Geography - GCSE Edexcel
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Geography - GCSE Edexcel - Leaderboard
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| What are two factors that determine the density of the water? | The temperature and salinity. |
| What are two factors that determine the density of the water? | The temperature and salinity. |
| What are the two ways that heat energy is distributed around the Earth? | Atmospheric circulation and Ocean currents. |
| What are two factors that determine the density of the water? | The temperature and salinity. |
| How can circulation cells transfer heat? | Air warmed at the equator rises causing low pressure. They move north and south to create HADLEY CELLS. At latitudes of 30° north and south, the air cools and sinks, creating high pressure. Some cool air flow back to the equator as SURFACE TRADE WINDS, and the rest move towards the poles firing the FERREL CELLS. At attitudes 60° north and south, the warm air from the ferrel cells meet the cold polar air at the polar fronts. A polar jet stream is formed above this, driving unstable atmosphere. The warmer air rises forming POLAR CELLS which travels north or south towards the poles, sinking to form high pressured areas. |
| How can ocean currents transfer heat? | At the Arctic and Antarctic, the poles, the cold water sinks towards the bottom of the sea. Away from the poles, the water is warmer due to more intense solar radiation. As the cold water sinks, the warm water from lower latitudes replace it, creating a current. When the warm water gets closer to the poles, it cools and sinks and the process repeats. |
| Identify the global atmospheric circulation cell located between 30° latitude and the equator. (1 mark) | Hadley cells. |
| What is the greenhouse effect? | When heat from that is radiated from the Earth and gets trapped inside the atmosphere due to greenhouse gases like water vapour, carbon dioxide and methane. |
| What are some natural causes of climate change? | Orbital changes - Eccentricity, Axial tilt, Precession. Volcanic eruptions. Solar output. |
| What is eccentricity? | When the Earths orbit changes from circular in warmer periods to elliptical, creating cooler periods every 100,000 years. |
| What is axial tilt? | The Earths tilt varies between 22.1° and 24.5° because of the gravitational pull of the moon, every 41,000 years. A larger tilt leads to warmer periods. |
| What is precession? | When the earth wobbles while spinning, affecting the severity of the seasons in a hemisphere. |
| How can volcanic eruptions contribute to climate change? | When a volcano erupts, a large amount of sulphur dioxide and ash cloud is released into the atmosphere. The sulphur dioxide and ash clouds reflects nearly all radiation, reducing the amount of radiation entering the Earths atmosphere. Creating global cooling. But, the releasing of carbon dioxide has also created global warming due to it being a greenhouse gas. |
| How can industry contribute to climate change? | Factories burn fossil fuels which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. They also emit nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases and cement production releases greenhouse gases. This causes the Earth to warm up. We use industry for power, but it can cause air/ water pollution although it's cheap. |
| How can farming contribute to climate change? | Farming of livestock like cows and rice paddy fields produces methane gas, contributing to the greenhouse effect by having 21x more power than carbon dioxide. It produces food and provides jobs although it enhances the greenhouse effect. |
| How can using transport contribute to climate change? | Fuel that is petroleum-based produces large amounts of CO₂, contributing to the greenhouse effect. It also releases nitrous oxides which are 250x more powerful than carbon dioxide. It helps us to get to our destination but it pollutes areas and the fuel has a large cost. |
| How can using energy contribute to climate change? | Burning fossil fuels like coal and oil increase the release of CO₂, enhancing the greenhouse effect. It provides warmth in homes but it's expensive and destroys the environment. |
| How can deforestation contribute to climate change? | Trees take in carbon dioxide, making them carbon sinks. If trees are cut down, they release all the carbon they have stored into the atmosphere. Deforestation provides more space for building, and companies gain profit from logging, but it reduces the amount of carbon sinks. |
| Suggest one human cause of climate change. (2 marks) | Burning fossil fuels like coal or oil produce CO₂, enhancing the greenhouse effect. |
