Tectonic Plates and Earthquakes, Rocks and Crust Quiz

Answer: Chile

Yes it was in Chile. The unbelievable earthquake measured a shocking 9.5 on the Richter scale!

U.S.A had the second most powerful earthquake ever recorded. It occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska on March 27, 1964. The destructive Earthquake measured a staggering 9.2 on the Richter scale!

The fourth most powerful earthquake ever recorded was a stunning 9.0 on the Richter scale! It occurred in Kamchatka, Russia on November 4, 1952.

The sixth most powerful earthquake which measured a mind-blowing 8.8 on the Richter scale! It occurred off the coast of Ecuador on January 31, 1906.

Answer: Sedimentary

There are only three types of rocks: sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic.

Sedimentary rocks are rocks that are layered. Scientists uncover fossils from these types of rocks. Other types of sedimentary rocks are shale (mudstone), chalk and sandstone.

Igneous rocks are rocks that volcanoes blast out of the crater. They are very hard and they also have crystals on them. You'll find diamonds and gems. Some types of igneous rocks are basalt and granite.

Metamorphic rocks are very strange. These rocks are formed by pressure and temperatures to create a new type of rock. Some types of metamorphic rock are gneiss (pronounced nice) and marble.

Answer: 1-2cm each year

This is about the same speed your fingernails grow. Though you may wonder why earthquakes happen when the plates move at this speed? It's actually quite simple. The plates rub against each other. Tension gradually increases, until they slip and the plates' energy is released. First, the earthquake begins underground in an area called the focus. Most of the damage happens directly above the focus on the earth's surface.

The surface is called the epicentre.

Answer: Wegener

Wegener's theory of continental crift is that continents move apart from each other. This is happening right now. Continental drift happens extremely slowly. Other people didn't believe Wegener and thought it was a load of rubbish. In 1960, geologists have discovered that his theory might be true. Today, we know that Wegener's theory is correct.

Lyell was a Scottish geologist who wrote a bestseller called "The Principles of Geography."

Richter and Gutenberg are the men who invented the Richter scale. This device is used to measure how powerful earthquakes are.

Answer: True

Surprisingly, this is true! Though they mostly happen in places where people don't live or somewhere remote.

Answer: South Africa

The Vredefort crater in South Africa spans about 160 km. It's old enough (estimated about two billion years) for much of the rim to have eroded, though, so it's not too dramatic to look at.

Answer: Mantle

The mantle is a very thick mixture of molten rock, magnesium, iron, aluminum, silicon and oxygen compounds. It is also nearly 2,000 degrees Celsius. The mantle is an enormous 2,900km thick and makes up most of the earth.

The Outer Core is about 4000 degrees Celsius and is made up of iron and sulphur. It is also a huge 2,200km thick.

The Inner Core is 2,500km thick and is about 6,000 degrees Celsius. Not to mention that it's made up of solid iron!

Answer: 6-10km

This is nowhere near as thick as the crust on land. The land's crust can get up to 70km thick.

Answer: False

Uluru is the second largest rock. It was also called Ayers Rock. Uluru is 348m high and has a circumference of 9.4 km! But Mt Augustus (Burringurrah) located in Western Australia is more than twice the size of Uluru.

Answer: 7

There are 52 tectonic plates but there are only seven large ones. The names of the large plates are the African Plate, Antarctic Plate, Eurasian Plate, Indo-Australian Plate, North American Plate, Pacific Plate and South American Plate.

Answer: Pacific

The "Ring of Fire" is a circle of volcanic and seismic activity surrounding an enormous tectonic plate located in the Pacific Ocean. These areas include Kamchatka, the west coast of U.S.A, Alaska, everywhere in Indonesia and Malaysia, everywhere in New Zealand, the west coast of South America, Central America and many more areas.

Answer: True

This was a tragedy that happened in 1557. The poor people that died lived in caves.

Answer: Diamond

As you might know, diamond is the hardest mineral on our planet.
The diamond is also a very precious mineral!

Answer: 4.6 billion years

Back then, Earth was a scorching planet. A lot of meteors and comets fell on the surface. Earth is an ellipsoid shape and is also about 12,700 km across. Earth is mostly covered in water and is the only planet with known life.

Answer: False

Apparently no techtonic plates, but the moon has moonquakes. So scientists don't know why there are moonquakes on the moon. Will scientists find an explanation to this? Only time will tell!

I hope you had fun playing this quiz!