.
transform
d.
strike-slip
 

 16. 
The boundary between the crust and mantle is called the
a.
lithosphere
c.
Moho
b.
aesthenosphere
d.
magma layer
 

 17. 
On the map below, dark circles indicate the positions of volcanoes in the "Ring of Fire" in and around the Pacific Ocean. Dark lines indicate tectonic plate boundaries of Earth's crust.
mc017-1.jpg


According to this map, which of the following describes where volcanoes are most likely to form in the Ring of Fire?
a.
Volcanoes form in the middle of a tectonic plate.
b.
Volcanoes form below the surface of tectonic plates.
c.
Volcanoes form where tectonic plates meet other plates.
d.
Volcanoes form where earthquakes are least likely to occur.
 

 18. 
Mid-ocean ridges are associated with
a.
divergent boundaries.
c.
convergent boundaries.
b.
transform boundaries.
d.
normal boundaries.
 
 
Examine the diagram below, and answer the questions that follow.
nar001-1.jpg
 

 19. 
In the diagram above, which of the following has formed at B?
a.
a folded mountain
c.
a volcanic mountain
b.
a fault-block mountain
d.
none of the above
 

 20. 
The ancient continent that contained all the landmasses is called
a.
Pangaea.
c.
Laurasia.
b.
Gondwana.
d.
Panthalassa.
 

 21. 
The crust of the Earth  mc021-1.jpg
a.
is thickest below the ocean.
c.
is thickest above the continental shelf.
b.
is thickest where the continents are.
d.
has the same thickness everywhere.
 

 22. 
Many places on Earth are shaken by earthquakes. The Pacific Coast of the United States is one such area. What causes these earthquakes?
a.
erosion
c.
solar heating
b.
gravity
d.
plate movement
 

 23. 
The San Andreas fault is an example of a
a.
divergent boundary.
c.
convergent boundary.
b.
transform boundary.
d.
normal boundary.
 

 24. 
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
 

 25. 
The type of tectonic plate boundary that sometimes has a subduction zone is
a.
divergent.
c.
convergent.
b.
transform.
d.
normal.
 



 
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