The African Rift Valley is an example of a transform plate boundary.

Which layer of Earth is made up of tectonic plates? 

Refer to the image below that shows a map of the coastline and the seafloor in a region including Monterey Bay—located between the coastal cities of Monterey and Santa Cruz and Monterey Canyon (shown as MC). On the image, the arrow for letter E points to the coastline along Monterey Bay. Where are letters A, B, C and D located?

Why does continental crust sit higher than oceanic crust?  Continental crust sits higher because it has more material beneath it. Ocean crust has to cover 70% of the Earth’s surface, so it is spread out and therefore thinner. The granite-type rock that makes up much of continental crust naturally forms mountains. Continental crust of granite is thicker and less dense than oceanic crust of basalt, so it floats higher on the mantle.

Refer to the image below that shows a map of the coastline and the seafloor in a region including Monterey Bay—located between the coastal cities of Monterey and Santa Cruz and Monterey Canyon (shown as MC). On the image, the arrow for letter E points to the coastline along Monterey Bay. The “shelf break” is located______.

Earth’s magnetic field results from movements in this layer.

The East Coast of the United States considered a passive margin because it has a steep and narrow continental shelf and is in close proximity to a plate boundary, which experiences a high degree of tectonic activity.

Which ocean covers more than half of the ocean surface area on Earth?  [name the ocean only]

Alfred Wegener’s theory of continental drift seems so reasonable today. It rejected during the early 20th century because he could not provide a driving mechanism for the continents that could plow through the ocean basins.

Oceanic crust is predominantly composed of (1)_____________ while the continental crust is predominantly composed of (2) ___________. [answer in correct order for points]