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Physic
Q:
Most of Earth's seismic activity, volcanism, and mountain building occur along
A) convergent boundaries.
B) divergent boundaries.
C) plate boundaries.
D) transform fault boundaries.
Q:
Regions in which earthquakes are common are also regions in which
A) hurricanes are common.
B) volcanoes are common.
C) the geomagnetic force is strong.
D) many fossils are found.
Q:
The theory of plate tectonics states that
A) the lithosphere is broken up into several plates that move about as a result of convective motion in the asthenosphere.
B) earthquakes and volcanic activity result from convection motion in the lithosphere.
C) buoyant lithospheric plates float on top of the rigid asthenosphere.
D) the plates move in conveyor-belt fashion as new crust is generated at the continental margins and destroyed at the mid-ocean ridges.
Q:
Two boundaries associated with seafloor spreading centers are
A) convergent boundaries and transform fault boundaries.
B) divergent boundaries and transform fault boundaries.
C) oceanic-oceanic boundaries and divergent boundaries.
D) divergent boundaries and convergent boundaries.
Q:
The relative movement of a strike-slip fault is
A) left to right.
B) right to left.
C) horizontal.
D) vertical.
Q:
Mountains tend to form in long narrow ranges because
A) of plate convergenceplates coming together.
B) pluton formation tends to develop in an elongate pattern rather than a bubble-like pattern.
C) of plate divergenceplates squeezing together.
D) they form next to oceanic boundaries.
Q:
If seafloor spreading creates new lithosphere, does the size of Earth change?
A) Yes, Earth is getting larger.
B) No, the extra crust is crumpled up to form mountains.
C) No, older crust is recycled back into the asthenosphere.
D) Yes, the Earth is shrinking because it is cooling.
Q:
Plate tectonics states that
A) the continents move through Earth's crust like an icebreaker through ice.
B) earthquakes occur because tectonic plates break like a dropped dinner plate.
C) tectonic plates have not moved since Pangaea broke up.
D) tectonic plates are in slow, but constant motion.
Q:
Tectonic plates are composed of the
A) crust and mantle.
B) lithosphere.
C) lithosphere and the asthenosphere.
D) crust.
Q:
The concept of seafloor spreading states that
A) Earth is expanding.
B) seafloor is created at mid-ocean ridges and destroyed at deep ocean trenches.
C) sea level is rising.
D) earthquakes occur underwater.
Q:
Convection in Earth's mantle is attributed to
A) sinking cold oceanic crust.
B) gravity and heat flow.
C) conduction of heat from Earth's core.
D) temperature differences between continental and oceanic crust.
Q:
As hot mantle rock rises, it expands. As it expands it cools. This cooler rock is
A) less dense so it keeps rising to form underwater volcanoes.
B) more dense so it sinks. This contributes to the heat flow convection process.
C) ocean crust.
D) unstable and explodes in a volcano.
Q:
Lithospheric plates move in response to
A) convection in Earth's interior.
B) upper mantle convection cells.
C) gravity and heat flow in the mantle.
D) convection cells generated by gravity and heat flow in the mantle.
Q:
Plate tectonics differs from continental drift because it
A) provides a credible driving force.
B) did not explain the fit between South America and Africa.
C) showed that ancient ice sheets did not exist.
D) showed that Pangaea broke up much later than predicted.
Q:
What are the eight major plates according to the theory of plate tectonics?
Q:
Describe how the different paths of polar wandering helped establish that continents move over geologic time.
Q:
Describe the seafloor spreading theory.
Q:
Why was it so important to survey the ocean floors?
A) People had a general curiosity of our planet.
B) To get a better understanding of polar wandering.
C) To know the topography and possible hiding places for submarines.
D) To find pirate treasure.
Q:
What evidence was used to support magnetic pole reversals?
A) apparent polar wandering and alternating magnetic stripe patterns on the ocean floor
B) paleomagnetism
C) normal and reverse polarity
D) continental drift and seafloor spreading
Q:
How did seafloor spreading suggest a driving force for continental drift?
