BYU EARTH SCIENCE TEST PAPER 2025/2026 QUESTIONS
WITH SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
✔✔How do volcano and earthquake patterns support the idea of plate tectonic theory? -
✔✔They are usually found near the borders of plates, which is where plates slide
against each other and create stress in the crust.
✔✔Why are mountain ranges created where two continental plates converge? -
✔✔Neither plate is subducted; instead, both are lifted up forming a mountain range.
✔✔Why didn't scientists believe Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift? -
✔✔Wegener had no explanation for what made the continents drift (or move)
✔✔In which of the following types of plate boundaries is new crust formed? -
✔✔divergent boundary
✔✔Which of the following best summarizes the plate tectonic theory? - ✔✔Earth's crust
is divided into moving pieces that collide with each other, creating mountain ranges,
ocean ridges, and ocean trenches.
✔✔Which layer of the earth is not matched with its correct physical state? - ✔✔
✔✔What is the asthenospheres physical state? - ✔✔Plastic like
✔✔What is the outer cores physical state? - ✔✔Liquid
✔✔What is the inner cores physical state? - ✔✔Solid
✔✔What is the crusts physical state? ? - ✔✔Solid
✔✔According to Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift, how were all of the
continents originally arranged? - ✔✔All continents were part of a large mass of land he
called Pangaea.
✔✔The earth developed a layered structure because of what? - ✔✔changes in
chemical/mineral composition, changes in the density of the internal material, changes
in the physical state (solid liquid) of the material
✔✔What geologic feature is created when an ocean plate converges with another
ocean plate or a continent plate? - ✔✔trench
,✔✔How would you explain the formation of the Hawaiian Islands in the middle of the
Pacific Plate? - ✔✔The Hawaiian Islands are the tops of volcanic mountains formed by
hot spots under the Pacific plate; as the plate moves, the hot spots create new islands.
✔✔Scientists expected ocean floors to have a thick layer of sediment; however, when
they checked, they discovered that ocean floors have very thin layers of sediment. What
did this tell them about ocean floors? - ✔✔Ocean floors are not as old as they thought
they were.
✔✔The Himalayan mountain range is being formed by the convergence of which two
tectonic plates? - ✔✔the Eurasian and Indian Plates
✔✔Which mountain range is being created by the convergence of the Nazca and South
American plate? - ✔✔Andes
✔✔Which of the following best explains the formation of the Japanese Islands? -
✔✔The islands are the result of a convergent boundary between the Pacific and the
Eurasian Plates.
✔✔Which of the following best describes what happens at a divergent plate boundary? -
✔✔The plates separate from each other creating new crust in the process.
✔✔The Caribbean plate is merging with which other plate to form the Caribbean
Islands? - ✔✔the North American Plate
✔✔Why does the crust have high continents and low ocean basins? - ✔✔Density
differences between continental rock and oceanic rock mean that the continents float
higher in the asthenosphere than the oceanic rock.
✔✔What is the Atmostphere? - ✔✔all the gases of the earth
✔✔What is the lithosphere? short answer - ✔✔the earth's solid rock/crust
✔✔What is the Hydrosphere? - ✔✔the earth's water
✔✔What is the asthenosphere? short answer - ✔✔all the molten rock inside the earth
✔✔In which direction is the continent of North America moving? - ✔✔toward the Pacific
Ocean
✔✔The North American and Eurasian plates are diverging. What physical evidence
proves this? - ✔✔the mid-Atlantic ridge
,✔✔How do the magnetic patterns on the seafloor support the theory of tectonic plates?
- ✔✔The magnetic patterns on each side of the ocean ridge are symmetrical, which
proves that the seafloor is spreading.
✔✔Upon which layer of the earth do the plates rest and move? - ✔✔asthenosphere
✔✔Besides the discovery of coal in Greenland, what other evidence did Alfred Wegener
have to prove his continental drift theory? - ✔✔similar fossil records on different
continents
✔✔The state of balance between the thickness of the crust and the depth at which it
floats on the asthenosphere is called - ✔✔Isostasy
✔✔Define planetesimals - ✔✔Small objects that formed in the solar nebula.
✔✔Define protoplanets - ✔✔planet-sized objects that grew as planetesimals collided
together in the nebula.
✔✔Define differentiation - ✔✔The process of forming layers within a planet as matter
melts and separates due to differences in density. The heaviest stuff sinks to the center,
forming the core. The lightweight stuff forms the crust on the surface.
✔✔Define solar nebula - ✔✔The solar nebula is the cloud of dust and gas from which
the solar system formed.
