Plate Tectonics Test: Interpreting Maps

Name Class Date
Plate Tectonics Test

Interpreting Maps Use the maps to answer the following questions.
1. What does the map on the left show? _________________________________________________________
2. What is the name of the giant landmass shown on the map on the right? __________________________
3. Who first stated the theory of continental drift? ________________________________________________
4. What does the theory of continental drift state? ________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
5. What evidence shown on the map on the left is used to support the theory of continental drift?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
6. How many continents are there on Earth today? _______________________________________________
Multiple Choice Write the letter of the term or phrase that best completes
each statement in the space provided.
__________ 1. Earth’s large landmasses are

a. mountains. b. plains. c. continents. d. trenches.
__________ 2. The fossil animal that is used to support the idea of continental drift is
a. Pangaea. b. Mesosaurus c. Gondwana. d. Tethys.
__________ 3. The crust that makes up the ocean floor is the

a. continental crust. b. mid-ocean ridge. c. oceanic crust. d. seafloor crust.
__________ 4. New seafloor is formed by

a. subduction. b. convection. c. ridging. d. seafloor spreading.
__________ 5. Underwater mountain ranges are called

a. subduction zones. b. trenches. c. mid-ocean ridges. d. rift valleys.
Concepts and Challenges in Earth Science, Teacher’s Resources CD-ROM

(c) by Pearson Education, Inc./Globe Fearon/Pearson Learning Group. All rights reserved. Plate Tectonics
Name Class Date
Plate Tectonics Test (continued)

__________ 6. The deep crack running down the center of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a
a. subduction zone. b. trench. c. vent. d. rift valley.
__________ 7. A deep canyon on the ocean floor is a

a. subduction zone. b. trench. c. vent. d. rift valley.
__________ 8. The place in which old crust is pushed down into a trench is a
a. subduction zone. b. rift valley. c. vent. d. magma chamber.
__________ 9. Scientists estimate that Earth’s age is about

a. 150 million years. b. 4.6 million years. c. 4.6 billion years. d. 10 million years.
__________ 10. The oldest rocks found on the ocean floor are about
a. 160 million years old. c. 4.6 billion years old.
b. 4.6 million years old. d. 10 million years old.
__________ 11. Many trenches are located along the

a. coast of Iceland. b. Ring of Fire. c. Atlantic coast. d. San Andreas Fault.
__________ 12. Scientists use the magnetic properties of some minerals as evidence of
a. continental drift. b. seafloor spreading c. plate tectonics. d. Pangaea.
__________ 13. The idea that Earth’s crust is made up of separate plates that float on the upper mantle
is the theory of
a. plate tectonics. b. continental drift.
c. seafloor spreading. d. tectonic movement.
__________ 14. Scientists have identified about

a. 7 tectonic plates. b. 13 tectonic plates. c. 21 tectonic plates. d. 50 tectonic plates.
__________ 15. The movement of a gas or liquid caused by differences in temperature is a

a. magma chamber. b. tectonic movement. c. plate tectonic. d. convection current.
__________ 16. Two plates move toward each other at a

a. transform boundary. b. divergent boundary.
c. convergent boundary. d. rift valley.
__________ 17. Features formed at divergent boundaries are

a. rift valleys. b. subduction zones. c. mountain ranges. d. magma chambers.
__________ 18. Scientists think that the movement of Earth’s tectonic plates are caused by convection
currents in the
a. oceans. b. crust. c. core. d. mantle.
__________ 19. The movement of tectonic plates at a fault is a cause of

a. mountains. b. earthquakes. c. volcanoes. d. hot spots.
__________ 20. The Hawaiian Islands formed when the Pacific plate moved over
a. a mountain. b. an earthquake. c. a fault. d. a hot spot.

Name Class Date
Plate Tectonics Test (continued)

Written Response Answer the following questions in complete sentences.
21. EXPLAIN: How do fossils help support the theory of continental drift? ___________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
22. COMPARE: What is the difference between a convergent boundary between an oceanic plate and a
continental plate and a convergent boundary between two continental plates? ____________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________

Answer Key
Plate Tectonics Test

Interpreting Maps
1. Earth’s landmasses as they appear today
2. Pangaea 3. Alfred Wegener 4. The continents
were once part of a giant landmass that broke apart
and drifted to their current positions. 5. The shapes
of some continents seem to fit together like puzzle
pieces. 6. seven
Multiple Choice
1. c 2. b 3. c 4. d 5. c 6. d 7. b 8. a 9. c 10. a
11. b 12. b 13. a 14. c 15. d 16. c 17. a 18. d
19. b 20. d
Written Response
21. The fact that fossils of the freshwater animal
Mesosaurus have been found in Africa and South
America suggests that at the time Mesosaurus lived,
Africa and South America were joined as one
landmass that later drifted apart.
22. At a convergent boundary between an oceanic
plate and a continental plate, a subduction zone
occurs because the denser oceanic crust slides under
the continental crust. At a convergent boundary
between two continental plates, the plates crumple
upward and mountains are sometimes formed.


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Name Class Date

Plate Tectonics Test

1. What does the map on the left show? _________________________________________________________

3. Who first stated the theory of continental drift? ________________________________________________

4. What does the theory of continental drift state? ________________________________________________

6. How many continents are there on Earth today? _______________________________________________

__________ 1. Earth’s large landmasses are

__________ 3. The crust that makes up the ocean floor is the

__________ 4. New seafloor is formed by

__________ 5. Underwater mountain ranges are called

Concepts and Challenges in Earth Science, Teacher’s Resources CD-ROM

Plate Tectonics Test (continued)

__________ 7. A deep canyon on the ocean floor is a

__________ 9. Scientists estimate that Earth’s age is about

__________ 11. Many trenches are located along the

__________ 14. Scientists have identified about

__________ 15. The movement of a gas or liquid caused by differences in temperature is a

__________ 16. Two plates move toward each other at a

__________ 17. Features formed at divergent boundaries are

__________ 19. The movement of tectonic plates at a fault is a cause of

Concepts and Challenges in Earth Science, Teacher’s Resources CD-ROM

Plate Tectonics Test (continued)

Concepts and Challenges in Earth Science, Teacher’s Resources CD-ROM

Plate Tectonics Test

Concepts and Challenges in Earth Science, Teacher’s Resources CD-ROM

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