A) Youngest seafloor is found near continents.
B) Seafloor spreading pushes continents.
C) Mantle convection causes irreversible slippage.
D) Subduction creates the youngest seafloor.
Q:
The main idea of seafloor spreading is that
A) lithosphere floats on the asthenosphere.
B) new crust forms at a spreading center and old crust is recycled at a subduction zone.
C) new crust is magnetized according to the existing magnetic field.
D) the seafloor never stops growing.
Q:
The theory of seafloor spreading is attributed to
A) Harry Hess.
B) Marie Tharp.
C) Alfred Wegener.
D) Richard Oldham.
Q:
Magnetic surveys of the ocean floors reveal
A) alternating stripes of normal and reversed polarity paralleling the mid-Atlantic ridge.
B) thin oceanic crust composed of basaltic rocks.
C) that reversed polarity is rare.
D) all of the above.
Q:
If the path of polar wandering found from two continents are not the same, then we can say that
A) Earth's magnetic history has been very complex.
B) at least one of the continents has moved.
C) our radioactive dating techniques have been inaccurate.
D) the continents have always been widely separated.
Q:
The rate of seafloor spreading can be calculated by
A) the magnetic pattern generated at the ocean floor.
B) knowing the dates for magnetic pole reversals, and the distance from the location of a known reversal site to the ocean ridge.
C) looking at the magnetic tape recording of the ocean floor.
D) the rate of seafloor spreading cannot be calculated.
Q:
Oceans are about four times as deep as mountains are high. At the bottom of the ocean are
A) towering mountains, deep valleys, and deep trenches near the continental borders.
B) thick layers of basaltic crust at mid-ocean ridges that gradually thin near deep ocean trenches.
C) towering plutonic mountains created from volcanoes and fissures at oceanic ridge areas.
D) all of these
Q:
The Earth's magnetic field
A) never appreciably changes.
B) has reversed itself many times.
C) is centered at Earth's core.
D) both B and C
Q:
The theory of seafloor spreading is supported by
A) geological, biological, and climatological data.
B) paleomagnetic analysis of the ocean's floor.
C) the change in Earth's polarity.
D) none of these
Q:
The ocean crust
A) becomes progressively younger away from the mid-ocean ridges.
B) is the same age worldwide.
C) becomes progressively older away from the mid-ocean ridge.
D) ranges in age, the oldest ocean crust is in the Atlantic and the youngest is in the Arctic.
Q:
When the magnetic field of Earth is reversed,
A) Earth flips over in its orbit.
B) Earth's rotation is also reversed.
C) newly formed mineral grains on the ocean floor are magnetized according to the new orientation of the magnetic field.
Q:
According to the theory of seafloor spreading, molten rock is rising up along
A) the mid-ocean ridges.
B) trenches that border continental margins.
C) islands surrounding the Pacific volcanic rim.
D) areas of sinking seafloor.
Q:
In the 1950s a plot of the position of the magnetic north pole through time revealed that
A) either the magnetic poles had migrated through time or the continents had moved.
B) polar magnetization varied from pole to pole.
C) over the past 500 million years the geographic poles changed position at least once or twice.
D) all of the above.
Q:
Paleomagnetism from a rock gives information on the
A) direction from the rock to the North Pole.
B) present-day magnetic field.
C) amount of iron in the rock.
D) magnetic field at the time the rock was formed.
Q:
Detailed mapping of the ocean floors revealed
A) huge mountain ranges beneath the oceans.
B) deep trenches near some of the continents.
C) that the oceans are equally deep at all locations.
D) huge mountain ranges on the ocean floor, and deep trenches near some of the continents.
Q:
What simple observation inspired Alfred Wegener's hypothesis of continental drift?
Q:
What are glacial striations, and how did Wegener use them to support his hypothesis of continental drift?
Q:
Describe the theory of continental drift.
Q:
How did plant and animal fossils influence the theory of continental drift?
Q:
What evidence did Wegener use to support his hypothesis of continental drift?