| What are ocean currents? | Currents set in motion by prevailing surface winds associated with the general atmospheric circulation. The direction of the water is deflected by the Coriolis force. |
| What are two factors that determine the density of the water? | The temperature and salinity. |
| How can solar output/ sunspots contribute to climate change? | The output of the sun is measured by the number of sunspots there are. They are caused by magnetic activity inside the sun, causing dark spots on the outside. The more sunspots there are, the warmer because when they explode they turn into solar flares, giving a lot of energy. |
| What were Milutin Milankovitch's Cycles? | He was a Serbian scientist that identified 3 cycles, making the orbital theory (1879). |
| What are five pieces of evidence that show up about past climate change? | Ice cores, sediment cores, tree rings, pollen analysis and temperature records. |
| How do ice cores show us past climate change? | Ice sheets are made up of many layers in Antarctica, and they contain evidence from up to 400,000 years ago. Scientists can drill into the ice sheets which contain trapped gases from their year. |
| How do sediment cores show us past climate change? | Sediment cores contain organisms and remains of plankton. They tell us surface temperatures and nutrients that were eaten. |
| How do tree rings show us past climate change? | Every year trees form new rings. In warmer and wet conditions, they're thicker. This helps scientists to know the past climate due to the thickness or thinness of the rings. |
| How does pollen analysis show us past climate change? | Pollen in plants gets preserved in sediment at the bottom of bogs or lakes. They can show what species were living at the time and what the conditions were for the pollen, to be compared to present. |
| How do temperature records show us past climate change? | Since the 1850s, global temperatures have been measured by thermometers, but they only show short-term records. Scientists have been able to deconstruct evidence from harvest datas, paintings, newspapers and weather reports. |
| What are the percentages of the gases that make up our atmosphere? | 78% is nitrogen. This is important for plant growth. 21% is oxygen. This is breathed in and out by animals and plants. 1% is water vapour. This forms clouds and is essential for the water cycle. 0.04% is carbon dioxide. It regulates temperature and plants breath it in. Methane and CFC's are other minority gases. |
| Explain one natural cause for the little ice age. | Eccentricity may be a cause of the little ice age because the orbit became more elliptical. This would cool the Earth since it cant receive the same amount of heat it normally would. This creates a glacial period. |
| What are some advantages of climate change? | - Agriculture and farming can be done more frequently and easily. - New shipping routes and short cuts have been made due to rising sea levels. - Energy consumption has decreased since the weather is warmer for longer. |
| What are some disadvantages of climate change? | - Famines due to hot conditions prevent crop growth. - Droughts due to no rain. - Increase in floods due to rising sea levels. - Diseases are spread easier. - Ice caps and glaciers have been melting, affecting sea levels. |
| Positive effects of climate change outweigh the negative impacts of climate change. Do you agree? (6 marks) | Climate change is the global climate changing abnormally compared to previous years and ages. I think that positive climate change impacts don't outweigh negative impacts because we've been able to live almost problem free without new changes due to climate change. The benefits of climate change is new aqua trade routes due to rising sea levels, due to melting glaciers and ice caps, and the growth of grapes in Northern Europe and less energy consumption due to warmer weather for longer periods of time. However, more problems have been created globally. For example, flooding in areas over the world because of the rising sea levels, and famines or droughts due to the hot weather. The lives of people have been affected and are even at risk, whereas these problems weren't as prevalent before climate change, showing that its made society worse. |
| What are tropical storms? | A very powerful, low-pressure weather system, resulting in strong winds. |
| What are tropical storms called in different areas of the world? | In the US and Caribbean, they're called hurricanes. In South Asia, they're called cyclones. In East Asia, they're called Typhoons. In Australia, they're called Willy-willies. |
