Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
Continental Drift - CORRECT ANSWER- A theory supporting the possibility that continents
are able to move over Earth's surface
Plate tectonics - CORRECT ANSWER- the process where large sections (plates) of the
Earth's crust are in constant movement over the fluid mantle, causing earthquakes and volcanoes
at the borders between the plates
Lithosphere - CORRECT ANSWER- The outermost layer of the Earth's crust
Asthenosphere - CORRECT ANSWER- a nearly liquid layer made of the uppermost part of
the mantle
Mantle - CORRECT ANSWER- A region of molten rock within the interior of the Earth,
between the core and the crust
Convection current - CORRECT ANSWER- The movement of fluids or air based on density
differences caused by differing temperature
Convergent boundary - CORRECT ANSWER- When two or more tectonics plates come
together
Subduction - CORRECT ANSWER- The process where one lithospheric plates slides below
another at a convergent plate boundary
Trench - CORRECT ANSWER- A long, narrow and deep depression on the ocean floor with
relatively steep sides, caused by convergent plate boundaries
,Volcano - CORRECT ANSWER- A mountain or hill with a carter or vent through which
lava, rock fragments, hot vapour and gas are being forced from the Earth's crust
Earthquake - CORRECT ANSWER- A sudden release of energy inside the Earth that creates
seismic waves usually caused by the movement of tectonic plates or volcanic activity
Tsunami - CORRECT ANSWER- A seismic sea wave created by an underwater earthquake
or volcanic event, not noticeable in the open ocean but building to great heights in shallow water
Divergent boundary - CORRECT ANSWER- Where two tectonic plates are moving away
from each other
Mid-Ocean ridge - CORRECT ANSWER- A mountain range with a central valley on an
ocean floor at the boundary between two diverging tectonic plates, where new crust forms from
upwelling magma
Transform boundary - CORRECT ANSWER- When two plates are moving in an antiparallel
direction, creating friction between them
Abyssal plain - CORRECT ANSWER- A flat, sandy region of the ocean floor found between
trenches and the continental rise
Hydrothermal vents - CORRECT ANSWER- An area where cold ocean water that has
seeped into the Earth's crust is superheated by underlying magma and forced through vents in the
ocean floor
Continental margin - CORRECT ANSWER- The submerged area next to a continent, which
includes the continental shelf, continental slope and continental rise
Continental shelf - CORRECT ANSWER- A gently sloping surface that extends from the
low tide line to the continental slope, typically where a great deal of sand deposits
,Continental slope - CORRECT ANSWER- A relatively steep sloping surface between the
continental shelf and the continental rise
Continental rise - CORRECT ANSWER- A gently sloping surface at the base of the
continental slope where sand deposits
Isostasy - CORRECT ANSWER- A process similar to buoyancy but related to the Earth's
crust floating on the flexible mantle
Littoral zone - CORRECT ANSWER- The benthic, or bottom, zone between the highest and
lowest spring tide shorelines, also referred to as the intertidal zone
Morphology - CORRECT ANSWER- The study of the forms of things
Erosion - CORRECT ANSWER- A natural process where material is worn away from the
Earth's surface and transported elsewhere
Desposition - CORRECT ANSWER- A geological process where sediments, soil and rocks
are added to a landform or land mass
Delta - CORRECT ANSWER- A low-lying triangular area at the mouth of a river formed by
the deposition of sediments
Zonation - CORRECT ANSWER- A separation of organisms in a habitat into definite zones
or bands according to biological and physical factors, common in rocky shore habitats
Desiccation - CORRECT ANSWER- The process of drying out or losing moisture
, Infauna - CORRECT ANSWER- Animals living within the sediments of the ocean floor,
river or lake beds
Sedimentation - CORRECT ANSWER- The act or process of depositing sediment from a
solution (e.g. seawater)
Hypothesis - CORRECT ANSWER- An explanation of an observation that can be tested
through experimentation
Variable - CORRECT ANSWER- A condition in an experiment that can be controlled or
changed
Theory - CORRECT ANSWER- a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the
natural world
Refute - CORRECT ANSWER- Submitting evidence that shows that a hypothesis is not
correct
Qualitative Data - CORRECT ANSWER- Descriptive data about a variable, for example
color or behavior
Quantitative data - CORRECT ANSWER- Numerical data that give the quantity, amount or
range of a variable
Prediction - CORRECT ANSWER- A statement of the expected results in an experiment
based on the hypothesis being tested
Independent variable - CORRECT ANSWER- The variable being changed in an experiment
Dependent variable - CORRECT ANSWER- The variable being measured in an experiment