"United States" and "Morocco" are labeled on a world map with yellow dots.

Question

9. Similar rock formations have been discovered in the United States and Morocco. 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?
Responses

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

c
The United States and Morocco 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 Morocco 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.

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

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Answer 1

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

c. The United States and Morocco 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.

This option highlights the slow movement of tectonic plates, which is a fundamental concept in plate tectonics, explaining the gradual separation and formation of similar geological features over extensive geological timescales.