Plate Tectonics: Continental Drift Theory and Its Evidence

_____ 1. Who proposed that in the beginning the Earth has only one giant landmass that slowly broke apart into smaller land pieces?

A. Sir Arthur Holmes B. Harry Hess C. Alfred Wegener D. Sir Isaac Newton

_____ 2. Which of the following is the giant landmass that is present on the Earth in the beginning?

A. Gondwanaland B. Pangaea C. Laurasia D. Eurasia

_____ 3. Who theorized that the driving force for the continents to move is the convection cells in the Earth’s interior?

A. Sir Arthur Holmes B. Alfred Wegener C. Harry Hess D. Sir Isaac Newton

_____ 4. In which of the following pairs of continents were the fossils of mesosaurus found?

A. South America and Africa B. South America and Antarctica C. Africa and Australia D. Asia and Antarctica

_____ 5. Which of the following is a fernlike plant whose fossils were found distributed in all the continents?

A. mesosaurus B. tillite C. coal seam D. glossopteris

_____ 6. Which of the following best explains why coal seams found in Antarctica support the Continental drift theory?

A. Coal seams contain rocks and fossils that provide evidence that Antarctica was once located near the equator.

B. Coal seams indicate abundance of animal and plant organisms that are evidence that Antarctica was once located near

the equator.

C. Coal seams are the remains of a fernlike plant that can only survive in a very cold place like Antarctica.

D. Coal seams do not provide support for the Continental drift theory.

_____ 7. Which of the following best explains why tillites found in some tropical areas in the world support the Continental drift
theory?

A. Tillites, which are rock debris left by glaciers, indicate that the continents were once located in the South Pole.

B. Tillites, which can be found anywhere in the world, indicate that the continents were part of one giant landmass.

C. Tillites, which are rock debris left by a meteorite, indicate the continents drifted apart when they were hit by a meteorite.

D. Tillites do not provide support to the Continental drift theory.

_____ 8. Which of the following best explains why Alfred Wegener’s Continental drift theory was rejected despite the pieces of
evidence that support it?

A. It was impossible for the continents to move; they are immovable geologic features.

B. There was no way to explain how the continents drifted away from each other.

C. Other scientists felt that Alfred Wegener’s pieces of evidence were inadequate.

D. Alfred Wegener was not popular among other scientists.

_____ 9. Which of the following best explains how the continents move?

A. Convection currents in the Earth’s interior move the crust.

B. The Earth’s crust is attracted by the gravitational force of the Moon.

C. Convection currents in the Earth’s atmosphere move the crust.

D. The Earth’s crust is attracted by the gravitation force of the Earth’s interior.

_____ 10. Arrange the following processes that produce convection currents.

a. Rocks on the Earth’s surface cool down.

b. Heated rocks become less dense and rise to the surface of the Earth.

c. Cooled rocks become dense and sink back down in the Earth’s interior.

d. Rocks within the Earth are heated through radioactivity.

A. a, b, c d B. b, d, a, c C. d, b, a, c D. c, d, b, a