Plate Tectonics

Question 1

composed primarily of a nickel-iron alloy

Answer 1

solid inner core

Question 2

2 300 km thick

composed of a nickel-iron alloy (but with less iron)

Answer 2

outer core

Question 3

very hot that the metals are in liquid state

Answer 3

outer core

Question 4

2 900 km thick

Answer 4

mantle

Question 5

compromises 70% of Earth’s volume

Answer 5

mantle

Question 6

outer silica-rich, solid crust, highly viscous

Answer 6

mantle

Question 7

outermost layer of the Earth

Answer 7

crust

Question 8

two types of crust

Answer 8

continental

oceanic

Question 9

thick (10-70 km)
buoyant (less dense)
contains some of the oldest rocks on Earth

Answer 9

continental crust

Question 10

thin (-7 km)

dense

Answer 10

oceanic crust

Question 11

what happens when the two types of crust meet?

Answer 11

oceanic crust will sink underneath continental crust

Question 12

deformation of the crust as a consequence of plate interaction

Answer 12

tectonic

Question 13

fill in the blanks: Each type of plate interaction causes a ————- set of —— structures or “————” features

Answer 13

characteristic, Earth, tectonic

Question 14

fill in the blanks: The Earth’s crust is divided into – major ——, moving in various directions

Answer 14

12, plates

Question 15

fill in the blanks: Plates are made of rigid ————–

Answer 15

lithosphere

Question 16

What makes up the lithosphere?

Answer 16

crust and upper mantle

Question 17

asthenosphere

Answer 17

below the lithosphere which makes up the tectonic plates

Question 18

how do plates move?

Answer 18

lithospheric plates are moved around by the underlying hot mantle convection cells

Question 19

fill in the blanks: in the ——–, hot ——— rises towards the lithosphere

Answer 19

mantle, material

Question 20

fill in the blanks: Hot material reaches the base of the ———— where it cools and —- back down through the mantle

Answer 20

lithosphere, sinks

Question 21

fill in the blanks: The —– material is replaced by more hot material forming a large ————- cell

Answer 21

cool, convection

Question 22

fill in the blanks: This —- but incessant movement in the ——- causes the rigid tectonic plates to move (float) around the Earth’s surface

Answer 22

slow, mantle

Question 23

what happens when plates meet?

Answer 23

they form plate boundaries

Question 24

types of plate boundaries

Answer 24

divergent
convergent
transform

Question 25

'spreading ridges'

Answer 25

divergent

Question 26

as plates move apart, new material is erupted to fill the gap

Answer 26

divergent

Question 27

example of continental rifting

Answer 27

Iceland

Question 28

fill in the blanks: Iceland has a ----------- plate boundary running through its middle

Answer 28

divergent

Question 29

plates move towards each other

Answer 29

convergent

Question 30

fill in the blanks: The three styles of convergent plate boundaries are defined by what type of ------ is coming together

Answer 30

crust

Question 31

styles of convergent plate boundaries

Answer 31

continent-continent collision continent-oceanic crust collision oceanic-oceanic plate collision

Question 32

forms mountains | i.e. Himalayas, Sierra Madre Mountain Range

Answer 32

continent-continent collision

Question 33

how are mountains formed?

Answer 33

continental crust pushes against continental crust neither side of the boundary wants to sink beneath the other side plates push against each other crust buckles and cracks pushing up high mountain ranges

Question 34

subduction occurs

Answer 34

continent-oceanic crust collision

Question 35

primarily solid sphere about 1 220 km situated at Earth's center

Answer 35

solid inner core

Question 36

where continental crust pushes against oceanic crust and sinks it below the continental crust because of its density

Answer 36

subduction zone

Question 37

oceanic crust which descends into the mantle at a rate of centimeters per year

Answer 37

subducting slab

Question 38

fill in the blanks: When the subducting slab reaches a ------ of around 100 km, it dehydrates and ----------- water into the overlying ------- wedge

Answer 38

depth, releases, mantle

Question 39

fill in the blanks: The addition of ----- into the mantle wedge changes the melting point of the molten material forming new ------ material which rises up into the overlying continental crust forming ----------

Answer 39

water, molten, volcanoes

Question 40

fill in the blanks: The world's deepest parts of the ocean are found along --------

Answer 40

trenches

Question 41

trench

Answer 41

very deep depression in the ocean floor formed by a bent subducting plate

Question 42

fill in the blanks: When two ------- plates collide, one runs over the other which causes it to sink into the -------- forming a ----------- ----

Answer 42

oceanic, mantle, subduction zone

Question 43

where plates slide past each other

Answer 43

transform plate boundaries

Question 44

How are volcanoes formed?

Answer 44

via subduction via rifting form at "Hotspots"

Question 45

True or False: Hotspots do not necessarily occur along a plate boundary

Answer 45

True

Question 46

hotspot volcanoes

Answer 46

can form in the middle of tectonic plates

Question 47

hot mantle plumes breaching the surface in the middle of a tectonic plate i.e. Hawaiian island chain

Answer 47

hotspot volcanoes

Question 48

fill in the blanks: As with volcanoes, -------------- are --- randomly distributed over the globe

Answer 48

earthquakes, not

Question 49

fill in the blanks: At plate boundaries, ------ causes them to stick together. ------------- occur when built up ----- causes them to break

Answer 49

friction, earthquakes, energy

Question 50

Earthquakes are NOT randomly distributed around the globe. Why?

Answer 50

They occur in linear patterns associated with plate boundaries.

Question 51

shaking of the ground caused by sudden motions along faults or fractures in the Earth's crust

Answer 51

earthquake

Question 52

fracture in the rocks that make up Earth's crust

Answer 52

fault

Question 53

massive rocks that make up the outer layer of the Earth's surface

Answer 53

plates

Question 54

movement along faults triggers earthquakes

Answer 54

plates

Question 55

point within the earth where an earthquake rupture starts

Answer 55

focus

Question 56

hypocenter

Answer 56

focus

Question 57

point at the Earth's surface directly above the focus

Answer 57

epicenter

Question 58

waves that transmit the energy released by an earthquake

Answer 58

seismic waves