✔✔Why hasn't all of the heat from inside of the earth escaped into outer space? -
✔✔Rock is a poor conductor of heat. There has not been enough time for all of the heat
to have escaped.
✔✔What contributed to the original heat of the earth? - ✔✔bombardment by
planetesimals
frictional drag during differentiation
radioactive decay of elements within the earth
✔✔What two principal sources cause the earth's internal heat? - ✔✔Smaller objects
must have cooled off, so there is no energy source to power plate motion.
✔✔Why do scientists believe that heating from radioactive decay was greater in the
early earth than it is today? - ✔✔There were more radioactive elements, so as a result,
there was greater decay and heating.
, ✔✔What would happen to plate motion if the earth's interior suddenly cooled? -
✔✔Plate motion would eventually stop as the earth cooled.
✔✔Define convection current - ✔✔a pattern of rising and sinking of rock material in the
asthenosphere due to uneven heating in the earth.
✔✔Define subduction - ✔✔the process of two plates smashing together, resulting in
one section being forced down beneath the other.
✔✔Define rifting - ✔✔places where two plates are splitting open.
✔✔diverging - ✔✔two plates splitting apart from one another
✔✔converging - ✔✔two plates colliding with one another
✔✔transform fault - ✔✔two plates sliding past one another
✔✔Describe an ocean-to-ocean convergent boundary. Does it include subduction? -
✔✔two ocean sections collide, and one is subducted. Yes it includes subduction.
✔✔Describe an ocean-to-continent convergent boundary. Does it include subduction? -
✔✔the ocean floor collides with a continent, which is folded up into a mountain range
while the ocean floor is subducted. Yes it includes subduction.
✔✔Describe a continent-to-continent convergent boundary. Does it include subduction?
- ✔✔two continents collide, making a mountain range with no subduction. No it does not
include subduction.
✔✔What are some diverging boundaries on the earth? - ✔✔Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Great
Rift Valley
✔✔What are some transform fault boundaries on the earth? - ✔✔San Andreas Fault,
Alpine Fault of New Zealand
✔✔What are some converging boundaries on the earth? - ✔✔Himalayan Mountains,
Peru trench and the Andes Mountains.
✔✔The rising of hot material and sinking of cool material within the earth is called a
what? - ✔✔convection current
✔✔Which boundary is associated with the Ring of Fire? - ✔✔convergent
WITH SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
✔✔How do volcano and earthquake patterns support the idea of plate tectonic theory? -
✔✔They are usually found near the borders of plates, which is where plates slide
against each other and create stress in the crust.
✔✔Why are mountain ranges created where two continental plates converge? -
✔✔Neither plate is subducted; instead, both are lifted up forming a mountain range.
✔✔Why didn't scientists believe Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift? -
✔✔Wegener had no explanation for what made the continents drift (or move)
✔✔In which of the following types of plate boundaries is new crust formed? -
✔✔divergent boundary
✔✔Which of the following best summarizes the plate tectonic theory? - ✔✔Earth's crust
is divided into moving pieces that collide with each other, creating mountain ranges,
ocean ridges, and ocean trenches.
✔✔Which layer of the earth is not matched with its correct physical state? - ✔✔
✔✔What is the asthenospheres physical state? - ✔✔Plastic like
✔✔What is the outer cores physical state? - ✔✔Liquid
✔✔What is the inner cores physical state? - ✔✔Solid
✔✔What is the crusts physical state? ? - ✔✔Solid
✔✔According to Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift, how were all of the
continents originally arranged? - ✔✔All continents were part of a large mass of land he
called Pangaea.
✔✔The earth developed a layered structure because of what? - ✔✔changes in
chemical/mineral composition, changes in the density of the internal material, changes
in the physical state (solid liquid) of the material
✔✔What geologic feature is created when an ocean plate converges with another
ocean plate or a continent plate? - ✔✔trench
,✔✔How would you explain the formation of the Hawaiian Islands in the middle of the
Pacific Plate? - ✔✔The Hawaiian Islands are the tops of volcanic mountains formed by
hot spots under the Pacific plate; as the plate moves, the hot spots create new islands.
✔✔Scientists expected ocean floors to have a thick layer of sediment; however, when
they checked, they discovered that ocean floors have very thin layers of sediment. What
did this tell them about ocean floors? - ✔✔Ocean floors are not as old as they thought
they were.
✔✔The Himalayan mountain range is being formed by the convergence of which two
tectonic plates? - ✔✔the Eurasian and Indian Plates
✔✔Which mountain range is being created by the convergence of the Nazca and South
American plate? - ✔✔Andes
✔✔Which of the following best explains the formation of the Japanese Islands? -
✔✔The islands are the result of a convergent boundary between the Pacific and the
Eurasian Plates.
