Plate Tectonics: Earth's Crust in Motion - Interactive Learning Quizzes

Question 1

What is the name of the process by which two plates move apart from each other?

Accepted Answer

Seafloor spreading

Answer

Subduction

Answer

Collision

Question 2

What type of fault is associated with transform plate boundaries?

Accepted Answer

Strike-slip fault

Answer

Dip-slip fault

Answer

Thrust fault

Question 3

Which of the following instruments is used to record and measure the intensity of earthquakes?

Accepted Answer

Seismograph

Answer

Thermometer

Answer

Barometer

Question 4

What is the name of the ancient supercontinent that existed millions of years ago?

Accepted Answer

Pangaea

Answer

Gondwana

Answer

Laurasia

Question 5

What is the process by which plates move away from each other?

Accepted Answer

Diverging

Answer

Converging

Answer

Transforming

Answer

Subducting

Question 6

What is the name of the theory that explains the movement of the Earth's crust?

Accepted Answer

Theory of Plate Tectonics

Answer

Theory of Relativity

Answer

Theory of Evolution

Answer

Quantum Theory

Question 7

Which type of fault is associated with divergent plate boundaries?

Accepted Answer

Normal fault

Answer

Reverse fault

Answer

Strike-slip fault

Answer

Thrust fault

Question 8

What is the process by which one plate slides past another?

Accepted Answer

Transforming

Answer

Converging

Answer

Diverging

Answer

Subducting

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT a recognized type of plate boundary?

Accepted Answer

Volcanic boundary

Answer

Convergent boundary

Answer

Divergent boundary

Answer

Transform boundary

Question 10

Which of the following is a primary driving force responsible for plate tectonics?

Accepted Answer

Convection currents within the Earth's mantle

Answer

Gravitational pull of the moon

Answer

Rotation of the Earth

Answer

Solar radiation

Question 11

Prior to the breakup of continents, what was the name of the supercontinent that existed?

Accepted Answer

Pangea

Answer

Gondwana

Answer

Laurasia

Answer

Rodinia

Question 12

Which instrument is primarily used to measure the movement of tectonic plates?

Accepted Answer

Global Positioning System (GPS)

Answer

Seismometer

Answer

Laser interferometer

Answer

Magnetometer

Question 13

Which tectonic plate is the largest on Earth?

Accepted Answer

Pacific Plate

Answer

North American Plate

Answer

Eurasian Plate

Answer

African Plate

Question 14

What is the process by which oceanic crust sinks back into the mantle?

Accepted Answer

Subduction

Answer

Rifting

Answer

Collision

Answer

Metamorphism

Question 15

When two plates collide head-on, what type of plate boundary is formed?

Accepted Answer

Convergent

Answer

Divergent

Answer

Transform

Answer

Subduction

Question 16

What is the process known as when an oceanic plate slides below another plate?

Accepted Answer

Subduction

Answer

Collision

Answer

Rift

Answer

Faulting

Question 17

What was the name of the supercontinent that existed before the continents separated?

Accepted Answer

Pangea

Answer

Gondwana

Answer

Laurasia

Answer

Eurasia

Question 18

What is the name of the boundary between two oceanic plates that are moving apart?

Accepted Answer

Mid-ocean ridge

Answer

Subduction zone

Answer

Transform fault

Answer

Continental rift

Question 19

Which of the following is an example of an orogenic belt?

Accepted Answer

Himalayas

Answer

Pacific Ocean

Answer

Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Answer

Death Valley

Question 20

What occurs when a continental plate and an oceanic plate collide?

Accepted Answer

The oceanic plate subducts beneath the continental plate.

Answer

The continental plate subducts beneath the oceanic plate.

Answer

The plates slide past each other horizontally.

Answer

The plates collide and form mountains.

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT a recognized type of plate boundary?

Accepted Answer

Subduction

Answer

Convergent

Answer

Divergent

Answer

Transform

Question 22

What is the name of the scientific theory that explains the movement and interaction of the Earth's lithosphere?

Accepted Answer

Plate Tectonics Theory

Answer

Theory of Relativity

Answer

Continental Drift Theory

Answer

Seafloor Spreading Theory

Question 23

What is the process called when an oceanic plate slides beneath a continental plate?

Accepted Answer

Subduction

Answer

Obduction

Answer

Collision

Answer

Rift

Question 24

Which of the following features is typically associated with divergent plate boundaries?

Accepted Answer

Rift valleys

Answer

Trenches

Answer

Folded mountains

Answer

Volcanoes

Question 25

What type of plate boundary forms when two plates slide past each other horizontally?

Accepted Answer

Transform

Answer

Convergent

Answer

Divergent

Answer

Destructive

Question 26

Which of the following examples best illustrates the concept of continental drift?

Accepted Answer

Creation of the Atlantic Ocean

Answer

Formation of the Himalayas

Answer

Eruption of Mount Vesuvius

Answer

Earthquake in San Francisco

Question 27

What is the name of the supercontinent that existed approximately 335 million years ago?

Accepted Answer

Pangea

Answer

Gondwana

Answer

Laurasia

Answer

Rodinia

Question 28

Which of the following is a primary driving force behind plate movement?

