Question 1

Summed over the entire surface of Earth,the rate of spreading at divergent boundaries is ________ lithospheric consumption at subduction zones.

Accepted Answer

A) faster than 
B) slower than 
C) equal to 
D) This cannot yet be measured by geologists. 
A) faster than 
B) slower than 
C) equal to 
D) This cannot yet be measured by geologists.

Question 2

The theory of plate tectonics ________.

Accepted Answer

A) incorporates continental drift but not seafloor spreading 
B) incorporates seafloor spreading but not continental drift 
C) incorporates and explains both seafloor spreading and continental drift 
D) does not incorporate seafloor spreading or continental drift 
A) incorporates continental drift but not seafloor spreading 
B) incorporates seafloor spreading but not continental drift 
C) incorporates and explains both seafloor spreading and continental drift 
D) does not incorporate seafloor spreading or continental drift

Question 3

Mid-ocean ridges are segmented and contain which two basic types of plate boundaries linked together?

Accepted Answer

A) divergent and convergent 
B) convergent and transform 
C) divergent and transform 
D) conformal and transvergent 
A) divergent and convergent 
B) convergent and transform 
C) divergent and transform 
D) conformal and transvergent

Question 4

In a hot-spot volcanic island chain,such as the Hawaiian Islands,which of the following is NOT true?

Accepted Answer

A) All volcanoes in the chain can be simultaneously active. 
B) The ages and distance between volcanoes can be used to calculate plate velocities. 
C) The presence of volcanism is not related to a plate boundary. 
D) The magma source stays approximately fixed,but motion of the overriding plate forms a hot-spot track. 
A) All volcanoes in the chain can be simultaneously active. 
B) The ages and distance between volcanoes can be used to calculate plate velocities. 
C) The presence of volcanism is not related to a plate boundary. 
D) The magma source stays approximately fixed,but motion of the overriding plate forms a hot-spot track.

Question 5

The primary difference between lithospheric and asthenospheric mantle that gives rise to numerous different patterns of physical behavior is ________.

Accepted Answer

A) physical state: the lithosphere is solid;the asthenosphere is liquid 
B) chemical composition: the lithosphere is mafic;the asthenosphere is felsic 
C) temperature: the lithosphere is cooler than the asthenosphere 
D) chemical composition: the lithosphere is felsic;the asthenosphere is mafic 
A) physical state: the lithosphere is solid;the asthenosphere is liquid 
B) chemical composition: the lithosphere is mafic;the asthenosphere is felsic 
C) temperature: the lithosphere is cooler than the asthenosphere 
D) chemical composition: the lithosphere is felsic;the asthenosphere is mafic

Question 6

The rate of motion of a lithospheric plate with respect to a stationary location inside the Earth is termed ________,while the motion of a plate with respect to another is termed ________.

Accepted Answer

A) absolute plate velocity;relative plate velocity 
B) relative plate velocity;absolute plate velocity 
C) Both are measures of absolute velocity. 
D) Both are measures of relative velocity. 
A) absolute plate velocity;relative plate velocity 
B) relative plate velocity;absolute plate velocity 
C) Both are measures of absolute velocity. 
D) Both are measures of relative velocity.

Question 7

Which of the following statements is true concerning rock produced at mid-ocean ridges?

Accepted Answer

A) All of the rock produced is basalt. 
B) All of the rock produced is gabbro. 
C) Basalt is produced at shallow depths and gabbro at deeper depths. 
D) Gabbro is produced at shallow depths and basalt at deeper depths. 
A) All of the rock produced is basalt. 
B) All of the rock produced is gabbro. 
C) Basalt is produced at shallow depths and gabbro at deeper depths. 
D) Gabbro is produced at shallow depths and basalt at deeper depths.

Question 8

Hot-spot tracks result from moving ________.

Accepted Answer

A) mantle plumes 
B) plates 
C) hot spots 
D) asthenosphere 
A) mantle plumes 
B) plates 
C) hot spots 
D) asthenosphere

Question 9

A triple junction,like the one shown below,is a place on Earth's surface where ________.

Accepted Answer

A) three volcanoes form a tight,triangular cluster 
B) glacial ice,continental rocks,and the ocean can be found together 
C) the boundaries of three lithospheric plates meet at a single point 
D) all three of the basic rock types are found in the same location 
A) three volcanoes form a tight,triangular cluster 
B) glacial ice,continental rocks,and the ocean can be found together 
C) the boundaries of three lithospheric plates meet at a single point 
D) all three of the basic rock types are found in the same location

Question 10

In the scope of plate tectonics,an active margin is defined as ________.

Accepted Answer

A) synonymous with "subduction zone" 
B) a five-mile radius surrounding an active volcano 
C) a continental coastline that coincides with a plate boundary 
D) anywhere on Earth where earthquakes are especially frequent 
A) synonymous with "subduction zone" 
B) a five-mile radius surrounding an active volcano 
C) a continental coastline that coincides with a plate boundary 
D) anywhere on Earth where earthquakes are especially frequent

Question 11

The lithosphere of the Earth is generally thinnest at ________ plate boundaries.

