Question 1

Compare and contrast the lithospheric mantle and the asthenosphere compositionally and behaviorally. Why is this so?

Accepted Answer

The lithospheric mantle and the asthenos

Question 2

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 3

Marine magnetic anomalies can be used to estimate the

Accepted Answer

A) rate of seafloor spreading. 
B) rate of seafloor subsidence. 
C) age of the seafloor sediments. 
D) rate of Earth's expansion. 
A) rate of seafloor spreading. 
B) rate of seafloor subsidence. 
C) age of the seafloor sediments. 
D) rate of Earth's expansion.

Question 4

The theory of __________ states that the lithosphere is broken into a series of plates that move relative to each other.

Accepted Answer

A) plate drift 
B) seafloor spreading 
C) continental drift 
D) plate tectonics 
A) plate drift 
B) seafloor spreading 
C) continental drift 
D) plate tectonics

Question 5

Unlike the lithosphere, the asthenosphere

Accepted Answer

A)  is able to flow over long periods. 
B)  has a density similar to the core. 
C) varies in thickness from place to place. 
D) is relatively cool. 
A)  is able to flow over long periods. 
B)  has a density similar to the core. 
C) varies in thickness from place to place. 
D) is relatively cool.

Question 6

The discovery of marine magnetic anomalies was so important to the theory of seafloor spreading because they

Accepted Answer

A) showed a record of marine fossils, which can be linked to geologic time. 
B) proved that Earth's magnetic field reverses polarity throughout history. 
C) showed an accurate record of the creation and movement of oceanic crust. 
D) allowed geologists to record the amount of oceanic crust formed. 
A) showed a record of marine fossils, which can be linked to geologic time. 
B) proved that Earth's magnetic field reverses polarity throughout history. 
C) showed an accurate record of the creation and movement of oceanic crust. 
D) allowed geologists to record the amount of oceanic crust formed.

Question 7

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 8

Seafloor spreading

Accepted Answer

A) recycles old oceanic crust. 
B) closes ocean basins. 
C) creates new continental crust. 
D) creates new oceanic crust. 
A) recycles old oceanic crust. 
B) closes ocean basins. 
C) creates new continental crust. 
D) creates new oceanic crust.

Question 9

Which of the following was NOT used as evidence by Alfred Wegener to support his theory of continental drift?

Accepted Answer

A) fossils 
B) matching mountain ranges 
C) seismic waves 
D) the "fit" of the continents 
A) fossils 
B) matching mountain ranges 
C) seismic waves 
D) the "fit" of the continents

Question 10

In the geologic past, the polarity of Earth's magnetic field is

Accepted Answer

A) unknown, but it is assumed to have been identical to today's. 
B) known to have stayed constant through geologic time, as shown by remnant magnetization of iron-rich minerals in rocks. 
C) known to have experienced numerous reversals, as shown by remnant magnetization of iron-rich minerals in rocks. 
D) known to have stayed constant through time, based on theoretical calculations. 
A) unknown, but it is assumed to have been identical to today's. 
B) known to have stayed constant through geologic time, as shown by remnant magnetization of iron-rich minerals in rocks. 
C) known to have experienced numerous reversals, as shown by remnant magnetization of iron-rich minerals in rocks. 
D) known to have stayed constant through time, based on theoretical calculations.

Question 11

According to the figure below, marine magnetic anomalies lay roughly __________ to mid-ocean ridges.

Accepted Answer

A) perpendicular 
B) parallel 
C) adjacent 
D) at an obtuse angle 
A) perpendicular 
B) parallel 
C) adjacent 
D) at an obtuse angle

Question 12

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 13

The discovery of seafloor spreading finally provided a mechanism for

Accepted Answer

A) subduction zones. 
B) continental drift. 
C) transgressions. 
D) normal faulting. 
A) subduction zones. 
B) continental drift. 
C) transgressions. 
D) normal faulting.

Question 14

Describe the process of seafloor spreading, making sure to address why the diameter of Earth is not growing.

