How Tectonic Plates Move · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

How Tectonic Plates Move

Science · Volcanoes & Earthquakes · ages 11-12
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. At a divergent boundary, what do the two plates do?

    • They collide into each other
    • They slide past each other
    • They move apart

  2. Which slow process inside Earth is part of the system that moves tectonic plates?

    • Wind blowing across the surface
    • Mantle convection
    • The pull of the moon

  3. Earthquakes and volcanoes are spread evenly across Earth, with no pattern near plate boundaries.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Along the San Andreas Fault, two plates slide sideways past each other. What kind of boundary is this?

    • Convergent
    • Transform
    • Divergent

  5. A tall mountain range formed where two continents pushed into each other over millions of years. Which boundary made this?

    • Divergent
    • Convergent
    • Transform

  6. An ocean basin opens as plates spread, then later closes through subduction and continental collision. What is this cycle called?

    • The Wilson cycle
    • The Ring of Fire
    • The rock cycle

  7. A world map shows many earthquakes and volcanoes in a belt around the Pacific Ocean. What explains this pattern?

    • Many plate edges ring the Pacific
    • Earthquakes are drawn to warm ocean water
    • Volcanoes can only form near oceans

  8. Mia says volcanoes only form where plates pull apart, never where they collide. What is wrong with her claim?

    • Nothing, she is right
    • They also form above sinking plates
    • Volcanoes only form at transform boundaries
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

How Tectonic Plates Move W1-mt_gv_uoHkdjR-s1

  1. They move apart · Divergent means moving apart. At spreading ridges, magma rises and cools to make new crust.
  2. Mantle convection · Mantle convection is slow circulation of rock. Plates take part in this system, with gravity acting through sinking slabs and raised ocean ridges.
  3. False · Many cluster near boundaries, including those around the Pacific. Some occur within plates, so the pattern has exceptions.
  4. Transform · Sideways motion is transform motion. A fault can still bend or have local squeezing; the key is how the plates move relative to each other.
  5. Convergent · When plates collide, the crust crumples and folds upward, building mountain ranges over time.
  6. The Wilson cycle · A Wilson cycle describes the opening and closing of an ocean basin. It is related to supercontinent change, but the terms do not name exactly the same cycle.
  7. Many plate edges ring the Pacific · Many different plate boundaries lie around the Pacific. Earthquakes and volcanoes cluster near those boundaries, including edges of smaller plates.
  8. They also form above sinking plates · At some convergent boundaries, water from a sinking plate helps mantle above it melt. That magma can feed volcanoes, so volcanism is not limited to divergent boundaries.
Worksheet · LightMySky