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1. One of the most general conclusions to be drawn from plate tectonic theory is that:

A. the Earth is gradually losing heat

B. the Earth's geography has continually changed

C. the Earth is slowly expanding

D. the Earth is slowly shrinking

E. all of the ocean basins are gradually enlarging

2. Plate tectonic theory explains or has influenced:

A. the distribution of earthquakes and volcanoes

B. the locations of ore deposits and mountain systems

C. climatic patterns and ocean circulation

D. the geographic distribution, evolution and extinction of life forms

E. all of the above

3.What was the name of the group of fossils that was considered as evidence for the supercontinent of Gondwana?

A. Glossaurus

B. Pecopteris

C. Neuropteris

D. Glossopteris

E. Messopteris

4.The first similarity in rock types between Gondwana continents to be discovered were

A. continuity of mountain ranges.

B. fit of the coastlines.

C. glacial tillites.

D. marine sediments.

E. lake and swamp sediments of Pennsylvanian coal beds.

5.The first hypothesis of continental drift invoked which mechanism for continental movement?

A. the biblical deluge

B. volcanism and earthquakes

C. sinking of land bridges

D. tidal forces generated by the moon

E. continental "drip"-movement of continents from the north polar regions toward the equator

6.The first person to suggest that all of the continents had originally been joined together as the supercontinent Pangaea was:

A. Alexander du Toit, 1937

B. Frank Taylor, 1910

C. Alfred Wegener, 1912

D. Snider- Pelligrini, 1858

E. Harry Hess, 1962

7.The principle reason Wegener's theory was rejected was:

A. his failure to show that land bridges had not existed

B. his failure to show that his geological evidence could be explained in no other way

C. his failure to explain how continental crust could move through ocean crust

D. his failure to show that glaciation could not have occurred within tropical latitudes

E. his failure to show that fossil species could not have migrated across land bridges

8.Glacially deposited strata were important in the development of continental drift theory because

A. the distribution of glacial deposits indicated that the entire Earth must have been glaciated

B. the distribution of coal-swamp deposits indicated that the entire Earth must have been very warm

C. the glacial deposits indicated that there must have been many very large glaciers on several continents

D. the glacial deposits indicated that all of the southern continents must have been closer to the South Pole and contiguous

E. the glacial deposits indicated that climate can change dramatically over geologic time

9.That the northern continents were once joined and located along the equator was shown by

A. the coal-age plant fossils of North America and Europe

B. the Glossopteris flora

C. the distribution of mountain ranges

D. the distributions of Permian and Triassic reptiles

E. the distributions of northern hemisphere glacial tillites

10.The name given to the northern supercontinent was

A. Laurasia

B. Luentia

C. Laurotia.

D. Laurentia

E. northern Pangaea

11.The northern supercontinent consisted of

A. North America, Europe, Asia, India and Greenland

B. North America, Greenland, and Europe

C. North America, Europe, Asia, and India

D. North America, Greenland, Asia, and India

E. North America, Europe, Asia, and Greenland

12.The southern supercontinent consisted of:

A. South America, Africa, Australia, Antarctica, and India

B. Africa, South America, Antarctica, and Australia

C. South America, Africa, India, and Australia

D. South Africa, India, Africa, and Australia

E. South America, Central America, India, Antarctica, Africa, and Australia

13.Which of the following was not evidence for Wegener’s continental drift hypothesis?

A. glacial deposits of Gondwana continents

B. fit of African and South American shorelines

C. paleomagnetic striping of the oceanic crust

D. fossil plant and animal distributions

E. similar rock sequences and mountain ranges

14.The proposal that the coastline fit of South America and Africa was evidence of continental drift was criticized because

A. the fit could have been due to chance

B. the fit could have been due to shoreline erosion

C. the fit could have been explained by sinking of a land bridge

D. the fit could have been due to ocean currents

E. the fit could have been due to the distribution of resistant rock types.

15. If the continents were once joined together, rocks and mountain ranges on the margins of each should have

A. formed under the same conditions

B. formed the same sequences

C. formed at the same time

D. the same structural trends and forces

E. all of the above

16.Two sets of mountain ranges, which are continuous once the continents on either side of the Atlantic are joined, are located in:

A. eastern North America and Greenland/ Australia and East Africa

B. east Africa and Europe/ eastern North America and the Soviet Union

C. Australia and Southeast Asia/ Arabia and the Persian Gulf

D. South Africa and Brazil/ eastern North America and Great Britain

E. Central and South America/ Central and North America

17.Glacial deposits gave strong evidence of the existence of Gondwana because:

