Tectonic Plates & Plate Boundaries
What are tectonic plates?
a) Large bodies of water
b) Huge pieces of the Earth's crust
c) Layers of gas in the atmosphere
d) Volcanic rocks from deep inside the Earth
b) Huge pieces of the Earth's crust
Which of the following is an example of a divergent boundary?
a) The Himalayas
b) The Mid-Atlantic Ridge
c) The San Andreas Fault
d) Mount St. Helens
b) The Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Which of the following is an example of a convergent boundary?
a) San Andreas Fault
b) Himalayas
c) Mid-Atlantic Ridge
d) Great Barrier Reef
b) Himalayas
Where are most volcanoes found?
a) In the middle of continents
b) Along plate boundaries
c) At the bottom of oceans
d) Near the equator only
b) Along plate boundaries
What is the focus of an earthquake?
a) The area where the earthquake is felt the most
b) The place on the Earth's surface where the earthquake originates
c) The spot where the aftershocks occur
d) The point where the tectonic plates meet
b) The place on the Earth's surface where the earthquake originates
Which of the following is NOT one of the Earth's tectonic plates?
a) Pacific Plate
b) Antarctic Plate
c) Solar Plate
d) North American Plate
c) Solar Plate
What is formed when two plates pull apart at a divergent boundary?
a) Earthquakes
b) Volcanoes
c) Ocean ridges
d) Mountains
c) Ocean ridges
What is a fault line?
a) A crack in the Earth’s crust where earthquakes often occur
b) A mountain range formed by converging plates
c) A boundary between tectonic plates
d) A volcano that is active
d) A volcano that is active
What is lava?
a) A gas released from volcanoes
b) Molten rock that reaches the Earth's surface
c) Solidified rock deep beneath the Earth
d) Water that erupts from volcanoes
b) Molten rock that reaches the Earth's surface
Which of the following is a scale used to measure the strength of earthquakes?
a) Richter scale
b) Celsius scale
c) Kelvin scale
d) Beaufort scale
a) Richter scale
Tectonic plates are mostly located beneath which part of the Earth?
a) The mantle
b) The core
c) The crust
d) The atmosphere
c) The crust
At convergent plate boundaries, what usually happens?
a) Plates slide past one another
b) Plates pull apart
c) Plates collide or move towards each other
d) Plates sink into the atmosphere
c) Plates collide or move towards each other
What is the most famous fault line in California?
a) The Mid-Atlantic Fault
b) The San Andreas Fault
c) The Great Rift Fault
d) The Himalayas Fault
b) The San Andreas Fault
What is a tsunami?
a) A small earthquake
b) A large ocean wave caused by an underwater earthquake or volcanic eruption
c) A type of volcanic eruption
d) A flood caused by heavy rainfall
b) A large ocean wave caused by an underwater earthquake or volcanic eruption
What is an aftershock?
a) A large earthquake that occurs after a tsunami
b) A smaller earthquake that happens after the main earthquake
c) The wave caused by an earthquake
d) A volcanic eruption following an earthquake
b) A smaller earthquake that happens after the main earthquake
What is the main cause of plate movement?
a) Wind blowing across the surface
b) Gravitational pull from the Moon
c) Convection currents in the Earth's mantle
d) Solar radiation
c) Convection currents in the Earth's mantle
What can form when two continental plates collide?
a) Earthquakes
b) Volcanoes
c) Mountain ranges
d) Ocean trenches
c) Mountain ranges
What causes most earthquakes along fault lines?
a) Sudden movements or shifts in the Earth's crust
b) Erosion of the land
c) Tidal forces from the Moon
d) Wind pressure
a) Sudden movements or shifts in the Earth's crust
Which of the following can trigger a tsunami?
a) A tornado
b) A volcanic eruption underwater
c) A lightning storm
d) A forest fire
b) A volcanic eruption underwater
How does an earthquake's magnitude affect people?
a) Larger magnitudes usually cause more damage
b) Smaller magnitudes cause more damage
c) Magnitude does not affect damage
d) Earthquakes do not cause damage
a) Larger magnitudes usually cause more damage
What happens at divergent plate boundaries?
a) Plates collide and form mountains
b) Plates move apart from each other
c) Plates slide past each other
d) Plates sink into the mantle
b) Plates move apart from each other
The collision between an oceanic plate and a continental plate can result in:
a) The oceanic plate sinking beneath the continental plate
b) The oceanic plate forming a mountain range
c) Both plates moving upward
d) Volcanoes forming only on the continental plate
a) The oceanic plate sinking beneath the continental plate
Which of the following is a characteristic of a volcano?
a) A sudden, violent shaking of the ground
b) A hole in the Earth's surface that erupts molten rock
c) A slow-moving river of water
d) A large crack in the ground where rocks break apart
b) A hole in the Earth's surface that erupts molten rock
Tsunamis are most dangerous when they reach which type of land?
a) High, mountainous regions
b) Flat, coastal areas
c) Desert regions
d) Deep ocean waters
b) Flat, coastal areas
Which of the following is a way to prepare for an earthquake?
a) Staying near large windows
b) Keeping heavy furniture away from walls
c) Going outside immediately after the shaking stops
d) Ignoring safety precautions
b) Keeping heavy furniture away from walls