Plate Tectonics Quizzes: Test Your Knowledge of Earth's Crustal Movements

Question 1

Which of Earth's layers is the solid, outermost layer?

Accepted Answer

Crust

Answer

Mantle

Answer

Outer core

Answer

Inner core

Question 2

What type of plate boundary is formed when two plates move away from each other?

Accepted Answer

Divergent

Answer

Convergent

Answer

Transform

Answer

Subduction

Question 3

What is the process by which one plate moves beneath another?

Accepted Answer

Subduction

Answer

Rifting

Answer

Collision

Answer

Transform movement

Question 4

Which of the following is a type of seismic wave that travels primarily through the Earth's crust?

Accepted Answer

Surface wave

Answer

P-wave

Answer

S-wave

Answer

Love wave

Question 5

What is the theory that explains the movement of the Earth's lithosphere?

Accepted Answer

Plate tectonics

Answer

Continental drift

Answer

Seafloor spreading

Answer

Isostasy

Question 6

Which of the following mechanisms is the primary driver of tectonic plate movement?

Accepted Answer

Convection currents within the mantle

Answer

Magnetic fields generated in the Earth's core

Answer

Gravitational pull from the Moon and Sun

Answer

Tidal forces acting on the Earth's surface

Question 7

What term describes the vast, rigid sections of the Earth's lithosphere that move as a single unit?

Accepted Answer

Tectonic plates

Answer

Continental crust

Answer

Oceanic crust

Answer

Mantle plumes

Question 8

What is the name of the geological feature formed when tectonic plates slide past each other horizontally?

Accepted Answer

Fault

Answer

Fold

Answer

Earth pillar

Answer

Caldera

Question 9

Which layer of the Earth is believed to be solid and primarily composed of iron and nickel?

Accepted Answer

Inner Core

Answer

Crust

Answer

Mantle

Answer

Outer Core

Question 10

What type of plate boundary occurs when two plates move towards each other and collide?

Accepted Answer

Convergent

Answer

Divergent

Answer

Transform

Answer

Destructive

Question 11

What is the term for a large, flat piece of the Earth's crust that moves as a single unit?

Accepted Answer

Plate

Answer

Block

Answer

Fault

Answer

Fold

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT a type of convergent plate boundary?

Accepted Answer

Transform

Answer

Oceanic-oceanic

Answer

Oceanic-continental

Answer

Continental-continental

Question 13

What is the process by which new oceanic crust is formed?

Accepted Answer

Seafloor spreading

Answer

Subduction

Answer

Orogeny

Answer

Erosion

Question 14

Which type of plate boundary is associated with earthquakes and volcanoes?

Accepted Answer

Convergent

Answer

Divergent

Answer

Transform

Answer

Conservative

Question 15

What is the term for the boundary between two tectonic plates that are moving past each other horizontally?

Accepted Answer

Transform boundary

Answer

Fault

Answer

Rift

Answer

Fold

Question 16

Which of the following is a major tectonic plate located in the Pacific Ocean?

Accepted Answer

Nazca Plate

Answer

African Plate

Answer

Eurasian Plate

Answer

North American Plate

Question 17

What is ridge push?

Accepted Answer

The force that drives tectonic plates apart at divergent plate boundaries

Answer

The force that drives tectonic plates towards convergent plate boundaries

Answer

The force that causes plates to move vertically

Answer

The force that prevents plates from moving

Question 18

According to the theory of plate tectonics, the Earth's lithosphere is fragmented into:

Accepted Answer

Tectonic plates that move over the asthenosphere

Answer

Continents and oceans only

Answer

Mountain ranges and valleys

Answer

Seismic zones and fault lines

Question 19

Which process is responsible for the creation of new oceanic crust and expansion of the seafloor?

Accepted Answer

Seafloor spreading

Answer

Subduction

Answer

Continental drift

Answer

Mountain building processes

Question 20

The primary driving force behind the movement of tectonic plates is:

Accepted Answer

Convection currents within the Earth's mantle

Answer

Gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and Sun

Answer

Wind patterns and ocean currents

Answer

Solar energy absorbed by the Earth's surface

Question 21

Which of the following is a large-scale geological feature formed by the collision of two continental plates?

Accepted Answer

Fold mountains

Answer

Oceanic trenches

Answer

Hotspots

Answer

Volcanic arcs

Question 22

Which of the following is NOT a layer of the Earth's interior?

Accepted Answer

Atmosphere

Answer

Crust

Answer

Mantle

Answer

Asthenosphere

Question 23

Which type of plate boundary is characterized by plates moving away from each other?

Accepted Answer

Divergent boundary

Answer

Convergent boundary

Answer

Transform boundary

Answer

Subduction zone

Question 24

Which of the following is NOT considered a piece of evidence supporting the theory of plate tectonics?

Accepted Answer

The fact that Earth has a spherical shape

Answer

Matching fossil records across continents

Answer

Magnetic reversals recorded in ocean floor rocks

Answer

Volcanic activity concentrated along plate boundaries

Question 25

What is the general relationship between the age of continental crust and its thickness?

Accepted Answer

Older continental crust tends to be thicker

Answer

Younger continental crust tends to be thicker

Answer

There is no correlation between age and thickness

Answer

The relationship varies depending on location

Question 26

Which type of volcanic eruption is characterized by explosive eruptions with large volumes of ash and gas?

Accepted Answer

Vulcanian eruption

Answer

Hawaiian eruption

Answer

Strombolian eruption

Answer

Pelean eruption

Question 27

How do convection currents in the mantle contribute to the movement of tectonic plates?

