BYU EARTH SCIENCE STUDY MANUAL 2025/2026
QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
✔✔The Appalachian Mountains in North America and the Atlas Mountains of North
Africa were formed from the collision of what two plates? - ✔✔the North American and
African Plates prior to the formation of Pangaea.
✔✔The Alps were formed from the impact from the collision of what - ✔✔Italy and
Europe
✔✔Describe the formation of the Rocky Mountains - ✔✔The Cascade section of these
mountains was formed as the Juan de Fuca plate was subducted underneath the
continent. The Northern Rockies were formed by plate collisions as North America
moved westward. The southern Rockies, including the Great Basin of the western
United States, were formed from the rifting of that section of North America.
✔✔Where are the major trenches of the earth found? - ✔✔The major trenches of the
earth are found in the Pacific Ocean
✔✔How was the Peru trench formed? - ✔✔The Peru trench was formed, along a
convergent boundary, by the subduction of the Nazca plate underneath South America
✔✔What do the Aleutian trench, the Mariana trench, the Japanese trench, and the
Tongan trench have in common? - ✔✔The Aleutian trench, the Mariana trench, the
Japanese trench, and the Tongan trench were all formed by subduction at convergent
boundaries around the Pacific plate.
✔✔How were islands like Japan, the Aleutian Islands, and the south sea islands of
Tonga, Fiji, Indonesia, New Zealand, and others formed? - ✔✔When the Pacific plate
subducts, it is forced beneath another plate, and its rock melts, forming massive
pockets of molten rock, or magma. This magma melts and moves upward, eventually
erupting and forming island chains like these.
✔✔In the Atlantic, subduction at the Puerto Rico trench has formed what? -
✔✔Hispaniola and Cuba, along with the Caribbean islands.
✔✔In the Indian Ocean, subduction at various trenches has formed what? -
✔✔thousands of islands, most notably the Philippines, New Guinea, Borneo, Sumatra,
and the Malaysian Peninsula.
✔✔The shapes of the continents are a direct result of what? - ✔✔The shapes of the
continents are a direct result of the breakup of Pangaea by divergent plate boundaries
and subsequent plate movement.
, ✔✔What is Pangaea? - ✔✔A single large landmass that existed about two hundred
million years ago
✔✔When Pangaea broke into two pieces, what were they called? - ✔✔the northern one
was Laurasia and the southern one was Gondwanaland
✔✔Which present-day continents came from Laurasia - ✔✔Europe, Asia, and North
America—along with Greenland
✔✔Which present-day continents came from Gondwanaland - ✔✔Africa, India, South
America, Australia, and Antarctica as well as Madagascar and Arabia
✔✔how are ocean basins and new ocean floor are created - ✔✔Ocean basins and new
ocean floor are also created by plate motion at a divergent boundary.
✔✔How was the Atlantic Ocean formed? - ✔✔It formed as the continents of North and
South America were split apart from Pangaea.
✔✔The Atlantic ocean is getting ____________ because of rifting at the mid-Atlantic
ridge? - ✔✔bigger
✔✔The Red Sea is in the process of becoming an __________________ - ✔✔ocean
✔✔How was Iceland formed - ✔✔Iceland was formed from massive volcanic eruptions
along the Mid-Atlantic ridge
✔✔Where is the hot spot under Hawaii located? - ✔✔This hot spot is stationary and is
located about 2,000 miles deep in the mantle.
✔✔How are island chains formed? - ✔✔Island chains can be easily explained by the
motion of the plates over a hot spot.
✔✔ A traffic and railroad tunnel has been completed connecting England to France.
Would it be wise to build a similar tunnel between the islands of Japan? - ✔✔No, Japan
is too close to a convergent boundary. There is no plate boundary between England
and France.
✔✔Which type of boundary produces the most frequent and most powerful quakes? -
✔✔convergent
✔✔Do all plate boundaries show the same concentration of earthquakes? - ✔✔no
✔✔Define hotspot - ✔✔a region of higher-than-normal heat in the earth.
QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
✔✔The Appalachian Mountains in North America and the Atlas Mountains of North
Africa were formed from the collision of what two plates? - ✔✔the North American and
African Plates prior to the formation of Pangaea.
✔✔The Alps were formed from the impact from the collision of what - ✔✔Italy and
Europe
✔✔Describe the formation of the Rocky Mountains - ✔✔The Cascade section of these
mountains was formed as the Juan de Fuca plate was subducted underneath the
continent. The Northern Rockies were formed by plate collisions as North America
moved westward. The southern Rockies, including the Great Basin of the western
United States, were formed from the rifting of that section of North America.
✔✔Where are the major trenches of the earth found? - ✔✔The major trenches of the
earth are found in the Pacific Ocean
✔✔How was the Peru trench formed? - ✔✔The Peru trench was formed, along a
convergent boundary, by the subduction of the Nazca plate underneath South America
✔✔What do the Aleutian trench, the Mariana trench, the Japanese trench, and the
Tongan trench have in common? - ✔✔The Aleutian trench, the Mariana trench, the
Japanese trench, and the Tongan trench were all formed by subduction at convergent
boundaries around the Pacific plate.
✔✔How were islands like Japan, the Aleutian Islands, and the south sea islands of
Tonga, Fiji, Indonesia, New Zealand, and others formed? - ✔✔When the Pacific plate
subducts, it is forced beneath another plate, and its rock melts, forming massive
pockets of molten rock, or magma. This magma melts and moves upward, eventually
erupting and forming island chains like these.
✔✔In the Atlantic, subduction at the Puerto Rico trench has formed what? -
✔✔Hispaniola and Cuba, along with the Caribbean islands.
✔✔In the Indian Ocean, subduction at various trenches has formed what? -
✔✔thousands of islands, most notably the Philippines, New Guinea, Borneo, Sumatra,
and the Malaysian Peninsula.
✔✔The shapes of the continents are a direct result of what? - ✔✔The shapes of the
continents are a direct result of the breakup of Pangaea by divergent plate boundaries
and subsequent plate movement.
, ✔✔What is Pangaea? - ✔✔A single large landmass that existed about two hundred
million years ago
✔✔When Pangaea broke into two pieces, what were they called? - ✔✔the northern one
was Laurasia and the southern one was Gondwanaland
✔✔Which present-day continents came from Laurasia - ✔✔Europe, Asia, and North
America—along with Greenland
✔✔Which present-day continents came from Gondwanaland - ✔✔Africa, India, South
America, Australia, and Antarctica as well as Madagascar and Arabia
✔✔how are ocean basins and new ocean floor are created - ✔✔Ocean basins and new
ocean floor are also created by plate motion at a divergent boundary.
✔✔How was the Atlantic Ocean formed? - ✔✔It formed as the continents of North and
South America were split apart from Pangaea.
✔✔The Atlantic ocean is getting ____________ because of rifting at the mid-Atlantic
ridge? - ✔✔bigger
✔✔The Red Sea is in the process of becoming an __________________ - ✔✔ocean
✔✔How was Iceland formed - ✔✔Iceland was formed from massive volcanic eruptions
along the Mid-Atlantic ridge
✔✔Where is the hot spot under Hawaii located? - ✔✔This hot spot is stationary and is
located about 2,000 miles deep in the mantle.
✔✔How are island chains formed? - ✔✔Island chains can be easily explained by the
motion of the plates over a hot spot.
✔✔ A traffic and railroad tunnel has been completed connecting England to France.
Would it be wise to build a similar tunnel between the islands of Japan? - ✔✔No, Japan
is too close to a convergent boundary. There is no plate boundary between England
and France.
✔✔Which type of boundary produces the most frequent and most powerful quakes? -
✔✔convergent
✔✔Do all plate boundaries show the same concentration of earthquakes? - ✔✔no
✔✔Define hotspot - ✔✔a region of higher-than-normal heat in the earth.