A. a single continent in high latitudes was more sensible than low latitude glaciation on several continents

B. glacial striations showed that all glaciers on each continent had flowed from a central location

C. fossil plants indicated tropical climate in the northern continents

D. A and B

E. B and C

18.The presence of Glossopteris flora fossils on Gondwana was strong evidence for continental drift because

A. the principle of fossil succession indicates that any species must be restricted to either

the northern or southern hemisphere

B. these seed ferns had seeds that could not have been carried great distances by water or wind

C. Glossopteris floral members could not have been carried across continents by migrating dinosaurs

D. the present day climates of the southern continents could not support the Glossopteris flora

E. the Glossopteris flora was not found in coal-swamp beds of the northern continents

19.Fossil evidence linking the Gondwana continents includes the

A. lake-dwelling Mesosaurus and large land-dwelling reptile Lystrosaurus and Cynognathus

B. freshwater Mesosaurus and dinosaurs Brontosaurus and Tyrannosaurus

C. freshwater crocodiles and the large amphibian Eryops

D. reptile Dimetrodon and the first bird Archaeopteryx

E. lake-dwelling Mesosaurus and the large land-dwelling reptiles Dimetrodon and Edaphosaurus

20.Fossil evidence of the links among Gondwana continents was compelling because:

A. the species should have been found over wide regions if they were able to migrate among continents

B. the species otherwise should have exhibited evidence of tolerance for climatic extremes

C. the species should have otherwise shown mechanism for widespread dispersal

D. A and C

E. all of the above

21.The Earth's magnetic field is due to

A. the presence of magnetic iron and nickel in the core

B. gravity

C. the occurrence of magnetite in all rocks

D. different rotation speeds of the outer core and mantle

E. none of the above

22.Studies involving paleomagnetism document

A. changes in the Earth's gravitational field

B. how the inner core/ outer core boundary has evolved

C. how the mineral magnetite has varied through time

D. how the Earth's magnetic poles have varied through time.

E. none of the above

23.The study of paleomagnetism is possible because

A. the magnetic minerals in rocks create the Earth’s magnetic field

B. most rocks contain no magnetic minerals

C. the magnetic minerals in rocks disrupt the Earth’s magnetic field

D. the magnetic minerals in a cooling lava point toward the north magnetic pole

E. none of the above

24.Studies of paleomagnetism showed that

A. the northern and southern hemispheres had reversed position many times

B. the ocean basins were young

C. each continent once had its own magnetic pole

D. the continents remained fixed and the north magnetic pole has moved

E. all of the above

25.Certain rock types can be used to determine the locations of past magnetic poles because

A. the Earth's magnetic poles have reversed many times during its history

B. the magnetic poles and geographic poles differ slightly

C. iron-bearing minerals align themselves in the direction of the current magnetic field when the rock cools below the Curie Point

D. lava flows in Europe all showed that the continent was once located in the southern hemisphere

E. the north magnetic poles of each continent are identical for each geological period

26.The differing paleomagnetic records for each continent showed

A. each continent had its own magnetic pole during successive geological periods

B. that the magnetic poles for each continent had moved over geological time

C. that the magnetic poles have remained in one location and each of the continents has moved

D. that both the poles and the continents have moved over time.

E. none of the above

27.Magnetic iron-bearing minerals that crystallize out of magma:

A. align themselves with the Earth's magnetic field and only record direction

B. record the strength of the Earth's magnetic fields

C. become easily altered and lose their magnetic properties

D. record both direction and strength of the Earth's magnetic field at time of crystallization

E. none of the above

28.Ocean crust is youngest at

A. subduction zones

B. the edges of continents

C. the crests of mid-ocean ridges

D. hotspots

E. none of the above. The age of the ocean crust is the same everywhere.

29.Geologists know that oceanic ridges are geologically very active because

A. they have high heat flow.

B. they have many small earthquakes.

C. they are the site of recent volcanic eruptions.

D. B and C

E. all of the above

30.The symmetrical pattern of magnetic polarities about spreading ridges in oceanic crust basalts indicates that

A. each plate has had an independent set of magnetic reversals

B. basalt retains its magnetic signature for only a few million years

C. new ocean crust is created by volcanism at oceanic ridges and old crust moves laterally away from the ridge

D. the oceanic crust is geologically young

E. magnetic polarity reverses but northern and southern hemispheres do not

31.That the oceanic crust is geologically young and the parallel magnetic striping pattern of basalts is symmetrical about oceanic ridges was conclusively shown by:

