Plate Tectonics Quizzes: Test Your Knowledge of Earth's Moving Plates

Question 1

Which process involves one tectonic plate sliding beneath another?

Accepted Answer

Subduction

Answer

Convergence

Answer

Divergence

Answer

Transform faulting

Question 2

Which Earth layer is responsible for the movement of tectonic plates?

Accepted Answer

Mantle

Answer

Crust

Answer

Outer core

Answer

Inner core

Question 3

Name the supercontinent that existed before the formation of the present-day continents.

Accepted Answer

Pangaea

Answer

Gondwana

Answer

Laurasia

Answer

Rodinia

Question 4

Identify the primary driving force behind plate movement.

Accepted Answer

Convection currents

Answer

Gravity

Answer

Solar radiation

Answer

Wind

Question 5

Which characteristic is associated with divergent plate boundaries?

Accepted Answer

Oceanic crust creation

Answer

Formation of volcanoes

Answer

Subduction of one plate beneath another

Answer

Formation of mountain ranges

Question 6

Name the instrument used to measure seismic waves.

Accepted Answer

Seismograph

Answer

Barometer

Answer

Thermometer

Answer

Anemometer

Question 7

Which layer of the Earth is the solid, outermost layer?

Accepted Answer

Crust

Answer

Mantle

Answer

Outer Core

Answer

Inner Core

Question 8

Which process is primarily responsible for driving plate movement?

Accepted Answer

Convection currents in the mantle

Answer

Gravity

Answer

Hydrostatic pressure

Answer

Oceanic circulation

Question 9

What is the process known as subduction?

Accepted Answer

When one plate slides beneath another.

Answer

When two plates move apart.

Answer

When two plates collide head-on.

Answer

When a plate moves over another plate.

Question 10

How does the theory of plate tectonics explain the **distribution** of earthquakes and volcanoes?

Accepted Answer

Earthquakes and volcanoes occur at plate boundaries.

Answer

Earthquakes and volcanoes occur randomly across the Earth's crust.

Answer

Earthquakes occur at plate boundaries, while volcanoes occur randomly across the Earth's crust.

Answer

Volcanoes occur at plate boundaries, while earthquakes occur randomly across the Earth's crust.

Question 11

Which of the following layers of the Earth is composed of solid rock and is approximately 60 km thick?

Accepted Answer

Crust

Answer

Mantle

Answer

Outer core

Answer

Inner core

Question 12

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

Accepted Answer

Seafloor spreading

Answer

Subduction

Answer

Continental drift

Answer

Transform boundary movement

Question 13

When two plates move towards each other and collide, what type of plate boundary is formed?

Accepted Answer

Convergent boundary

Answer

Divergent boundary

Answer

Transform boundary

Answer

Conservative boundary

Question 14

Which theory explains the movement of the Earth's lithosphere?

Accepted Answer

Plate tectonics

Answer

Continental drift

Answer

Seafloor spreading

Answer

Subduction

Question 15

Which of the following factors does NOT contribute to plate movement?

Accepted Answer

Gravitational pull of the Moon

Answer

Convection currents in the mantle

Answer

Density differences between plates

Answer

Rotation of the Earth

Question 16

Which type of volcanic eruption typically produces large amounts of low-viscosity lava?

Accepted Answer

Hawaiian

Answer

Strombolian

Answer

Vulcanian

Answer

Pelean

Question 17

Approximately 335 million years ago, Earth's landmasses were united in a supercontinent known as:

Accepted Answer

Pangaea

Answer

Pangea Ultima

Answer

Gondwana

Answer

Laurasia

Question 18

What is the name of the instrument used to measure the intensity of earthquakes?

Accepted Answer

Seismograph

Answer

Barograph

Answer

Anemometer

Answer

Thermometer

Question 19

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

Accepted Answer

Obduction

Answer

Convergent

Answer

Divergent

Answer

Transform

Question 20

Which type of plate boundary is associated with the formation of new oceanic crust?

Accepted Answer

Divergent boundary

Answer

Transform boundary

Answer

Convergent boundary

Answer

Subduction zone

Question 21

Which process is the primary driving force behind plate movement?

Accepted Answer

Convection currents

Answer

Tidal forces

Answer

Earth's rotation

Answer

Gravity

Question 22

What is the geological term for the process where tectonic plates slide horizontally past each other?

Accepted Answer

Transform faulting

Answer

Subduction

Answer

Obduction

Answer

Divergence

Question 23

Which feature is NOT associated with convergent plate boundaries?

Accepted Answer

Oceanic ridges

Answer

Volcanic arcs

Answer

Deep-sea trenches

Answer

Mountain ranges

Question 24

Who proposed the comprehensive theory of continental drift, which laid the foundation for the theory of plate tectonics?

Accepted Answer

Alfred Wegener

Answer

William Smith

Answer

Charles Darwin

Question 25

During seafloor spreading, where is new oceanic crust created?

Accepted Answer

In the center of mid-ocean ridges

Answer

At subduction zones

Answer

In deep-sea trenches

Answer

Along transform boundaries

Question 26

How do fault zones indicate the boundaries between tectonic plates?

Accepted Answer

Fault zones show areas of crustal weakness where tectonic plates can move relative to each other.

Answer

Fault zones are always found at convergent plate boundaries.

Answer

Fault zones only mark the location of subduction zones.

Answer

Fault zones are only associated with earthquakes.

Question 27

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

Accepted Answer

Convergent-Divergent

Answer

Divergent

Answer

Convergent

Answer

Transform

Question 28

The process of forming new oceanic crust at divergent plate boundaries is referred to as:

Accepted Answer

Seafloor spreading

Answer

Subduction

Answer

Accretion

Answer

Obduction

Question 29

Which of the following categories best describes a plate boundary where an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate?

Accepted Answer

Oceanic-continental convergent boundary

Answer

Divergent

Answer

Transform

Answer

Intraplate

Question 30

The driving mechanism behind plate tectonics is primarily attributed to:

Accepted Answer

Convection currents within the mantle

Answer

Tidal forces

Answer

Earth's rotation

Answer

Gravitational pull of celestial bodies

Question 31

Which of the following features is commonly associated with transform plate boundaries?

Accepted Answer

Fault lines

Answer

Subduction zones

Answer

Mountain ranges

Answer

Volcanic activity

Question 32

The process by which oceanic crust is recycled back into the mantle is known as:

Accepted Answer

Subduction

Answer

Accretion

Answer

Obduction

Answer

Seafloor spreading

Question 33

One of the positive outcomes associated with plate tectonics is:

Accepted Answer

Formation of new landmasses

Answer

Depletion of natural resources

Answer

Increased frequency of earthquakes

Answer

Rising sea levels

Question 34

The collision between which two plates resulted in the formation of the Himalayan mountain range?

Accepted Answer

Indian and Eurasian Plates

Answer

Pacific and Nazca Plates

Answer

African and Antarctic Plates

Answer

North American and South American Plates

Question 35

Which scientific instrument is primarily used to detect and record seismic waves?

Accepted Answer

Seismograph

Answer

Thermometer

Answer

Barometer

Answer

Anemometer

Question 36

The development of the theory of plate tectonics can be traced back to the:

Accepted Answer

Mid-20th century

Answer

Late 20th century

Answer

Early 19th century

Answer

Early 20th century