Plate Tectonics Worksheet
Name _________________________
1. What are the 2 types of crust found on Earth’s surface?
2. How many major tectonic plates on Earth’s surface?
3. What causes the movement of the plates?
4. The layer of the earth that is made up of the crust & upper mantle is called the ______________.
5. What is caused by the action of hot material rising and cool material sinking?
6. Which layer of earth includes the crustal plates? Is it the lithosphere or the asthenosphere?
7. Where do convection currents take place? Is it in the lithosphere or the asthenosphere?
8. What scientist proposed the continental drift theory in 1912?
9. How far do scientists estimate the plates move in a year?
10. The supercontinent formed when all the continents were together was called _____________.
11. There are 2 main reasons geologists think the continents were once connected. One reason is that some
coastlines share similar fossils. What is the other reason?
12. Most volcanoes and earthquakes take place in a belt that surrounds the Pacific Ocean called the
__________________.
13. Evidence that the plates move can be found at spreading centers. New rock is found at spreading centers, and
temperatures are hotter at spreading centers. What is the 3rd observation at spreading centers that geologists
make?
14. What type of plate boundary is formed when the plates grind past each other?
15. What type of plate boundary is formed when the plates move away from each other?
16. At what type of boundary would you observe subduction?
17. In subduction, what determines which plate will be on top and which will be on bottom?
18. What type of boundary is found at the San Andreas Fault?
19. What type of boundary would be found at spreading centers?
20. Draw a diagram of the 3 types of plate boundaries and label each. Include arrows to show how they move.