Accepted Answer

As plates move apart at a divergent plat

Question 15

Evidence that glaciers once covered an area might include

Accepted Answer

A) glacial striations. 
B) glacial piles. 
C) remnants of ice. 
D) well-sorted sediment. 
A) glacial striations. 
B) glacial piles. 
C) remnants of ice. 
D) well-sorted sediment.

Question 16

Which of the following is MOST true of the lithosphere?

Accepted Answer

A) It is composed of the crust and uppermost part of the mantle. 
B) It is the same thing as the crust. 
C) It is a very ductile layer in the upper part of the mantle. 
D) It is the layer of the mantle directly below the asthenosphere. 
A) It is composed of the crust and uppermost part of the mantle. 
B) It is the same thing as the crust. 
C) It is a very ductile layer in the upper part of the mantle. 
D) It is the layer of the mantle directly below the asthenosphere.

Question 17

Which of the following was NOT used as evidence for seafloor spreading?

Accepted Answer

A) high heat flow at mid-ocean ridges 
B) jigsaw puzzle fit of the continents 
C) progressive change in age of crust 
D) changes in thickness of sediments 
A) high heat flow at mid-ocean ridges 
B) jigsaw puzzle fit of the continents 
C) progressive change in age of crust 
D) changes in thickness of sediments

Question 18

The Himalayan Mountains are the result of

Accepted Answer

A)  subduction. 
B)  continental rifting. 
C) continental collision. 
D) hot spot activity. 
A)  subduction. 
B)  continental rifting. 
C) continental collision. 
D) hot spot activity.

Question 19

Regions of the seafloor with positive magnetic anomalies were formed during times when Earth's magnetic field

Accepted Answer

A)  was exceptionally strong. 
B)  was exceptionally weak. 
C) had normal polarity. 
D) had reversed polarity. 
A)  was exceptionally strong. 
B)  was exceptionally weak. 
C) had normal polarity. 
D) had reversed polarity.

Exam 2: The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics

Compare and contrast the lithospheric mantle and the asthenosphere compositionally and behaviorally. Why is this so?

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

Marine magnetic anomalies can be used to estimate the

The theory of __________ states that the lithosphere is broken into a series of plates that move relative to each other.

Unlike the lithosphere, the asthenosphere

The discovery of marine magnetic anomalies was so important to the theory of seafloor spreading because they

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

Seafloor spreading

Which of the following was NOT used as evidence by Alfred Wegener to support his theory of continental drift?

In the geologic past, the polarity of Earth's magnetic field is

According to the figure below, marine magnetic anomalies lay roughly __________ to mid-ocean ridges.

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

The discovery of seafloor spreading finally provided a mechanism for

Describe the process of seafloor spreading, making sure to address why the diameter of Earth is not growing.

Evidence that glaciers once covered an area might include

Which of the following is MOST true of the lithosphere?

Which of the following was NOT used as evidence for seafloor spreading?

The Himalayan Mountains are the result of

Regions of the seafloor with positive magnetic anomalies were formed during times when Earth's magnetic field

The Earth in Context

Patterns in Nature: Minerals

Up From the Inferno: Magma and Igneous Rocks

A Surface Veneer: Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks

A Process of Change: Metamorphism and the Rock Cycle

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

A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes

Deep Time: How Old Is Old

A Biography of Earth

Riches in Rock: Energy and Mineral Resources

Shaping the Earths Surface: Landscapes, the Hydrologic Cycle, and Mass Wasting

Freshwater: Streams, Lakes, and Groundwater

Extreme Realms: Desert and Glacial Landscapes

Ocean Waters: the Blue of the Blue Marble

Marine Geology: the Study of Ocean Basins and Coasts

The Air We Breathe: Introducing Earths Atmosphere

Winds of the World: the Earths Major Weather Systems

Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, and Local Weather Systems

Climate and Climate Change

Our Solar System and Beyond

Our Neighborhood in Space

The Sun, Stars, and Deep Space

Prelude: Welcome to Earth Science

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