MEA 101 Exam #1 [2026] PRACTICE QUESTIONS
WITH STEP-BY-STEP ANSWERS
• Shaded-relief map -✓✓ emphasizes the shape of the land by simulating light and dark
shading on the hills and valleys
• topographic map -✓✓ shows the elevation of land with series of lines called contours
• satellite image -✓✓ shows distribution of different types of plants, rocks, and other
features using measurements of different wavelengths of light reflecting from land
surface
• geologic map -✓✓ represents the distribution of rock units and geologic features
exposed on the surface
• Which of the following is NOT a source of data that geologists can collect to address
hypotheses?
A. observations in the field
B. laboratory measurements
C. satellite images
D. archaeological information -✓✓ D
• Four major components of earth's system -✓✓ atmosphere (air, weather), biosphere
(plants, animals), geosphere (land, rocks), hydrosphere (water, ice)
• Which of the following is an example of how carbon can move between components of
the earth system? (select all that apply)
A. between the atmosphere and the biosphere via photosynthesis
B. between the geosphere and the atmosphere via the burning of fossil fuels
C. between the atmosphere and the hydrosphere via ocean acidification
D. between the hydrosphere and the geosphere via physical weathering -✓✓ A, B, C
• North America and Africa separated from each other before South America and Africa
split up.
Pangea formed early in Earth's history, around 2 billion years ago.
North America has traveled south from its location during the time of Pangaea.
Pangaea began to split up approximately 200 million years ago. -✓✓ T, F, F, T
, • Continental Drift Hypothesis; what did it explain? (2) -✓✓ The idea that continents
have moved and are still moving slowly across the Earth's surface; explains fossils and
glacial deposits
• Plate Tectonic Theory -✓✓ the Earth's outer shell, (lithosphere) is divided into eight
relatively large plates and a number of smaller ones
• Continental Drift Theory -✓✓ the concept of the movement of continents and other
land masses across the surface of the earth
• Which type of crust is older on average?
A. continental
B. oceanic
C. lithospheric -✓✓ A
• Tectonic plates are best defined by... (select all that apply)
A. the shapes of continents
B. the locations of earthquakes
C. sites of active volcanism
D. the distribution of oceanic ridges
E. the distribution of oceanic trenches -✓✓ B, C, D, E
• Make a labeled sketch to show the relationship of crust, mantle, lithosphere, and
asthenosphere -✓✓
• Principal features of earth's surface (4) -✓✓ mid-ocean ridges, island arcs, deep ocean
trenches, mountains
• Sketch volcanoes and earthquakes on a map -✓✓
• Sketch and label the tectonic plates -✓✓
• divergent boundary -✓✓ A plate boundary where two plates move away from each
other.
• convergent boundary -✓✓ A plate boundary where two plates move toward each
other.
• transform boundary -✓✓ A plate boundary where two plates move past each other in
opposite directions
• physical features of divergent boundary (2) -✓✓ mid-ocean ridges, continental rift
WITH STEP-BY-STEP ANSWERS
• Shaded-relief map -✓✓ emphasizes the shape of the land by simulating light and dark
shading on the hills and valleys
• topographic map -✓✓ shows the elevation of land with series of lines called contours
• satellite image -✓✓ shows distribution of different types of plants, rocks, and other
features using measurements of different wavelengths of light reflecting from land
surface
• geologic map -✓✓ represents the distribution of rock units and geologic features
exposed on the surface
• Which of the following is NOT a source of data that geologists can collect to address
hypotheses?
A. observations in the field
B. laboratory measurements
C. satellite images
D. archaeological information -✓✓ D
• Four major components of earth's system -✓✓ atmosphere (air, weather), biosphere
(plants, animals), geosphere (land, rocks), hydrosphere (water, ice)
• Which of the following is an example of how carbon can move between components of
the earth system? (select all that apply)
A. between the atmosphere and the biosphere via photosynthesis
B. between the geosphere and the atmosphere via the burning of fossil fuels
C. between the atmosphere and the hydrosphere via ocean acidification
D. between the hydrosphere and the geosphere via physical weathering -✓✓ A, B, C
• North America and Africa separated from each other before South America and Africa
split up.
Pangea formed early in Earth's history, around 2 billion years ago.
North America has traveled south from its location during the time of Pangaea.
Pangaea began to split up approximately 200 million years ago. -✓✓ T, F, F, T
, • Continental Drift Hypothesis; what did it explain? (2) -✓✓ The idea that continents
have moved and are still moving slowly across the Earth's surface; explains fossils and
glacial deposits
• Plate Tectonic Theory -✓✓ the Earth's outer shell, (lithosphere) is divided into eight
relatively large plates and a number of smaller ones
• Continental Drift Theory -✓✓ the concept of the movement of continents and other
land masses across the surface of the earth
• Which type of crust is older on average?
A. continental
B. oceanic
C. lithospheric -✓✓ A
• Tectonic plates are best defined by... (select all that apply)
A. the shapes of continents
B. the locations of earthquakes
C. sites of active volcanism
D. the distribution of oceanic ridges
E. the distribution of oceanic trenches -✓✓ B, C, D, E
• Make a labeled sketch to show the relationship of crust, mantle, lithosphere, and
asthenosphere -✓✓
• Principal features of earth's surface (4) -✓✓ mid-ocean ridges, island arcs, deep ocean
trenches, mountains
• Sketch volcanoes and earthquakes on a map -✓✓
• Sketch and label the tectonic plates -✓✓
• divergent boundary -✓✓ A plate boundary where two plates move away from each
other.
• convergent boundary -✓✓ A plate boundary where two plates move toward each
other.
• transform boundary -✓✓ A plate boundary where two plates move past each other in
opposite directions
• physical features of divergent boundary (2) -✓✓ mid-ocean ridges, continental rift
