Earth's Lithosphere and Plate Tectonics Quiz

Study Notes

The lithosphere comprises the crust (continental and oceanic) and the upper mantle, divided into tectonic plates.
Plates move continuously; for instance, the North American plate advances westward over the Pacific Ocean basin at a rate comparable to fingernail growth.
Earthquakes occur due to interactions between these plates, including grinding, colliding, and separating actions.

Covers nearly 70% of the Earth’s surface with an average depth of about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers).
Contains 97% of the Earth's water and almost all volcanoes lie beneath these oceans.
Mauna Kea, a volcano in Hawaii, is taller from base to summit than Mount Everest, with most of it submerged underwater.
The longest mountain range extends underwater at the bottoms of the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, four times longer than the Andes, Rockies, and Himalayas combined.

Composed of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% other gases (argon, carbon dioxide, neon).
Influences Earth’s climate patterns and local weather, and protects against harmful solar radiation.
Shields against meteoroids, which burn up in the atmosphere before reaching Earth’s surface, becoming visible as meteors.

The photosphere radiates sunlight, reaching Earth about eight minutes after emission, with a temperature of around 10,000°F (5,500°C).
Above the photosphere are the chromosphere and corona, constituting the Sun’s thin atmosphere.
The chromosphere features sunspots and solar flares, visible during total solar eclipses as a red rim, while the corona appears as a white crown with plasma streamers.
Uniquely, the temperature of the Sun's atmosphere increases with altitude, reaching up to 3.5 million°F (2 million°C).

The Sun itself is inhospitable for life due to its extreme heat and energetic gases.
Provides essential warmth and energy, enabling organisms, particularly plants, to form the foundation of Earth's food chains.