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Plate Tectonics and Earthquakes: Practice Questions with Answers

Curriculum: Plate Tectonics And EarthquakesGrades: 6–8Questions: 12Mode: Practice

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1. What is the thin, rocky outer layer of Earth called, on which continents and oceans sit?

  1. The crust
  2. The outer core
  3. The inner core
  4. The mesosphere
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Answer: A. The crust
The crust is the thin, solid, rocky outer layer of Earth, including both continents and the ocean floor.

2. Earth's rigid outer shell is broken into large pieces called tectonic plates. What are these plates made of?

  1. Layers of ocean water floating on top of the liquid inner core
  2. Slabs of liquid iron and nickel from the outer core
  3. Sheets of pure water ice frozen solid just above the asthenosphere
  4. Pieces of the lithosphere (crust plus the rigid upper mantle)
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Answer: D. Pieces of the lithosphere (crust plus the rigid upper mantle)
Tectonic plates are made of the lithosphere, which is the crust fused to the rigid, cooler, upper part of the mantle just beneath it.

3. What mainly causes tectonic plates to slowly move over time?

  1. Wind blowing across the ocean surface and pushing plates along
  2. Ocean currents and waves dragging the plates across the surface
  3. Convection currents of heat moving in the mantle below the plates
  4. Tides caused by the moon's gravity pulling the plates each day
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Answer: C. Convection currents of heat moving in the mantle below the plates
Heat from Earth's interior drives slow-moving convection currents in the mantle, and these currents drag the rigid plates above them, causing plate motion.

4. At a divergent plate boundary, what happens to the two plates?

  1. They stop moving completely
  2. They move apart from each other
  3. They move sideways past each other
  4. They collide head-on
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Answer: B. They move apart from each other
Divergent means moving apart, so at a divergent boundary two plates pull away from each other, often letting magma rise up to form new crust.

5. At a convergent plate boundary, what happens to the two plates?

  1. They move apart
  2. They stay perfectly still
  3. They come together and collide
  4. They melt into the ocean instantly
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Answer: C. They come together and collide
Convergent means coming together, so at a convergent boundary two plates push into each other, often causing one to sink beneath the other or both to crumple into mountains.

6. At a transform plate boundary, what happens to the two plates?

  1. They slide horizontally past each other
  2. They both sink into the mantle
  3. They merge into one plate
  4. They form a new ocean basin
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Answer: A. They slide horizontally past each other
At a transform boundary, plates grind sideways past one another along a fault, which is the setting for many strong earthquakes, like California's San Andreas Fault.

7. Most of the world's earthquakes and volcanoes occur in a horseshoe-shaped zone around the Pacific Ocean known as what?

  1. The Gulf Stream
  2. The Great Barrier Reef
  3. The Bermuda Triangle
  4. The Ring of Fire
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Answer: D. The Ring of Fire
The Ring of Fire is a zone circling the Pacific Ocean where many tectonic plates meet, producing frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.

8. During an earthquake, the point deep underground where the rock first breaks and releases energy is called the what?

  1. Seismograph
  2. Fault line
  3. Epicenter
  4. Focus
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Answer: D. Focus
The focus, also called the hypocenter, is the underground point where the earthquake rupture starts and energy is first released.

9. The point on Earth's surface directly above where an earthquake begins underground is called the what?

  1. Ridge
  2. Epicenter
  3. Trench
  4. Focus
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Answer: B. Epicenter
The epicenter is the location on the surface directly above the focus, and it is usually where shaking is strongest.

10. What instrument do scientists use to detect and record the shaking waves produced by an earthquake?

  1. Seismograph
  2. Telescope
  3. Barometer
  4. Thermometer
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Answer: A. Seismograph
A seismograph detects and records ground motion, producing a wavy line pattern called a seismogram that scientists use to study earthquakes.

11. Scientists commonly describe the strength of an earthquake using a magnitude scale. What is this measurement called?

  1. The Fahrenheit scale
  2. The Beaufort wind scale
  3. The pH scale
  4. The moment magnitude scale
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Answer: D. The moment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale (which replaced the older Richter scale in most modern reporting) measures the energy released by an earthquake, with each whole number step representing a much larger release of energy.

12. If you are indoors when strong earthquake shaking begins, what is the recommended safety action?

  1. Get into an elevator right away
  2. Stand in an open doorway and wait
  3. Run outside immediately
  4. Drop, cover under sturdy furniture, and hold on
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Answer: D. Drop, cover under sturdy furniture, and hold on
Drop, cover, and hold on protects you from falling objects by getting you low, under something sturdy like a table, while you hold on until the shaking stops.
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