12. Similar rock formations have been discovered in the United States and Portugal. These rock formations were formed at the same time and are made of the same types of rocks. What could explain how these rocks got so far apart?

Question

Responses

a
The United States and Portugal are parts of different plates. The plates were sometimes pushed far apart by earthquakes, and soft, solid rock from underneath got added to the edges of the plates.
The United States and Portugal are parts of different plates. The plates were sometimes pushed far apart by earthquakes, and soft, solid rock from underneath got added to the edges of the plates.

b
The United States and Portugal are parts of different plates. The plates floated away from each other across the ocean.
The United States and Portugal are parts of different plates. The plates floated away from each other across the ocean.

c
The United States and Portugal are parts of different plates. The plates slowly moved apart as new plates from underneath got added between them over millions of years.
The United States and Portugal are parts of different plates. The plates slowly moved apart as new plates from underneath got added between them over millions of years.

d
The United States and Portugal are parts of different plates. The plates slowly moved far apart as soft, solid rock from underneath got added to the edges of the plates over millions of years.
The United States and Portugal are parts of different plates. The plates slowly moved far apart as soft, solid rock from underneath got added to the edges of the plates over millions of years.

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Answer 1

The best explanation for how the similar rock formations in the United States and Portugal got so far apart is option c:

c The United States and Portugal are parts of different plates. The plates slowly moved apart as new plates from underneath got added between them over millions of years.

This response correctly describes the process of continental drift and plate tectonics, which involves the gradual movement of tectonic plates and the formation of new material at mid-ocean ridges, leading to the separation of land masses over geological time.