CXC - Caribbean Examinations Council Geography: Plate Tectonics Questions and Answers

Question 1

The chain of volcanic islands forming the Lesser Antilles, including St. Vincent, Martinique, and Montserrat, is a direct result of which tectonic process?

Accepted Answer

The subduction of the Atlantic seafloor beneath the Caribbean Plate.

Answer

The separation of the Caribbean and South American plates, allowing magma to rise.

Answer

The North American Plate sliding horizontally past the Caribbean Plate.

Answer

Two continental plates colliding and buckling upwards to form mountains.

Question 2

The Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault Zone, which was responsible for major earthquakes in Haiti and Jamaica, is an example of which type of plate boundary?

Accepted Answer

Transform boundary

Answer

Convergent boundary

Answer

Subduction zone

Answer

Divergent boundary

Question 3

Which of the following is considered the primary driving mechanism for the movement of Earth's tectonic plates?

Accepted Answer

Convection currents in the mantle.

Answer

The gravitational pull of the Sun and Moon.

Answer

The rotation of the Earth on its axis.

Answer

Erosion and sediment deposition on continental shelves.

Question 4

A student studying a geological map of Trinidad observes that the Northern Range is primarily composed of metamorphic rocks like schists and quartzites that have been intensely folded. This landform is the result of which tectonic process?

Accepted Answer

Compression and folding at a convergent plate boundary.

Answer

The formation of a shield volcano from gentle lava flows.

Answer

Rifting and the creation of a new ocean basin.

Answer

Lateral movement along a strike-slip fault.

Question 5

Which of the following BEST defines the process of subduction?

Accepted Answer

One tectonic plate sliding under another and sinking into the mantle.

Answer

Two plates moving apart, allowing magma to create new crust.

Answer

Two continental plates colliding to form a high mountain range.

Answer

Two plates sliding horizontally past each other, causing earthquakes.

Question 6

Which set of natural hazards is MOST characteristic of the convergent plate boundary found along the Eastern Caribbean?

Accepted Answer

Powerful earthquakes and explosive volcanic eruptions.

Answer

Formation of rift valleys and geysers.

Answer

Widespread desertification and dust storms.

Answer

Formation of sand dunes and gentle lava flows.