1 of 30
Which of the following paleoclimatic evidence supports the idea of the late Paleozoic super continent in the Southern Hemisphere?
| glacial deposits in South Africa and South America |
| windblown loess deposits in the deserts of Argentina, Australia and India |
| basalts in Brazil and Africa |
| deep water sediments in South Africa and South America |
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2 of 30
The late Paleozoic super continent that began to break up about 180 million years ago is called _____.
| Panatopia |
| Wegnerland |
| Pangaea |
| Pongolia |
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3 of 30
A _______ results from mantle plumes created by a long-lived magma source located deep in the mantle.
| hot spot |
| melt well |
| basalt plume |
| magmatic tube |
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4 of 30
Which of the following is thought to drive the motions of the Earth’s crustal plates?
| magnetic field fluctuations within the core |
| convection cells within the mantle |
| gravitational forces of the Sun and Moon |
| gravitational sliding of areas elevated by upwelling of magma plumes |
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5 of 30
The continental drift hypothesis was initially rejected primarily because Alfred Wegener could not _____.
| find geologic similarities on different continents |
| disprove competing theories that were more accepted by scientists |
| identify a mechanism capable of moving continents |
| All of the above |
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6 of 30
Which of the following statements is true about apparent polar wandering?
| The Earth’s poles change their orientations such that the poles do wander around the Earth. |
| Due to differential gravitational pull of the Sun and Moon, the planet has changed the direction in which it is spinning. |
| The continents have changed position relative to the poles. |
| None of the above |
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7 of 30
Which of the following is not evidence that the seafloors are spreading?
| Stripes of normal and reversed polarized rocks parallel to the rifts. |
| Old oceanic sediments at the outer edges of the ocean basins, young sediments at the rifts. |
| No seafloor sediments are older than 180 million years. |
| Thick ocean sediments at the rifts, thinning away from the rifts. |
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8 of 30
Transform fault boundaries are _____.
| boundaries where plates are sliding horizontally past one another |
| sites of voluminous basaltic lava flows |
| characterized by stratovolcanoes |
| sets of parallel fractures formed by convergence of the crustal rocks |
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9 of 30
On average, lithospheric plates are _____ thick.
| 1 kilometer |
| 10 kilometers |
| 50 kilometers |
| 100 kilometers |
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10 of 30
The Hawaiian Islands are _____.
| each about the same age |
| oldest in the east and progressively younger to the west |
| youngest in the east and progressively older to the west |
| formed over multiple hot spots and therefore are unrelated in age |
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11 of 30
Geologically, ________ are actually submerged parts of the continents.
| continental shelves |
| abyssal plains |
| oceanic trenches |
| coastal seamounts |
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12 of 30
The source of sediments making up the continental rise is/are _____.
| the constant rain of dead diatoms and other microscope planktonic creatures |
| volcanic ash from the mid-ocean volcanoes |
| continental silts and clays that are kept in suspension by ocean currents |
| turbidity currents depositing deep-sea fans |
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13 of 30
“Black smokers” are associated with _____.
| oceanic ridges |
| metal-rich sulfide deposits |
| hot water |
| All of the above |
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14 of 30
___________ are not associated with a mid-ocean ridge.
| Very thin, ocean floor, sediment layers |
| Submarine basaltic lava eruptions |
| Deep ocean trenches |
| Shallower depths than abyssal plains |
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15 of 30
Spreading rates of 1 to 5 _____per year are common along the Mid-Atlantic and the Mid-Indian ridges.
| meters |
| kilometers |
| centimeters |
| millimeters |
Question
16 of 30
All of the following are layers that comprise oceanic crust except _____.
| turbidites |
| pillow basalts |
| sheeted dike complexes |
| gabbro |
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17 of 30
Magma at the mid-ocean ridge is the result of _____.
| extraordinarily high temperatures found there |
| partial melting of the mantle as a result of decompression due to cracking at the ridge |
| increased pressure resulting from convergence of the lithospheric plates |
| the injection of seawater into subterranean fractures |
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18 of 30
Which of the following is not forming at a divergent boundary?
| Japan |
| Red Sea |
| Atlantic Ocean |
| Iceland |
Question
19 of 30
Oceanic ridges are elevated primarily because _____.
| new oceanic crust is hot and less dense than cooler adjacent rocks |
| the oceanic crust is thickest at the ridges |
| the mantle is bulging along the ridges due to the release of pressure |
| large volcanoes form along the ridges |
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20 of 30
A chaotic accumulation of ocean floor sediment and chunks of oceanic crust that forms at convergent boundaries is called a/an _____.
| trenchite |
| island arc |
| oceanic plateau |
| accretionary wedge |
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21 of 30
Which of the following is not a characteristic of a continental-continental convergent boundary?
| earthquakes |
| deep ocean trench |
| folded mountains |
| thrust faults |
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22 of 30
In an ocean-continent convergent boundary _____.
| a volcanic island arc forms directly over the trench |
| the lightest plate will subduct |
| there is an absence of shallow focus earthquakes |
| volcanic mountains form 100-3– kilometers from the trench |
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23 of 30
Mount St. Helens is a part of a _____.
| continental volcanic arc |
| continental rifting center |
| chain of hot spot volcanoes |
| basaltic shield volcano |
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24 of 30
Which of the following were not formed by continental-continental convergence?
| Appalachian Mountains |
| Himalaya Mountains |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Ural Mountains |
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25 of 30
The processes that produce mountains is called _____.
| deformational isostasy |
| isotropism |
| orogenesis |
| similation |
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26 of 30
Partial melting of a subducting oceanic plate produces batholiths with the composition of _____.
| gabbro to komatiite |
| granodiorite |
| peridotite |
| basalt |
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27 of 30
Which of the following best describes the geology of the Pacific coastal regions of western North America, including Alaska?
| An earlier, continental margin broke apart and the geologically similar fragments were tectonically reassembled. |
| A massive subcontinent of old igneous and metamorphic rocks (similar to India) was accreted during late Proterozoic time. |
| Geologically different, microcontinent-sized fragments and terranes, formed elsewhere, were tectonically accreted to North America. |
| Tightly folded, continental shelf strata were squeezed between North America and the convergent, Bering-Siberian subcontinent. |
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28 of 30
Topographically high-standing, mountainous areas generally _____.
| are underlain by greater then average thicknesses of lower density, crustal rocks |
| subside rapidly to compensate for erosion |
| have thicker, higher density, mantle rocks beneath them at shallow depths |
| experience rapid erosion that thins the crust and causes the area to subside |
Question
29 of 30
Which of the following is not an example of an Isostatic movement?
| crustal uplift following the melting of an ice sheet |
| uplift of an elevated area after erosion removes surface material |
| stream downcutting following a drop in sea level |
| uplift of an area underlain by thick masses of material that is less dense than the surrounding material |
Question
30 of 30
Volcanism along a continental arc is dominated by the eruption of _____.
| basaltic lava flows |
| andesitic lavas and pyroclastic materials |
| rhyolitic pyroclastic materials and lavas |
| All of the above |
