“Plate Tectonics”

Question 1

What is plate tectonics?

Answer 1

The theory that the Earth’s outer shell (lithosphere) is divided into large, rigid plates that move and interact at their boundaries.

Question 2

Name the three types of plate boundaries.

Answer 2

1. Divergent – Plates move apart (e.g., mid-ocean ridges).
2. Convergent – Plates move towards each other (e.g., mountain ranges, trenches).
3. Transform – Plates slide past each other (e.g., San Andreas Fault).

Question 3

What causes plate movement?

Answer 3

Convection currents in the mantle caused by the heat from the Earth’s core.

Question 4

What is a subduction zone?

Answer 4

A region where one tectonic plate is forced under another at a convergent boundary, often forming deep ocean trenches or volcanic arcs.

Question 5

What is a volcano?

Answer 5

A vent or opening in the Earth’s surface through which molten rock (magma), gas, and ash can escape.

Question 6

What are the main types of volcanoes?

Answer 6

1. Shield volcanoes – Large, broad volcanoes with gentle slopes (e.g., Mauna Loa).
2. Stratovolcanoes (composite) – Steep-sided, explosive volcanoes (e.g., Mount St. Helens).
3. Cinder cone volcanoes – Small, steep-sided volcanoes formed from explosive eruptions (e.g., Parícutin).

Question 7

What is the Ring of Fire?

Answer 7

A major area in the Pacific Ocean basin where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur, due to tectonic plate activity.

Question 8

What is lava?

Answer 8

Molten rock that has reached the Earth’s surface through a volcano or fissure.

Question 9

What is an earthquake?

Answer 9

A sudden shaking of the ground caused by the release of energy from the Earth’s crust, typically along faults.

Question 10

What is the focus of an earthquake?

Answer 10

The point inside the Earth where the earthquake originates.

Question 11

What is the epicenter of an earthquake?

Answer 11

The point on the Earth’s surface directly above the focus of the earthquake.

Question 12

What scale is used to measure the magnitude of an earthquake?

Answer 12

The Richter scale or Moment Magnitude scale (Mw).

Question 13

What are seismic waves?

Answer 13

Waves of energy that travel through the Earth and cause the ground to shake during an earthquake. Types include P-waves, S-waves, and Surface waves.

Question 14

What is folding?

Answer 14

The bending of rock layers due to compressional forces, usually occurring at convergent plate boundaries.

Question 15

What is an anticline?

Answer 15

A fold in rock layers that arches upward, forming a crest.

Question 16

What is a syncline?

Answer 16

A fold in rock layers that bends downward, forming a trough.

Question 17

What is the process of mountain building called?

Answer 17

Orogeny, which involves tectonic forces that result in the folding and uplifting of Earth’s crust.

Question 18

What are the three main types of rock?

Answer 18

1. Igneous – Formed from cooled and solidified magma or lava (e.g., basalt, granite).
2. Sedimentary – Formed from the accumulation and compression of sediments (e.g., sandstone, limestone).
3. Metamorphic – Formed from the transformation of existing rock under heat and pressure (e.g., marble, slate).

Question 19

What is the rock cycle?

Answer 19

The continuous process through which rocks are formed, altered, broken down, and re-formed into different types (igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic).

Question 20

What is magma?

Answer 20

Molten rock beneath the Earth’s surface.

Question 21

What is the difference between magma and lava?

Answer 21

Magma is molten rock inside the Earth, while lava is magma that reaches the surface.

Question 22

What is sedimentary rock made of?

Answer 22

Sedimentary rocks are made from particles or organic material that have been compressed and cemented together.