Study Questions - Plate Tectonics

1. What are the three basic types of lithospheric plate margins?

2. What type(s) of evidence did Alfred Wegener use to support the hypothesis of continental drift?

3. Why was Wegener's hypothesis never accepted as scientific theory?

4. What is the significance of paleomagnetism and 'apparent polar wander' to plate tectonic theory?

5. What was the contribution of Cox and Dallrymple to the development of plate tectonic theory?

6. What are 'sea floor stripes'?

7. Why was the discovery of sea-floor stripes important to the development of plate tectonic theory?

8. What was the contribution of Harry Hess to the development of plate tectonic theory?

9. What was the contribution of Vine and Matthews to plate tectonic theory?

10. What is a Benioff zone?

11. Along what type of plate boundary(ies) does a subduction zone develop?

12. What is a continental margin volcanic arc? What are some examples?

13. What is an island arc? What are some examples?

14. Along what type of plate margin are the Himalayas forming?

15. What type of plate margin is the East Pacific Rise?

16. What is a rift valley? What are some examples?

17. What is a linear sea? What are some examples?

18. What type of plate margin is the San Andreas Fault system?

19. What types of plate margins are located along and near the western margin of North America?

20. What is a transform fault? Why is the San Andreas Fault system classifies as a transform fault system?

21. Is Hawaii located along a lithospheric plate margin? Yellowstone National Park?

22. What is responsible for the volcanic activity at Hawaii? Yellowstone National Park?

23. What is a seamount chain?

24. How is a seamount chain explained by plate tectonic theory?

25. What is the difference between a 'terrain' and a 'terrane'?

26. What types of terranes have been accreted to the western margin of North America?

27. What is the driving force of plate tectonics in the 'mantle convection' model?

28. Approximately how many years ago did the north Atlantic ocean begin to form?

29. Approximately how many years ago did the south Atlantic ocean begin to form?

30. 100 million years ago, what type of plate margin existed between India and the southern margin of Asia?