A) sea-floor spreading
B) paleoclimatic data
C) polar reversals
D) transform fault boundaries
Q:
The theory of continental drift is supported by paleoclimatic data, the jig-saw fit of the continents
A) paleontology, and paleomagnetic data.
B) and seafloor spreading.
C) transform boundaries, and paleontology.
D) at their continental margins, and paleontology.
Q:
Alfred Wegener supported his theory of continental drift by
A) fitting together the shorelines of the African and South American continents.
B) using paleoclimatic dataevidence of glaciers in the Northern Hemisphere.
C) paleomagnetic data.
D) making a connection between rocks, rock structures, and plant and animal fossils found in both Africa and South America.
Q:
Wegener's theory of continental drift
A) was first considered a monumental breakthrough in science.
B) was not accepted by the scientific community of the early 1900s.
C) proved that heat flows convectively below Earth's surface.
D) has been proved wrong.
Q:
The theory of continental drift is attributed to
A) H.H. Hess.
B) Alfred Wegener.
C) W. Loma Prieta.
D) Simon Tectonic.
Q:
Which of the following did Alfred Wegener not use to support his theory of continental drift?
A) paleoclimate data
B) similar fossils on widely separated continents
C) paleomagnetic data
D) similar rocks on widely separated continents
Q:
In a reconstruction of Earth's geologic past, the continents of Africa and South America fit best along the
A) shorelines.
B) continental shelves.
C) continental slopes.
D) ocean floors.
Q:
The theory of continental drift is supported by paleoclimate data, paleontology, and
A) paleomagnetic data.
B) seafloor spreading.
C) transform boundaries.
D) the jig-saw fit of the continents at their continental margins.
Q:
From first to last, what is the order that Earth's internal boundary layers were discovered?
Q:
What is the Mohorovicic discontinuity?
Q:
How does erosion and wearing away of a mountain affect the depth to which the crust extends into the asthenosphere?
Q:
What is the principle of isostasy, and what evidence supports it?
Q:
Does the fact that the mantle is beneath the crust necessarily mean that the mantle is denser than the crust? Explain.
Q:
What is the evidence for Earth's central core being solid?
Q:
The crustal surface varies in
A) composition, density, and thickness.
B) isostasy, density, and rock competence.
C) thicknessthe oceanic crust is thinner than the continental crust.
D) densitythe oceanic crust is heavier than the continental crust.
Q:
Compared with oceanic crust, continental crust is very buoyant because it is
A) composed of basaltic rock that contains air bubbles from successive lava flows.
B) composed of granitic rocks whereas oceanic crust is composed of basaltic rocks.
C) thinner and forms a thin upper skin on the oceanic crust below.
D) very young and fresh.
Q:
Isostasy is
A) crustal equilibrium relative to the mantle.
B) the buoyant force exerted on the mantle by oceanic crust.
C) the buoyant force exerted on the mantle by continental crust.
D) crustal equilibrium relative to Earth's surface.
Q:
The Earth's lithosphere
A) is the same as the crust.
B) consists of the crust and the asthenosphere.
C) is the same as the mantle.
D) consists of the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle.
Q:
The top of the mantle is the same as the
A) base of the core.
B) base of the lithosphere.
C) top of the asthenosphere.
D) base of the crust.
Q:
Movement of the lithosphere
A) has a plastic-like flow.
B) causes earthquakes and volcanic activity.
C) has a leisurely pace and allows the formation of gentle rolling hills.
D) is intermittent.
Q:
The lithosphere floats atop the
A) mantle.
B) crust.
C) asthenosphere.
D) mohorovicic.
Q:
The crustal surface and the uppermost part of the mantle is called the
A) asthenosphere.
B) lithosphere.
C) mohorovicic.
D) centrosphere.
Q:
Thermal convection movement in the upper mantle
A) generates the electric current that powers Earth's magnetic field.
B) greatly influences Earth's surface features.
C) heats Earth's core by frictional forces.
D) is usually negligible.
Q:
The upper mantle is the region known as the
A) asthenosphere.
B) lithosphere.
C) mohorovicic.
D) centrosphere.
