Plate Boundaries Study Guide
1. What type of plate boundary usually results in new crust forming?
Divergent
2. Label each as Convergent, divergent or transform
Convergent
Divergent
Transform
3. What type of activity is most common at convergent plate boundaries?
Mountain building
4. What type of activity is most common at divergent plate boundaries?
Volcanoes
5. What type of activity is most common at transform plate boundaries?
Earthquakes
6. The type of tectonic plate boundary involving a collision between two tectonic plates is________?
Convergent
7. The type of tectonic plate boundary that has a subduction zone is__________?
Convergent
8. The San Andreas fault is an example of a ____________________ boundary.
Transform
9. Mid-ocean ridges are associated with ________________ boundaries.
Divergent
10. The speed of seismic waves depends on the ____ of the layer through which they travel.
Density
11. Which layer of the Earth is made up of tectonic plates?
Lithosphere
12. What appears to cause movement of Earth's tectonic plates?
Convection Currents
13. Earth's oceanic crust is ____ than the continental crust.
Thinner and denser
14. The Mariana trench is the deepest point in the oceans—11,033 m below sea level. This trench was
formed at a ____ boundary, where one tectonic plate was subducted beneath the other. Convergent
15. What has formed at A? B? What type of boundary is occurring at A?
A=ocean trench B=Volcanic Mountain A=Convergent boundary
16. Sea-floor spreading occurs at which type of plate boundary?
Divergent
Figure #1:
Figure #3
17. Consider figure #1, which of the letters would best represent the arrival of the “P” wave”
A
18. Consider figure #1, which of the letters would best represent the arrival of the “S” wave”
C
19. Using figure #2, determine the distance from the epicenter determined by the seismograph in figure
#1:
480km
20. Using figure #3, identify the approximate magnitude determined by the seismograph in figure #1:
7.0
21. What is the name given to the magnitude scale for earthquake energy?
Richter Scale
22. The theory of Plate tectonics states the Earth’s crust and upper mantle are broken into sections
23. These sections, called Plates, are composed of the crust and a part of the upper mantle
24. The crust and upper mantle are called the lithosphere
25. Beneath this layer is the plastic-like asthenosphere
26. Many scientists think hot plastic-like rock is forced upward toward the surface, cools, and sinks. This
process is called a convection current.
Choose the type of boundary (above) that would BEST match the tectonic event listed below:
27. Convergent Boundary with uplift and folding
D
28. Divergent Boundary
C
29. Transform Boundary
A
30. Convergent Boundary with subduction
B
31. Volcanic Mountains
B
32. Folded Mountains
D
33. Earthquakes
A
34. Sea-floor spreading
C
35. The Himalayas contain the highest mountain in the world. What does this suggest about the speed
of the Indian plate as it collides with the Eurasian plate?
Fast movement
36. What is the process by which the Himalayas are formed?
Convergent boundary with folding
37. How are volcanoes created?
One plate is subducted beneath the other causing the rock to melt
38. Why are earthquakes in California so devastating?
The energy is stored up for many years and released, they occur near the surface where the quake is
stronger, there is a large population affected
39. Where are earthquakes more damaging?
At the epicenter
40. What formed the Hawaiian Islands?
Hotspots