Geology Quiz on Plate Tectonics

What type of plate boundary is formed when two plates slide past each other?

A divergent boundary is characterized by plates colliding.

Name one geological feature that can result from a convergent plate boundary.

Transform faults are associated with ______ and earthquakes.

Match the following plate boundaries to their characteristics:

What is the primary characteristic of a divergent boundary?

All geological events occur equally in all areas of the lithosphere.

Name one geological feature typically found at a convergent plate boundary.

At transform fault boundaries, tectonic plates move ______ each other.

Match the following types of plate boundaries with their actions:

Which statement about plate boundaries is true?

What causes tectonic plates to move?

Volcanoes are not influenced by plate tectonics.

What geologic feature is formed on top of the continental leading plate during the collision of an oceanic and continental plate?

The process of subduction occurs when two continental plates collide.

What is formed in the ocean as a result of subduction?

The ___________ is the deepest part of the ocean formed at subduction zones.

Match the geological features with their descriptions:

What percentage of the total energy released by earthquakes comes from shallow earthquakes?

Volcanic activity has no relation to the presence of water in magma.

What occurs due to the continuous grinding of tectonic plates?

Volcanic arcs form at the collision of oceanic and continental plates due to the subduction of the denser oceanic crust.
Subduction involves the bending of the oceanic crust into the mantle, where it melts forming magma.
Addition of water and other volatiles to magma reduces its density, allowing it to rise, causing volcanic activity on the continental crust.

Ocean trenches, the deepest parts of the ocean, are created at subduction zones.
The Philippine Trench is one of the deepest ocean trenches, reaching 10,540 meters in depth.

Continuous grinding of tectonic plates can lead to earthquakes of varying depths.
Shallow earthquakes, occurring within 60 km of the Earth's surface, account for 85% of the total energy released by earthquakes.

Earth's lithosphere is segmented into numerous tectonic plates that are in constant motion.
Three main types of plate boundaries are identified: Divergent, Convergent, and Transform.
Divergent boundaries occur when plates move apart; convergent boundaries occur when plates collide; transform boundaries feature plates sliding past one another.

The boundaries of lithospheric plates are characterized by significant geological events, including earthquakes, mountain ranges, and volcanism.
Studying these boundaries is crucial since they drive lithospheric deformation, impacting both the environment and human activity.

The motion of tectonic plates relative to each other leads to the formation of different geologic features and events, marking locations of high seismic activity and volcanic eruptions.