Q:
The mantle is composed of
A) iron and nickel.
B) iron-rich silicate rocks.
C) half liquid and half rocky material.
D) solid rock.
Q:
The Earth's magnetic field is generated in
A) outer space.
B) the crust.
C) the mantle.
D) the outer core.
Q:
The primary evidence that the outer core is molten is an abrupt
A) increase in the velocity of P-waves, but no increase in S-waves.
B) increase in the velocity of L-waves.
C) stop of S-wave propagation, and a decrease in P-wave velocity.
D) stop of P-wave propagation, and a decrease in S-wave velocity.
Q:
The outer core is thought to be molten because it
A) is denser than the inner core.
B) will not transmit P-waves.
C) is made of iron and nickel.
D) will not transmit S-waves.
Q:
The outer core is liquid because
A) it is magnetically charged, and, like a magnet, energy flows from one region to another.
B) the inner core is solid.
C) there is less weight, and thus less pressure on it.
D) it is composed of molten iron.
Q:
The inner core is solid because
A) it is composed of iron and nickel.
B) the surrounding outer layers act as a blanket to insulate the core.
C) pressure from the weight of the surrounding layers prevents the inner core from melting.
D) none of these, for the inner core is not solid, but is liquid
Q:
Evidence to support that the inner core is solid and the outer core is liquid comes from
A) refraction of seismic waves as they encounter different mediums.
B) the wave shadow effect of P- and S-waves as they encounter the solid and liquid core.
C) the wave shadow effect of P- and S-waves, and the increase in velocity of P-waves as they encounter the solid inner core.
D) the inner core is not solid, but is liquid.
Q:
Earth's core is probably composed of
A) silicate minerals.
B) aluminum oxides.
C) an iron-nickel alloy.
D) calcium magnesium sulfate.
Q:
The Earth's layer with plastic-like behavior is the
A) mantle.
B) crust.
C) inner core.
D) outer core.
Q:
The outer core
A) has a plastic-like flow.
B) flows fast enough to power Earth's magnetic field.
C) is solid as a rock.
D) transmits S-waves.
Q:
The Mohorovicic discontinuity occurs because of a
A) change in temperature with depth.
B) shift in the density of minerals with the same composition.
C) change in the composition of rocks on both sides of the boundary.
D) density change in rocks of the same composition on both sides of the boundary.
Q:
The Mohorovicic discontinuity was discovered by observing
A) earthquake movement at Earth's surface.
B) seismograms of an earthquake.
C) changes in rock density.
D) all of these
Q:
The thickness of Earth's crust
A) varies from 10 km under the continents to 60 km under the oceans.
B) on average is about 10 km.
C) on average is about 60 km.
D) varies from 10 km under the oceans to 60 km under the continents.
Q:
The lithosphere rides on top of the asthenosphere. Lithospheric movement causes
A) earthquakes, volcanic activity, and mountain building activity.
B) the subduction of continental crust under oceanic crust.
C) hot-spot activity as found in Hawaii.
D) widespread destruction.
Q:
The lithosphere includes
A) continental and oceanic crust.
B) the crust and the upper part of the mantle.
C) part of the mantle and the crust.
D) continental and oceanic crust and the upper part of the mantle.
Q:
Continental crust extends farther down into the mantle than oceanic crust because
A) it is thicker than oceanic crust.
B) oceanic crust is buoyant and rides atop the mantle.
C) it is heavier than oceanic crust.
D) it sinks into the mantle and asthenosphere.
Q:
We can say that Earth's crust floats on the mantle because
A) the mantle is very hot and flows from internal convection.
B) part of the mantle is hot enough to flow as a plastic solid.
C) the continental crust floats on the oceanic crust.
D) the mantle is below the crust.
Q:
The upper mantle can be divided into two portions, the
A) asthenosphere (lower zone of the upper mantle) and part of the lithosphere (the top zone of the upper mantle).
B) asthenosphere (top zone of the upper mantle) and the lithosphere (the lower upper mantle).
C) Moho and the lithosphere.
D) continental mantle and the oceanic mantle.