Question

Which of the following statements accurately describes continental margins?

(a) They are regions of great geological stability.
(b) They are characteristic of the margins of the Atlantic Basin.
(c) They are areas of frequent earthquakes and volcanoes, where crustal plates are converging or are in collision.
(d) They are areas where crustal plates are actively moving apart.
(e) They are usually different in topography from the adjoining coast.

Answer 1

Continental margins are best described as the characteristic boundaries along the Atlantic Basin, where geological activity is related to the type of tectonic plate boundary. Active and passive margins denote regions with different levels of tectonic activity.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement that accurately describes continental margins is (b) They are characteristic of the margins of the Atlantic Basin. Continental margins are the boundaries of continents that interface with oceanic crust. They can include both the continental shelf and the continental slope. Margin areas can indeed be regions of great geological activity depending on the kind of tectonic plate boundary they are associated with. Passive margins, such as those typical along the Atlantic Ocean, are not locations of significant earthquake or volcanic activity. These regions are relatively stable because they are not associated with plate boundaries where two plates converge, diverge, or slide past one another. Conversely, active margins, like those on the Pacific Rim, are characterized by significant earthquake and volcanic activity due to the convergence, divergence, or transform movement of tectonic plates.