Accepted Answer

Convection currents in the mantle

Answer

Earth's rotation

Answer

Gravitational pull of the moon

Answer

Solar radiation

Question 29

What type of rock is commonly found at divergent plate boundaries?

Accepted Answer

Basalt

Answer

Granite

Answer

Sandstone

Answer

Limestone

Question 30

What is the process by which one tectonic plate slides beneath another?

Accepted Answer

Subduction

Answer

Obduction

Answer

Collision

Answer

Accretion

Question 31

What is the primary driving force behind plate tectonics?

Accepted Answer

Convection currents in the Earth's mantle

Answer

Gravitational forces

Answer

Tidal forces

Answer

Centrifugal force

Question 32

What was the name of the supercontinent that existed approximately 200 million years ago?

Accepted Answer

Pangea

Answer

Gondwana

Answer

Laurasia

Answer

Rodinia

Question 33

What is the name of the plate boundary between the Pacific and North American plates?

Accepted Answer

Cascadia Subduction Zone

Answer

San Andreas Fault

Answer

Juan de Fuca Ridge

Answer

East Pacific Rise

Question 34

What is the scientific theory that explains the movement and interaction of Earth's lithospheric plates?

Accepted Answer

Plate Tectonics Theory

Answer

Continental Drift Theory

Answer

Seafloor Spreading Theory

Answer

Subduction Theory

Question 35

When two continental plates converge, which of the following is most likely to occur?

Accepted Answer

Formation of mountain ranges

Answer

Formation of oceanic trenches

Answer

Formation of rift valleys

Answer

Formation of volcanoes

Question 36

What is the process by which new oceanic crust is created?

Accepted Answer

Divergence

Answer

Subduction

Answer

Collision

Answer

Accretion

Question 37

Which theory best explains the movement of the Earth's lithosphere?

Accepted Answer

Plate tectonics theory

Answer

Seafloor spreading theory

Answer

Continental drift theory

Answer

Theory of isostasy

Question 38

Which type of plate boundary is associated with the formation of the Great Rift Valley in Africa?

Accepted Answer

Divergent

Answer

Convergent

Answer

Transform

Answer

Collision

Question 39

What is the process by which one tectonic plate slides beneath another?

Accepted Answer

Subduction

Answer

Obduction

Answer

Collision

Answer

Accretion

Question 40

What is the name of the supercontinent that existed approximately 250 million years ago?

Accepted Answer

Pangea

Answer

Gondwana

Answer

Laurasia

Answer

Rodinia

Question 41

Which of the following is NOT a type of plate boundary?

Accepted Answer

Oblique-slip

Answer

Convergent

Answer

Divergent

Answer

Transform

Question 42

What type of plate boundary is responsible for the formation of mountains?

Accepted Answer

Convergent

Answer

Divergent

Answer

Transform

Answer

Subduction

Question 43

Which of the following is a characteristic of a convergent plate boundary?

Accepted Answer

Plates move towards each other.

Answer

Plates move parallel to each other.

Answer

Plates move away from each other.

Answer

Plates slide past each other.

Question 44

What is the name of the supercontinent that existed before the current continents?

Accepted Answer

Pangea

Answer

Gondwana

Answer

Laurasia

Answer

Rodinia

Question 45

Which of the following is a major driving force behind plate tectonics?

Accepted Answer

Convection currents in Earth's mantle

Answer

Spin of the Earth

Answer

Gravitational pull from the Moon

Answer

Solar energy

Question 46

At a convergent boundary where continental crust and oceanic crust interact, which process occurs?

Accepted Answer

Subduction of the oceanic crust beneath the continental crust

Answer

Compression and crumpling

Answer

Rift formation

Answer

Lateral sliding movement

Question 47

Which prominent mountain range resulted from the collision of two continental plates?

Accepted Answer

Himalayan Mountains

Answer

Andes Mountains

Answer

Alps Mountains

Answer

Rocky Mountains

Question 48

Which type of plate boundary is associated with the creation of new oceanic crust?

Accepted Answer

Divergent boundary

Answer

Collision boundary

Answer

Convergent boundary

Answer

Transform boundary

Question 49

What is the primary driving force behind the movement of Earth's tectonic plates?

Accepted Answer

Convection currents within the mantle

Answer

Gravity

Answer

Wind

Question 50

Which type of transform boundary is characterized by earthquakes but not volcanic activity?

Accepted Answer

Conservative transform boundary

Answer

Oblique transform boundary

Answer

Inactive transform boundary

Answer

Active transform boundary

Question 51

What process is responsible for the formation of new crust at mid-ocean ridges?

Accepted Answer

Seafloor spreading

Answer

Collision

Answer

Subduction

Answer

Accretion

Question 52

Which of the following geological phenomena are a direct result of the movement of tectonic plates?

Accepted Answer

Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and the formation of mountain ranges

Answer

Climate change

Answer

Weather patterns

Answer

Ocean currents

Question 53

In which layer of the Earth do convection currents occur, driving plate tectonics?

Accepted Answer

Mantle

Answer

Core

Answer

Crust

Answer

Lithosphere