Accepted Answer

They circulate the mantle, which drags the plates along.

Answer

They heat the crust, causing it to expand and push the plates apart.

Answer

They create pressure that forces the plates to move.

Answer

They transfer heat away from the core, causing the plates to move.

Question 28

The process through which new oceanic crust is created at divergent plate boundaries is called:

Accepted Answer

Seafloor spreading

Answer

Subduction

Answer

Obduction

Answer

Volcanism

Question 29

Which force is the primary driving force behind the movement of Earth's tectonic plates?

Accepted Answer

Convection currents

Answer

Gravitational force

Answer

Frictional force

Answer

Electromagnetic force

Question 30

When two continental plates collide, which type of landform is commonly formed?

Accepted Answer

Mountain range

Answer

Mid-ocean ridge

Answer

Volcanic island arc

Answer

Oceanic trench

Question 31

Which of the following is not a hazard associated with plate tectonics?

Accepted Answer

Hurricanes

Answer

Earthquakes

Answer

Volcanic eruptions

Answer

Tsunamis

Question 32

Who is credited with first proposing the theory of plate tectonics?

Accepted Answer

Alfred Wegener

Answer

James Hutton

Answer

Charles Darwin

Answer

Marie Curie

Question 33

Which of the following is the most expansive tectonic plate on Earth?

Accepted Answer

Pacific Plate

Answer

North American Plate

Answer

Eurasian Plate

Answer

African Plate

Question 34

Which of the following is a major driving force behind plate movement?

Accepted Answer

Convection currents in the mantle

Answer

Gravitational pull from the moon

Answer

Tidal forces from the oceans

Answer

Rotation of the Earth's core

Question 35

The San Andreas Fault in California is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Transform boundary

Answer

Convergent boundary

Answer

Divergent boundary

Question 36

Which of the following is a likely effect of continental collision?

Accepted Answer

Formation of fold mountains

Answer

Subduction of oceanic crust

Answer

Creation of new ocean basins

Answer

Volcanic eruptions

Question 37

Which type of seismic wave travels through liquids but not solids?

Accepted Answer

Surface wave

Answer

P-wave

Answer

S-wave

Question 38

Who is credited with first proposing the theory of continental drift?

Accepted Answer

Alfred Wegener

Answer

Charles Lyell

Answer

James Hutton

Answer

Marie Curie

Question 39

Which of the following is a region where two or more tectonic plates interact?

Accepted Answer

Plate margin

Answer

Fold belt

Answer

Rift valley

Answer

Shield

Question 40

Which of the following is NOT considered a type of plate boundary?

Accepted Answer

Convergent-divergent

Answer

Convergent

Answer

Divergent

Answer

Transform

Question 41

Which of the following features is NOT typically associated with divergent plate boundaries?

Accepted Answer

Volcanic arcs

Answer

Mid-ocean ridges

Answer

Rift valleys

Answer

Fault scarps

Question 42

The underlying force driving the movement of tectonic plates is:

Accepted Answer

Convection currents within the mantle

Answer

Gravitational pull

Answer

Wind patterns

Answer

Solar radiation

Question 43

The process responsible for the formation of new oceanic crust is known as:

Accepted Answer

Seafloor spreading

Answer

Orogeny

Answer

Subduction

Answer

Collision

Question 44

Boundaries where tectonic plates slide past one another are termed:

Accepted Answer

Transform boundaries

Answer

Divergent boundaries

Answer

Convergent boundaries

Answer

Collision boundaries

Question 45

The scientific community generally places the introduction of the plate tectonics theory around:

Accepted Answer

1950s

Answer

1970s

Answer

1920s

Answer

1990s

Question 46

Which of the following is NOT a recognized type of plate boundary?

Accepted Answer

Convergent-transverse

Answer

Transform

Answer

Divergent

Answer

Convergent

Question 47

The boundary between the Eurasian and African plates is an example of what type of plate boundary?

Accepted Answer

Convergent boundary

Answer

Divergent boundary

Answer

Transform boundary

Answer

Oblique boundary

Question 48

What is the primary force that drives plate movement?

Accepted Answer

Convection currents in the Earth's mantle

Answer

Gravity

Answer

Electromagnetic forces

Answer

Tidal forces

Question 49

Approximately 250 million years ago, all of Earth's continents were joined together in a supercontinent called:

Accepted Answer

Pangaea

Answer

Rodinia

Answer

Laurasia

Answer

Gondwana

Question 50

Which geological process is responsible for the formation of new oceanic crust?

Accepted Answer

Seafloor spreading

Answer

Continental drift

Answer

Rift formation

Answer

Subduction

Question 51

What is the term used to describe the process where one tectonic plate slides horizontally past another?

Accepted Answer

Transform motion

Answer

Divergent motion

Answer

Collision

Answer

Convergent motion

Question 52

Which type of rock is most commonly found at divergent plate boundaries?

Accepted Answer

Basalt

Answer

Limestone

Answer

Granite

Answer

Sandstone

Question 53

The point on the Earth's surface directly above the origin of an earthquake is called the:

Accepted Answer

Epicenter

Answer

Intensity

Answer

Magnitude

Answer

Hypocenter

Question 54

Which major mountain range was formed by the collision of two continental plates?

Accepted Answer

Himalayas

Answer

Alps

Answer

Andes

Answer

Rocky Mountains

Question 55

What is the main cause of volcanic eruptions?

Accepted Answer

The buildup of pressure from magma beneath the Earth's surface

Answer

Earthquakes

Answer

Erosion

Answer

Weathering