Test 1

The four principal ocean basins (plus an additional ocean) on Earth are the:

Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Southern, and Arctic Oceans

What is the mantle?

Contains minerals rich in iron and magnesium, between the crust and the core, and has the second largest volume according to the chemical classification

Oceanic crust is less dense than continental crust because it is made of silica and manganese. T/F

False

The three major provinces of the ocean floor are continental margins, deep-ocean basins, and submarine canyons. T/F

False

the magnetic north pole has remained very close to the geographic North Pole throughout all of geologic time. T/F

False

tectonic plates are pieces of the _____ that float on the more fluid ______ below

Lithosphere, mesosphere

What is a Mesosphere?

Lower portion of the mantle that is rigid

most large earthquakes occur along which of the following?

Ocean trenches

What is the crust?

Outermost portion of the earth composed largely of the igneous rocks basalt and granite

What is an Asthenosphere

Plastic (capable of flow) portion of the upper mantle beneath the lithosphere

the correct order of the Wilson cycle

Red Sea, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Himalaya mountains

large volcanoes on the seafloor that are cone-shaped on top because they never reached sea-level are called___

Seamounts

the method that is used most frequently to investigate sediment and rock layers of the sea floor is_____.

Sound waves (specifically from seismic reflecting profiling)

What is a Mid-ocean ridge?

Spreading center

What is a Island Arc

Subduction zone

What is a tench?

Subduction zone

The relatively young age of the seafloor supports the idea that subduction must take place. T/F

True

a rift valley may be associated with divergent plate boundaries. T/F

True

layers of the earth separated based on density differences. T/F

True

What is a continental shelf?

a generally flat zone extending from the shore to the shelf break

Radioactive materials can sometimes be used to determine the

ages of rocks

oceanic crust is primarily

basalt

Which of the following statements regarding continental and oceanic crust is true?

continental crust is thicker and less dense than oceanic crust

What is a lithosphere?

crust and the uppermost mantle consisting of a solid rock layer

active continental margins are characterized by the following

deep-sea trenches

The separation of the Earth into layers while it was molten was the result of the

differing densities of the elements that make up the Earth

the mid-atlantic ridge is an example of a

divergent plate boundary

The San-Andreas fault

is a continental transform fault

transform faults have all of the following characteristics except

movement occurs in the same direction

The Hawaiian Islands are located where the pacific plate is

moving over a hotspot or mantle plume

What is a submarine canyon

narrow and deep valleys on continental slopes

The seafloor magnetic pattern is best described as

parallel to and symmetric about mid-ocean ridges

the seafloor magnetic pattern is best described as______.

parallel torn but not symmetric about mid-ocean ridges

fossils of ancient polar plants are currently found near the equator because ______

plants lived near the poles, but landmasses have drifted to current locations

what is a linear sea floor feature that is seismically active, occurs between offset mid-ocean ridge segments, and the relative movement between two points on either side of the feature is in the opposite direction?

transform fault

Underwater avalanches of muddy water mixed with rocks and debris are

turbidity currents

Which of the following is characteristic of continental-continental convergent plate boundaries

uplifted mountain ranges

the scientific method includes all of the following EXCPET

validation of a theory

Which of the following is characteristic of oceanic- oceanic convergent plate boundaries

volcanic island arcs

The average depth of the worlds oceans is approximately

3,682 meters

Alfred Wegener's continental drift hypothesis received much hostile criticism and ridicule from the scientific community because of which of the following?

The mechanism he proposed for the movement of the conitnents

Abyssal plains are more extensive on the seafloor of the atlantic Ocean basin as compared to those of the seafloor of the Pacific Ocean basin. T/F

True

Earth developed the first ocean by about 4 billion years ago. T/F

True

Oceans with passive plate margins have continental slopes with more gradual slopes than oceans with active plate margins. T/F

True

What is a continental margin

shallow water areas close to continents

The correct order of seafloor features from the coast to the mid-ocean ridge is

shelf, slope, rise, abyssal plain

Judge the following sentence according to the criteria given below: the Pacific Ring of Fire is home to the majority of Earth's active volcanoes and large earthquakes BECAUSE of the prevalence of divergent plate boundaries along the pacific rim.

the assertion is correct, but the reason is incorrect.

Plate tectonics and evoltion, which are held with a high degree of confidence because of rigorous testing and verification are example of

therories