Plate tectonic theory is based on ____.
A) a model in which cool material in the earth's crust rises and spreads laterally beneath the crustal plates
B) the idea that Earth's crust is fragmented into rigid crusts that are sinking slowly beneath crustal plates
C) the idea that sedimentary rock formation causes continents to drift apart slowly on their crustal plates
D) observations that the sea floor is slowly spreading away from oceanic ridges, driven by plumes of magma welling up from Earth's interior
E) evidence that severe disturbances in Earth's crust shaped the continents in a single large event

Question

Plate tectonic theory is based on ____.
A) ​a model in which cool material in the earth's crust rises and spreads laterally beneath the crustal plates
B) ​the idea that Earth's crust is fragmented into rigid crusts that are sinking slowly beneath crustal plates
C) ​the idea that sedimentary rock formation causes continents to drift apart slowly on their crustal plates
D) ​observations that the sea floor is slowly spreading away from oceanic ridges, driven by plumes of magma welling up from Earth's interior
E) ​evidence that severe disturbances in Earth's crust shaped the continents in a single large event

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Plate tectonic theory is based on the observation that the sea floor is slowly spreading away from oceanic ridges, driven by plumes of magma welling up from Earth's interior. This theory also explains the movement of continents due to their location on different crustal plates. Options A, B, C, and E do not accurately describe plate tectonic theory.

Plate Tectonic Theory Is Based on ____