Question 1

Consult the figure below.Most of the pulling force driving plate motion is produced ____________.

Accepted Answer

A) at mid-ocean ridges 
B) at subduction zones 
C) at collision zones 
D) in the interiors of continental plates 
A) at mid-ocean ridges 
B) at subduction zones 
C) at collision zones 
D) in the interiors of continental plates

Question 2

Hot spots are caused by ____________.

Accepted Answer

A) friction due to the lithosphere sliding atop the asthenosphere 
B) unusually dense concentrations of radioactive isotopes at various points in the crust 
C) hot plumes of mantle material that rises up through cooler,denser surrounding rock 
D) factors that remain completely unknown at this time 
A) friction due to the lithosphere sliding atop the asthenosphere 
B) unusually dense concentrations of radioactive isotopes at various points in the crust 
C) hot plumes of mantle material that rises up through cooler,denser surrounding rock 
D) factors that remain completely unknown at this time

Question 3

According to the figure below,every plate boundary can be recognized by ____________.

Accepted Answer

A) the presence of active volcanoes 
B) the presence of an earthquake belt 
C) a deep chasm that can be seen from space 
D) None of the above are correct. 
A) the presence of active volcanoes 
B) the presence of an earthquake belt 
C) a deep chasm that can be seen from space 
D) None of the above are correct.

Question 4

Slab pull occurs because subducting slabs are ____________.

Accepted Answer

A) less mafic,and therefore less dense,than surrounding asthenosphere 
B) cooler,and therefore more dense,than surrounding asthenosphere 
C) hotter,and therefore more dense,than surrounding asthenosphere 
D) cooler,and therefore less dense,than surrounding asthenosphere 
A) less mafic,and therefore less dense,than surrounding asthenosphere 
B) cooler,and therefore more dense,than surrounding asthenosphere 
C) hotter,and therefore more dense,than surrounding asthenosphere 
D) cooler,and therefore less dense,than surrounding asthenosphere

Question 5

Summed over the entire surface of Earth,____________.

Accepted Answer

A) the rate of lithospheric production at ridges is greater than the rate of lithospheric consumption at subduction zones 
B) the rate of lithospheric consumption at subduction zones is greater than the rate of lithospheric production at ridges 
C) rates of lithospheric production and consumption are equal 
A) the rate of lithospheric production at ridges is greater than the rate of lithospheric consumption at subduction zones 
B) the rate of lithospheric consumption at subduction zones is greater than the rate of lithospheric production at ridges 
C) rates of lithospheric production and consumption are equal

Question 6

When two bodies of continental lithosphere are pulled together at a convergent boundary,the result is ____________.

Accepted Answer

A) subduction 
B) collision and mountain formation 
A) subduction 
B) collision and mountain formation

Question 7

Within the terminology of plate tectonics,an active margin is ____________.

Accepted Answer

A) synonymous with "subduction zone" 
B) a 5-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 5-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 8

Iceland is one of the few places in the world that is both above sea level and situated atop a ____________ plate boundary.

Accepted Answer

A) convergent 
B) divergent 
C) transform 
A) convergent 
B) divergent 
C) transform

Question 9

As compared to a slowly spreading mid-ocean ridge,a rapidly spreading ridge is ____________.

Accepted Answer

A) wider 
B) narrower 
C) more silicic in lava composition 
A) wider 
B) narrower 
C) more silicic in lava composition

Question 10

At a subduction zone,the overriding 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 
A) is always composed of continental lithosphere 
B) is always composed of oceanic lithosphere 
C) may be composed of either oceanic or continental lithosphere

Question 11

Tectonic plates move at rates that are approximately ____________.

Accepted Answer

A) 1 to 5 cm every 1,000 years 
B) 1 to 15 cm/year 
C) 1 to 15 m/year 
D) 10 to 100 m/year 
A) 1 to 5 cm every 1,000 years 
B) 1 to 15 cm/year 
C) 1 to 15 m/year 
D) 10 to 100 m/year

Question 12

Subducted slabs have never been detected below the Wadati-Benioff zone.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

The youngest sea floor occurs ____________.

