Plate Tectonics and Earthquakes Quiz

Grade 6 · Science · Quiz

Test your knowledge of Earth's tectonic plates, plate boundaries, and how earthquakes are generated.

Questions

1. What are the large moving pieces of Earth's lithosphere called?

   1. Faults
   2. Tectonic plates
   3. Mantle convection cells
   4. Seismic zones
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   Answer: Tectonic plates

   The lithosphere is broken into large pieces called tectonic plates that slowly move on the semi-fluid asthenosphere beneath them.

2. At which type of boundary do two plates move away from each other?

   1. Convergent boundary
   2. Transform boundary
   3. Divergent boundary
   4. Subduction zone
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   Answer: Divergent boundary

   At divergent boundaries, plates pull apart from each other, often forming rift valleys or mid-ocean ridges.

3. The point on Earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake is called the epicenter.

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   Answer: True

   The epicenter is the point on the surface directly above the focus (underground origin point) of the earthquake.

4. What causes tectonic plates to move?

   1. Ocean currents
   2. Wind erosion
   3. Convection currents in the mantle
   4. Gravitational pull of the moon
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   Answer: Convection currents in the mantle

   Heat from Earth's interior creates convection currents in the mantle. Hot rock rises, spreads, cools, and sinks, dragging plates along.

5. At a convergent boundary, when an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate, the oceanic plate sinks because it is:

   1. Older
   2. Denser
   3. Thicker
   4. Warmer
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   Answer: Denser

   Oceanic crust is denser than continental crust, so when they collide, the oceanic plate sinks (subducts) beneath the continental plate.

6. The scale most commonly used to measure the magnitude of an earthquake is the ___ scale.

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   Answer: richter

   The Richter scale (developed by Charles Richter) measures earthquake magnitude. Each step up is 10 times stronger.

7. What is the name for the underground point where an earthquake originates?

   1. Epicenter
   2. Fault line
   3. Focus (hypocenter)
   4. Seismic wave
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   Answer: Focus (hypocenter)

   The focus, or hypocenter, is the actual underground point where the earthquake begins. The epicenter is directly above it on the surface.

8. The San Andreas Fault in California is an example of a transform boundary.

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   Answer: True

   The San Andreas Fault is a transform boundary where the Pacific Plate and North American Plate slide horizontally past each other.

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