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1.
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Imagine that you are a geologist in 1913 working
with Alfred Wegener. You are attempting to find evidence to support his Continental Drift theory.
Together you examine the Appalachian Mountains in North America, the Scottish Highlands in Great
Britain, and the Caledonian Mountains in Scandinavia (see map below). You find that these mountain
ranges have very similar features. Multi-Select QuestionAs
Wegener’s partner you are asked to construct an explanation about his Continental Drift theory.
Which of the following points about the previously mentioned mountain ranges would best support
Wegener’s claims that the continents were once joined together as a single huge landmass.
(Select 3 of the 5 choices).
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2.
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Alfred Wegener invested a great deal of time
studying South America and Africa to find evidence to support his ideas about tectonic plate
movement. Multi-Select Question Select
evidence that supports the idea that Africa and South America were once joined. (Select 3 of the 5
choices.)
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3.
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Multi-Select Question What were the three primary sources of evidence
used by Alfred Wegener to support his Continental Drift Theory? (Select 3 of the 5 choices.)
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4.
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Plate tectonic movement best explains a variety of geological features found
around the globe. Multi-Select
Question
Select the best examples of geological features which support the theory of tectonic
plate movement. (Select 3 of the 5 choices.)
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5.
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A large semi-circular area in the Pacific ocean that includes numerous volcanoes
and frequently experiences earthquakes is called the ring of fire. How does volcanic activity and
earthquakes along the ring of fire support tectonic plate theory?
a. | Volcanoes and earthquakes often occur along the boundary of the Pacific plate as it
collides with other tectonic plates. | b. | Earthquakes are powerful seismic waves that
propagate through lithospheric rock. | c. | Earthquakes generally only occur along inactive
fault lines in the Northern Hemisphere. | d. | Heat rising from the core via convection can
melt rock. As pressure builds up this magma can erupt on the surface to form
volcanoes. |
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6.
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How did scientists discover that rocks farther away from the Mid-Atlantic
Ridge were older than those near it?
a. | by measuring how fast the Indian plate was colliding with the Eurasian plate.
| b. | by observing undersea volcanic eruptions in the Pacific ocean. | c. | by determining the
age of rock samples obtained by drilling on the sea floor | d. | by studying rocks
found in the Appalachian mountains and Himalayan mountains. |
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7.
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Wegener confirmed that flora and fauna fossils matched the same types of fossils
across different continents. This supported his claim that the continents were once joined together.
Two key examples that he studied were Mesosaurus fossils (a freshwater reptile) and Glossopteris
fossils (fern-like gymnosperm plant). Which of the following statements about Glossopteris fossils provides the
best evidence to support Wegener’s Continental Drift theory?
a. | Glossopteridales thrived in the Southern Hemisphere during the Permian Period, but
they went extinct during the Permian-Triassic mass extinction event. | b. | Glossopteris fossils
are found in India, South America, Australia, Africa, and Antarctica. This distribution is best
explained by tectonic plate movement. | c. | Ferns are plants that do not bear flowers.
Gymnosperms, such as Glossopteridales, on the other hand, are believed to have been flower
bearing. | d. | These organisms were initially thought to be ferns, but modern analysis suggests that
they were deciduous gymnosperm plants. |
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8.
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The Himalayan mountains in Asia are located along India’s northern
border. What cause and
effect connection below best explains how this mountain range was formed?
a. | Cause: The Indian tectonic plate collided with the Eurasian
plate. Effect: Lithosphereic rock along the plate boundaries was crumpled and
lifted. | b. | Cause: Convection currents melted Eurasia’s lithosphere over a large
area. Effect: The Eurasian tectonic plate slipped southwards impacting the Indian
plate. | c. | Cause: Plate movement changed Asia’s climate resulting in increased
precipitation. Effect: Tremendous rainfall led to massive erosion which formed the
Himalayas. | d. | Cause: An elongated magma plume ruptured the lithosphere in the
Mid-Atlantic. Effect: Seafloor spreading occurred which formed the Himalayan mountain
range. |
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9.
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To support his Continental Drift theory, Alfred Wegener studied fossils found on
different continents. He discovered that Mesosaurus fossils (a freshwater reptile from the Permian
period) provided good evidence that supported his ideas concerning tectonic plate movement. How do Mesosaurus fossils support
the Continental Drift/Plate Tectonics theory?
a. | These organisms may have been extinguished during the Permian-Triassic Mass
Extinction that is estimated to have wiped out approximately 96% of life on
Earth. | b. | Fossils of Mesosaurs are only located along active geological fault lines at
convergent boundaries in subduction zones. This is solid evidence for plate
tectonics. | c. | Mesosaurs were slender carnivorous reptiles that thrived in the Permian period, and
they are related to modern turtles and tortoises. | d. | Mesosaur fossils are found in South America and
Africa. As a freshwater organism, it is highly unlikely that these reptiles could swim across the
vast Atlantic ocean. |
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10.
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According to Wegener’s ideas about continental drift...
a. | ...the continents were once joined together in a single landmass. | b. | ...the Earth’s
diameter is gradually increasing as new crust is formed. | c. | ...the Earth is
slowly cooling and shrinking. | d. | ...the continents are slowly melting due to
heat from Earth’s core. |
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