| How are tropical storms measured in different areas of the world? | Across the Atlantic, the Saffir-Simpson Scale is used. Across the Pacific, the Meterological Agency's Scale is used. In Australia, the Tropical Cyclone intensity scale is used. These all measure how strong the winds are. If they are over 70mph, they are considered storms. |
| What happens to the rotation of storms if they're above the equator? | The prevailing winds cayuse them to rotate east to west above the equator, and west to east underneath it. |
| Describe what most tropical storms are. | The vast majority of tropical storms are around the tropics at 23.5°S and N. The most frequent is at the Southern parts of Northern America, and South-East Asia, near Japan. |
| What are the meterological conditions that influence tropical storms? | - Moisture from the sea. - Altitudes 5°-30°N and S of the equator. - Spin from the Coriolis effect. - A depth of 60-70 m - A temperature of 26.5°C + |
| How are tropical storms formed? | - Air is heated above war tropical oceans, causing it to rise. This then creates the perfect conditions for weather systems that require LOW PRESSURE areas. - While the air rises, more air and moisture rises creating STRONG WINDS. - The Coriolis effect causes the air to SPIN upwards around the eye of the storm, the calm centre. Cold air sinks into the eye of the storm, creating high pressure, which is why its calmer and drier. - As the air rises and condenses, it forms cumulonimbus clouds that generate torrential rainfall. The HEAT given off powers the storm. - The tropical storm travels in the direction of the prevailing winds, and when it meets land, it loses its power since its no longer powered by heat or moisture from the ocean and due to obstacles. |
| When and were was Cyclone Alia? | Cyclone Alia hit south-west Bangladesh in 2009, May 25th. |
| What are some social impacts of Cyclone Alia? | - 190 people were killed. - 750,000 people were made homeless. - Families were deprived of food due to the death of 59,000 animals. - 3.5 million people were affected. - 200,000+ people were still in temporary shelters after 5 months. |
| What are some environmental impacts of Cyclone Alia? | - The Sundarbans, an area of mangrove forests, were flooded, and 30 Royal Bengal Tigers were drowned due to burst mud embankments. - Freshwater was contaminated with sewage. - The moist conditions brought mosquitos, including malaria. - More than 700km of coastal embankments were destroyed. |
| What are some economic imapacts of Cyclone Alia? | - Farmers were losing their jobs due to the loss of animals. - Many lived in poverty and slums over a year later. |
| What were some problems with Bangladesh's location that can make them heavily impacted to tropical cyclones? | Bangladesh is in the tropics and has a coastal location, making them vulnerable to tropical cyclones. 156 million people are in an area that's 60% the size of the UK, meaning they have a high population density. Due to climate change, river discharge has been increased due to melting in the Himalayas. 80% of the country is less than 10m above sea level which means it can easily flood. The widespread of the population - 31& of civilians live on <$2 a day. |
| What are natural hazards? | Natural events that threaten people or has the potential to damage infrastructure or the environment. |
| What are tectonic hazards? | Features and processes that relate to the Earth's lithosphere and geosphere. |
| What is the asthenosphere? | The top layer of the mantle. It's pratically solid and liquid and acts as a lubricating layer. |
| What is the crust? | The thinnest layer of the Earth, made up of igneous rock. Its divided into slabs known as tectonic plates and is 40km deep. |
| What are the two types of plates? | Oceanic and Continental. |
| What are the features of the oceanic plate? | It is thin, but dense due to the constant pressure of the water squeezing it together. It is also young and an example of the rock type is basalt. It's always sub-ducted under. |
| What are the features of the continental plate? | It is thick and less dense, but older. It has many air pockets and an example of the rock type is granite. |
| What are the features of the inner core? | It is solid and made up of iron and nickel. It is also the hottest part of the earth, reaching 6,000°C. |
| What are the features of the outer core? | It is liquid and made up of iron and nickel. It's around the same temperature of the inner core. |
| What are the features of the mantle? | It is made up of semi-molten rock and is the thickest layer, around 2.900km. It's temperatures at its boundary with the core is 3,700°C, and its boundary with the crust is 1,000°C. The upper section of the mantle is called the asthenosphere which is made up of magma. |
