Vocab Part 1
1. analyze
“Scientists had to analyze the rock samples carefully, comparing their size, shape, and minerals to figure out how the mountains were formed.”
A. decorate
B. examine closely
C. break apart
D. quickly sketch
B examine closely
6. trench
“The deepest part of the ocean is found in a trench, where one plate is being pulled beneath another far below the water’s surface.”
A. a shallow beach
B. a deep underwater valley
C. a coral reef
D. a frozen glacier
Give the definition of the word or use it in a sentence that shows that you understand what it is
Your word: mantle
answers will vary but should show understanding of the fact that the mantle is a layer of molten lava below the crust
A small coastal town sits near the edge of two tectonic plates that slide past each other. Based on this information, what is the town MOST likely to experience?
A. Frequent hurricanes
B. Regular earthquakes
C. Thick glaciers
D. A permanent drought
Correct answer: B regular earthquakes
What can we learn from looking at patterns of plate motion over time? What might these patterns be able to tell us?
Understanding patterns from over time might help us understand what happened in the Earth’s past (e.g. how continents used to be connected) and helps scientists make predictions about how plates may move in the future.
2. claim
“One scientist made the claim that the plates used to be connected long ago, but she had to provide evidence to support her idea.”
A. argument
B. quiet guess
C. joke someone told
D. proven fact
Correct answer: A argument (tricky wording—not necessarily proven)
7. outer layer
“Earth’s outer layer is where we live, where soil forms, and where continents and oceans are located.”
A. the hottest layer
B. the center of Earth
C. the top layer
D. the liquid layer
C- the top layer
Give the definition of the word or use it in a sentence that shows that you understand what it is
your word: Plate Boundary
Answers will vary but should show understanding of the fact that a plate boundary is where two plates meet
A chain of tall mountains is found in a region where two continental plates have slowly moved toward each other for millions of years. What likely caused these mountains to form?
A. Erosion from rainfall
B. Plates colliding and pushing land upward
C. Underground rivers
D. Volcanic explosions only
B plates colliding and pushing upward
How can we calculate the rate in which plates move?
You need to divide the distance by the time it took for the plates to move
3. divergent
“At a divergent plate boundary, the two plates slowly move away from each other, and new crust begins to form in the gap.”
A. staying still
B. moving toward each other
C. moving apart
D. melting completely
C moving apart
8. plate boundary
“Most earthquakes and volcanoes happen along a plate boundary, the area where two tectonic plates come into contact.”
A. where plates break in half
B. the center of a continent
C. where two plates meet
D. where lakes form
C where two plates meet
Give the definition of the word or use it in a sentence that shows that you understand what it is
earthquake
Answers will vary but should show understanding that an earthquake is a geological event that occurs when plates collide
Scientists discover fossils of the same ancient animal on two different continents that are now separated by an ocean. What is the MOST logical explanation?
A. The animals swam across the ocean
B. The fossils were planted by humans
C. The continents used to be connected
D. The fossils formed at the same time by chance
C the continents used to be connected
Why can’t we feel the ground beneath us move if Earth’s plates are always in motion?
They move so slowly it’s impossible for a human to perceive it
4. convergent
“A convergent plate boundary can create huge mountains when two plates move toward each other and crash together.”
A. separating
B. sliding past
C. moving toward each other
D. moving underground
C moving toward each other
“Scientists measured the rate at which the tectonic plates moved by calculating how many centimeters they shifted each year.”
A. the direction something moves
B. the speed or amount of change over time
C. the total distance traveled
D. the shape of the plates
B speed, or amount of change over time
Give the definition of the word or use it in a sentence that shows that you understand what it is
pattern
Answers will vary but should show that a pattern is a repeated or predictable regularity
If scientists measure that the Atlantic Ocean is getting wider each year, what can they infer is happening at the mid-ocean ridge?
A. Plates are sliding past each other
B. Plates are moving toward each other
C. Plates are being pulled apart
D. The ridge is sinking
C plates are being pulled apart
What geological events can happen at a plate boundary?
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, mountain formation
5. cross section
“The teacher showed a cross section of the Earth, allowing students to see the crust, mantle, and core as if the planet had been cut in half.”
A. a map of the world
B. a view of the surface from space
C. a slice showing inside layers
D. a photograph of lava
C a slice showing inside layers
10. mid-ocean ridge
“A long chain of underwater mountains called a mid-ocean ridge forms where two plates slowly pull apart and magma rises to the surface.”
A. a deep underwater trench
B. a line of islands near land
C. an underwater mountain chain at a divergent boundary
D. a volcano found on land
C underwater mountain range at a divergent plate
Give the definition of the word or use it in a sentence that shows that you understand what it is
Mid ocean ridge
Answer should include that the mid ocean ridge is an underwater mountain range
A volcano has not erupted in over 200 years, but it sits on the edge of a tectonic plate. What is the BEST explanation for why it might still be considered dangerous?
A. All volcanoes are dangerous
B. It could erupt again due to plate movement
C. It is close to water
D. It is at a high altitude
B it could erupt again due to plate movement
Why were the Mesosaurus fossils found so far apart when they were once together?
The continents used to be connected but the plates diverged (moved apart) over a long period of time