Plate Tectonics Application Questions

[kingwinner]

1) Name the lithospheric plate responsible for the longest mountain range on earth.

 

Originally the answer is Nazca plate, but a student in my class argues that mid-ocean ridges are the longest mountain range on earth and the teacher changes the answer to Pacific plate...this seems not to be making any sense to me. I assume that the question is refering the longest mountain range on earth as the mid-ocean ridges instead of the Andes, the answer of Pacific plate is still not possible. First of all, the mid-ocean ridges aren't formed by subduction, but formed by divergence. Secondly, Pacific plate only includes part of the mid-ocean ridges that winds around the earth. What do you think is the appropriate answer?

 

2) Name the lithospheric plate which moves eastwards away from the African plate and name the resulting major geological feature as a result of the above mentioned plate separation.

 

I answered Arabian plate and the plate searation formed the Red Sea, but I got marked wrong for the second part, and the correct answer is East African Rift. Why? Isn't the East African Rift be way below the Arabian-African plate boundary? :)

 

3) Name the 5 lithospheric plates which are responsible for the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

 

The standard answer is North American plate, South American plate, Eurasian plate, African plate, and Antarctic plate

I don't get the bolded part...in what way is the Antarctic plate responsible for Mid-Atlantic Ridge? Between Antarctic plate and which plate make up part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge?

 

Would someone like to discuss? :)