A. radiometric dating of oceanic basalts and sequences from continents

B. the unusually thin layer of oceanic sediments and ages of contained fossils

C. the existence of the same patterns in all ocean basins

D. A and B

E. all of the above

32.The fact that no oceanic crust older than Jurassic age has been found indicates that:

A. the break-up of Pangaea must have occurred before the Jurassic Period

B. the ocean basins must be older than Jurassic age

C. the movement of continents must have begun no earlier than the Jurassic Period

D. the break-up of Pangaea must have begun at about the same time as these oldest basalts were formed

E. C and D

33.The sea floor spreading theory indicates that the primary cause of continental movement is

A. volcanism in the ocean crust

B. convergence of tectonic plates

C. the formation and destruction of ocean basins

D. the convection of mantle heat

E. the decay of radioactive isotopes

34.The theory of sea floor spreading was proposed by:

A. Harry Hess

B. Frederick Vine

C. Oliver and Sykes

D. Fred Taylor

E. Hess and Matthews

35.The driving mechanism for plate tectonics is

A. heat deep within the Earth

B. tidal forces caused by the moon

C. volcanoes and earthquakes at plate boundaries

D. a little man with a steering wheel in Tierra del Fuego

E. none of the above

36.The driving mechanism proposed by Hess to explain sea floor spreading was:

A. downwelling oceanic currents

B. hydrothermal cells

C. thermal convection cells

D. convection cells in the outer core

E. A and D

37.Lithospheric plates move on the Earth's surface because

A. warm mantle ascends at ridges and cool mantle descends at subduction zones

B. the asthenosphere is solid

C. cool mantle ascends at ridges and warm mantle descends at subduction zones.

D. A and B

E. B and C

38.The mechanism for plate movement is

A. conduction of heat from the core

B. friction created by tidal forces generated by the Moon

C. conduction of heat within the mantle

D. convection of heat within the mantle

E. convection of heat within the core

39.Old, cold and dense oceanic crust is:

A. created at spreading ridges

B. found closest to continental margins

C. destroyed at subduction zones

D. eventually becomes incorporated into continental crust

E. always found on plate margins

40.Geologists recognize three major types of plate boundaries, which are:

A. resurgent, divergent and emergent

B. convergent, divergent and transform

C. transcurrent, oblique, and resurgent

D. emergent, transform and convergent

E. transform, transcurrent and translateral

41.At divergent plate boundaries the operating forces are:

A. compressional

B. lateral shearing

C. tensional

D. thrusting

E. normal

42.At a divergent plate boundary, oceanic crust is

A. transformed

B. subducted

C. created

D. destroyed

E. none of the above

43.At a mid-ocean ridge spreading center,

A. the plates are moving past each other

B. the plates are moving away from each other

C. the plates are moving toward each other

D. one plate is being subducted beneath another

E. both plates are being subducted

44.Which are not associated with a mid-ocean ridge?

A. old ocean crust

B. shallow earthquakes

C. volcanic eruptions

D. transform faults

E. hot water

45.The forces operating at continent-continent convergent boundaries are:

A. transpressional.

B. compressional

C. tensional

D. lateral shearing

E. compressional and tensional

46.Large, high mountain ranges without volcanoes are built at which type of plate boundary?

A. divergent: ocean-ocean

B. convergent: ocean-continent

C. convergent: continent-continent

D. transform: continent-continent

47.When a continental plate diverges from another continental plate

A. a new ocean basin forms

B. a large mountain range forms

C. a transform fault forms

D. there are no earthquakes

E. a subduction zone forms

48.At transform plate boundaries:

A. lithosphere is neither created or destroyed

B. plates move laterally past each other

C. active volcanism occurs

D. A and B

E. A, B, and C

49.A transform plate boundary may connect

A. a spreading ridge and subduction zone.

B. two spreading ridges.

C. two subduction zones.

D. A and C

E. all of the above

50.The San Andreas Fault that runs through California

A. is a transform fault

B. is a plate boundary

C. is the location of large earthquakes

D. A and C

E. all of the above

51.Most geological activity (earthquakes and volcanic eruptions) take place at

A. subduction zones

B. convergent plate boundaries

C. transform faults

D. plate boundaries

E. hotspots

52.Plate tectonics have affected biological evolution by

A. causing global climatic change with amalgamation or breakup of large landmasses

B. allowing habitat abundance to change as continental masses come together or separate

C. forming geographic barriers

D. forming geographic corridors

E. all of the above

53.Geologists locate plate boundaries

A. at continental margins.

B. at volcanoes.

C. By earthquake epicenters.

D. B and C

E. All of the above.