Accepted Answer

A) along passive margins 
B) along active margins 
C) along mid-ocean ridges 
D) randomly over the entire ocean basin 
A) along passive margins 
B) along active margins 
C) along mid-ocean ridges 
D) randomly over the entire ocean basin

Question 14

At transform plate boundaries ____________.

Accepted Answer

A) earthquakes are common but volcanoes are absent 
B) volcanoes are common but earthquakes do not occur 
C) both earthquakes and volcanoes are common 
A) earthquakes are common but volcanoes are absent 
B) volcanoes are common but earthquakes do not occur 
C) both earthquakes and volcanoes are common

Question 15

Unlike the lithosphere,the asthenosphere ____________.

Accepted Answer

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

Question 16

Deformed (bent,stretched,or cracked)lithosphere occurs ____________.

Accepted Answer

A) randomly over the surface of Earth 
B) primarily within the interiors of tectonic plates 
C) primarily on the margins of tectonic plates 
A) randomly over the surface of Earth 
B) primarily within the interiors of tectonic plates 
C) primarily on the margins of tectonic plates

Question 17

The mid-ocean ridges are elevated above the surrounding sea floor because ____________.

Accepted Answer

A) ridge rocks are hot and therefore of relatively low density 
B) the lithospheric plates are thickest at the ridges so they stand up taller 
C) rising ocean currents leave a vacuum above the ridge 
D) ridge rocks are mafic,whereas the ocean basin crust consists of ultramafic rock 
A) ridge rocks are hot and therefore of relatively low density 
B) the lithospheric plates are thickest at the ridges so they stand up taller 
C) rising ocean currents leave a vacuum above the ridge 
D) ridge rocks are mafic,whereas the ocean basin crust consists of ultramafic rock

Question 18

Broad,sediment-covered continental shelves are found along ____________.

Accepted Answer

A) active margins 
B) passive margins 
A) active margins 
B) passive margins

Question 19

The rate of motion of a lithospheric plate with respect to a stationary hot spot is termed ____________.

Accepted Answer

A) relative plate velocity 
B) absolute plate velocity 
A) relative plate velocity 
B) absolute plate velocity

Question 20

Continental lithosphere ____________.

Accepted Answer

A) is thicker than oceanic lithosphere 
B) contains more mafic rocks than oceanic lithosphere 
C) is denser than oceanic lithosphere 
D) contains no crustal material,consisting solely of lithified upper mantle 
A) is thicker than oceanic lithosphere 
B) contains more mafic rocks than oceanic lithosphere 
C) is denser than oceanic lithosphere 
D) contains no crustal material,consisting solely of lithified upper mantle

Exam 4: The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics

Consult the figure below.Most of the pulling force driving plate motion is produced ____________.

Hot spots are caused by ____________.

According to the figure below,every plate boundary can be recognized by ____________.

Slab pull occurs because subducting slabs are ____________.

Summed over the entire surface of Earth,____________.

When two bodies of continental lithosphere are pulled together at a convergent boundary,the result is ____________.

Within the terminology of plate tectonics,an active margin is ____________.

Iceland is one of the few places in the world that is both above sea level and situated atop a ____________ plate boundary.

As compared to a slowly spreading mid-ocean ridge,a rapidly spreading ridge is ____________.

At a subduction zone,the overriding plate ____________.

Tectonic plates move at rates that are approximately ____________.

Subducted slabs have never been detected below the Wadati-Benioff zone.

The youngest sea floor occurs ____________.

At transform plate boundaries ____________.

Unlike the lithosphere,the asthenosphere ____________.

Deformed (bent,stretched,or cracked)lithosphere occurs ____________.

The mid-ocean ridges are elevated above the surrounding sea floor because ____________.

Broad,sediment-covered continental shelves are found along ____________.

The rate of motion of a lithospheric plate with respect to a stationary hot spot is termed ____________.

Continental lithosphere ____________.

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 Rock

Pages of Earths Past: Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphism: A Process of Change

The Wrath of Vulcan: Volcanic Eruptions

A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes

Cracks, crags, 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 Settings: the Geology of Deserts

Amazing Ice: Glaciers and Ice Ages

Global Change in the Earth System

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