✔✔Which of the following best describes what happens at a divergent plate boundary? -
✔✔The plates separate from each other creating new crust in the process.
✔✔The Caribbean plate is merging with which other plate to form the Caribbean
Islands? - ✔✔the North American Plate
✔✔Why does the crust have high continents and low ocean basins? - ✔✔Density
differences between continental rock and oceanic rock mean that the continents float
higher in the asthenosphere than the oceanic rock.
✔✔What is the Atmostphere? - ✔✔all the gases of the earth
✔✔What is the lithosphere? short answer - ✔✔the earth's solid rock/crust
✔✔What is the Hydrosphere? - ✔✔the earth's water
✔✔What is the asthenosphere? short answer - ✔✔all the molten rock inside the earth
✔✔In which direction is the continent of North America moving? - ✔✔toward the Pacific
Ocean
✔✔The North American and Eurasian plates are diverging. What physical evidence
proves this? - ✔✔the mid-Atlantic ridge
,✔✔How do the magnetic patterns on the seafloor support the theory of tectonic plates?
- ✔✔The magnetic patterns on each side of the ocean ridge are symmetrical, which
proves that the seafloor is spreading.
✔✔Upon which layer of the earth do the plates rest and move? - ✔✔asthenosphere
✔✔Besides the discovery of coal in Greenland, what other evidence did Alfred Wegener
have to prove his continental drift theory? - ✔✔similar fossil records on different
continents
✔✔The state of balance between the thickness of the crust and the depth at which it
floats on the asthenosphere is called - ✔✔Isostasy
✔✔Define planetesimals - ✔✔Small objects that formed in the solar nebula.
✔✔Define protoplanets - ✔✔planet-sized objects that grew as planetesimals collided
together in the nebula.
✔✔Define differentiation - ✔✔The process of forming layers within a planet as matter
melts and separates due to differences in density. The heaviest stuff sinks to the center,
forming the core. The lightweight stuff forms the crust on the surface.
✔✔Define solar nebula - ✔✔The solar nebula is the cloud of dust and gas from which
the solar system formed.
✔✔Why hasn't all of the heat from inside of the earth escaped into outer space? -
✔✔Rock is a poor conductor of heat. There has not been enough time for all of the heat
to have escaped.
✔✔What contributed to the original heat of the earth? - ✔✔bombardment by
planetesimals
frictional drag during differentiation
radioactive decay of elements within the earth
✔✔What two principal sources cause the earth's internal heat? - ✔✔Smaller objects
must have cooled off, so there is no energy source to power plate motion.
✔✔Why do scientists believe that heating from radioactive decay was greater in the
early earth than it is today? - ✔✔There were more radioactive elements, so as a result,
there was greater decay and heating.
, ✔✔What would happen to plate motion if the earth's interior suddenly cooled? -
✔✔Plate motion would eventually stop as the earth cooled.
✔✔Define convection current - ✔✔a pattern of rising and sinking of rock material in the
asthenosphere due to uneven heating in the earth.
✔✔Define subduction - ✔✔the process of two plates smashing together, resulting in
one section being forced down beneath the other.
✔✔Define rifting - ✔✔places where two plates are splitting open.
✔✔diverging - ✔✔two plates splitting apart from one another
✔✔converging - ✔✔two plates colliding with one another
✔✔transform fault - ✔✔two plates sliding past one another
✔✔Describe an ocean-to-ocean convergent boundary. Does it include subduction? -
✔✔two ocean sections collide, and one is subducted. Yes it includes subduction.
✔✔Describe an ocean-to-continent convergent boundary. Does it include subduction? -
✔✔the ocean floor collides with a continent, which is folded up into a mountain range
while the ocean floor is subducted. Yes it includes subduction.
✔✔Describe a continent-to-continent convergent boundary. Does it include subduction?
- ✔✔two continents collide, making a mountain range with no subduction. No it does not
include subduction.
✔✔What are some diverging boundaries on the earth? - ✔✔Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Great
Rift Valley
✔✔What are some transform fault boundaries on the earth? - ✔✔San Andreas Fault,
Alpine Fault of New Zealand
✔✔What are some converging boundaries on the earth? - ✔✔Himalayan Mountains,
Peru trench and the Andes Mountains.
✔✔The rising of hot material and sinking of cool material within the earth is called a
what? - ✔✔convection current
✔✔Which boundary is associated with the Ring of Fire? - ✔✔convergent