Accepted Answer

A) convergent 
B) divergent 
C) transform 
D) transvergent 
A) convergent 
B) divergent 
C) transform 
D) transvergent

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT true about Earth's tectonic plates?

Accepted Answer

A) Tectonic plates vary greatly in size. 
B) Some tectonic plates contain only oceanic lithosphere. 
C) Some tectonic plates contain only continental lithosphere. 
D) Some tectonic plates contain both oceanic and continental lithosphere. 
A) Tectonic plates vary greatly in size. 
B) Some tectonic plates contain only oceanic lithosphere. 
C) Some tectonic plates contain only continental lithosphere. 
D) Some tectonic plates contain both oceanic and continental lithosphere.

Question 13

Continental coastlines that occur within the interior of a tectonic plate are called ________ margins.

Accepted Answer

A) internal 
B) passive 
C) active 
D) inert 
A) internal 
B) passive 
C) active 
D) inert

Question 14

Which basic type of plate boundary is shown in the image below?

Accepted Answer

A) divergent 
B) convergent 
C) transvergent 
D) transform 
A) divergent 
B) convergent 
C) transvergent 
D) transform

Question 15

Hot spots can occur ________.

Accepted Answer

A) only within continental plates 
B) only within oceanic plates 
C) within either continental or oceanic plates 
D) only when the thickness of the crust is less than 10 km 
A) only within continental plates 
B) only within oceanic plates 
C) within either continental or oceanic plates 
D) only when the thickness of the crust is less than 10 km

Question 16

The image below shows a view of a typical segmented mid-ocean ridge.Which letter below marks the location of the active transform fault?

Accepted Answer

A) A 
B) B 
C) C 
D) D 
A) A 
B) B 
C) C 
D) D

Question 17

At a subduction zone,the downgoing (subducting)plate ________.

Accepted Answer

A) is always composed of continental lithosphere 
B) is always composed of oceanic lithosphere 
C) may be composed of either oceanic or continental lithosphere 
D) is composed entirely of asthenosphere 
A) is always composed of continental lithosphere 
B) is always composed of oceanic lithosphere 
C) may be composed of either oceanic or continental lithosphere 
D) is composed entirely of asthenosphere

Exam 4: The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics

Summed over the entire surface of Earth,the rate of spreading at divergent boundaries is ________ lithospheric consumption at subduction zones.

The theory of plate tectonics ________.

Mid-ocean ridges are segmented and contain which two basic types of plate boundaries linked together?

In a hot-spot volcanic island chain,such as the Hawaiian Islands,which of the following is NOT true?

The primary difference between lithospheric and asthenospheric mantle that gives rise to numerous different patterns of physical behavior is ________.

The rate of motion of a lithospheric plate with respect to a stationary location inside the Earth is termed ________,while the motion of a plate with respect to another is termed ________.

Which of the following statements is true concerning rock produced at mid-ocean ridges?

Hot-spot tracks result from moving ________.

A triple junction,like the one shown below,is a place on Earth's surface where ________.

In the scope of plate tectonics,an active margin is defined as ________.

The lithosphere of the Earth is generally thinnest at ________ plate boundaries.

Which of the following is NOT true about Earth's tectonic plates?

Continental coastlines that occur within the interior of a tectonic plate are called ________ margins.

Which basic type of plate boundary is shown in the image below?

Hot spots can occur ________.

The image below shows a view of a typical segmented mid-ocean ridge.Which letter below marks the location of the active transform fault?

At a subduction zone,the downgoing (subducting)plate ________.

Cosmology and the Birth of Earth

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Drifting Continents and Spreading Seas

Patterns in Nature: Minerals

Up From the Inferno: Magma and Igneous Rocks

Pages of Earths Past: Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphism: a Process of Change

The Wrath of Vulcan: Volcanic Eruptions

A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes

Crags,cracks,and Crumples: Crustal Deformation and Mountain Building

Deep Time: How Old Is Old

A Biography of Earth

Squeezing Power From a Stone: Energy Resources

Riches in Rock: Mineral Resources

Unsafe Ground: Landslides and Other Mass Movements

Streams and Floods: the Geology of Running Water

Restless Realm: Oceans and Coasts

A Hidden Reserve: Groundwater

An Envelope of Gas: Earths Atmosphere and Climate

Dry Regions: the Geology of Deserts

Amazing Ice: Glaciers and Ice Ages

Global Change in the Earth System

Introducing Rocks

a Surface Veneer: Sediments and Soils

the Rock Cycle in the Earth System

the Earths Interior, revisited: Seismic Layering, gravity, and the Magnetic Field

Memories of Past Life: Fossils and Evolution

Ever-Changing Landscapes and the Hydrologic Cycle

Filters

The rate of motion of a lithospheric plate with respect to a stationary location inside the Earth is termed ,while the motion of a plate with respect to another is termed .