| What is magma? | Semi-molten rock. |
| What are the features of the crust? | It is 0-60km thick and is the outer layer of the Earth. It's solid rock and the temperatures range from 200-400°C. |
| What is a plate boundary? | The boundary where two plates meet. |
| How do convection currents work? | Heat from the core ruses and heats the rock in the mantle, making it rise. Semi-molten rock spreads out and carries the tectonic plates. Soon after, it cools and sinks to be reheated. It's the movement of tectonic plates due to heat and energy. |
| What are the different plate boundaries? | Divergent (constructive), Convergent (destructive) and Conservative. |
| What and where are divergent (contrastive) plate boundaries? | These are margins where two plates move away from each other. This causes magma to rise from the mantle to fill in the space, which later cools and forms new crusts. It creates shield volcanoes and small earthquakes, an example is the mid-atlantic plate/ ridge. |
| What and where are convergent (destructive) plate boundaries? | These are margins where two plates move towards each other. The oceanic plate meets the continental plate and is forced down into the mantle, and destroyed. The sub-ducted plate melts and rises abruptly as magma. They form destructive earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis, an example is the Nazca plate being sub-ducted beneath the less dense South American plate. |
| What and where are conservative plate boundries? | These are margins where two plates are moving sideways against each other, or in the same direction but at different speeds. The crust isn't created or destroyed. This creates destructive earthquakes and an example is the San Andreas fault. |
| Explain why earthquakes and volcanoes occur at plate boundaries (6 marks) | Earthquakes occur at conservative plate boundaries due to the friction when they move past each other. Theses create tremors and cracks in the ground and buildings. An example of an earthquake is the San Andreas fault as the conservative boundary. Volcanoes occur at convergent plate boundaries where the oceanic plate is forced under the continental plate and into the mantle. The magma rises to fill in the gap when the sub-ducted plate melts. An example is the Nazca plate being sub-ducted under the South American plate. |
| What are plumes? | Concentrated zones of heat that move towards the surface, bringing magma. |
| What are hotspots? | Columns of heat in the Earths mantle, found in the middle of tectonic plates. |
| What is the Mauna Loa? | The largest active volcano that erupted for the first time in 1984. The lava is 1000°C and it means 'long mountain'. |
| What is released from volcanic eruptions? | Lava, pyroclastic flow, ash, dust, gases and steam is released. |
| Where are volcanoes generally found? Name where they are concentrated and anomalies. | They are generally found at plate boundaries, but concentrated along conservative boundaries like the Pacific ring of fire, and some divergent plate boundaries like Iceland. Some anomalies is the hotspot volcano in Hawaii - the Mauna Loa. |
| What are the 3 states of volcanoes? | Active volcanoes, dormant volcanoes and extinct volcanoes. |
| What are active volcanoes? | Volcanoes that are erupting or have activity like temperature changes or the releasing of gases. |
| What are dormant volcanoes? | Volcanoes that were one active but are now due to erupt. They have potential to become extinct. |
| What are extinct volcanoes? | Volcanoes that will no longer erupt. |
| What are the 3 main volcaones? | Composite volcanoes, shield volcanoes and hotspot volcanoes. |
| What and where are composite volcanoes? | Steep-sided and tall volcanoes that build in height after every eruption. They are found on convergent boundaries and have andesitic lava. |
| What and where are sheild volcanoes? | Low, gently-sloping domes that look like a warrior's shield. The basaltic lava can erupt from several places including fissures. They're found on divergent boundaries. |
| What and where are hotspot volcanoes? | Volcanoes that form due to plumes in the mantle. The magma rises in cracks or weak areas in the crust, and are found on the plate itself. |
| What are fissures? | Cracks in the ground. |
| Describe the formation of convergent volcanoes. | Cracks or weaknesses in the convergent plate boundaries allow magma to come up. Pressure from the gases from the oceanic crust when it was subducted, pushes magma from the mantle into the crust. Gases build up to make a volcano erupt. After several eruptions when the lava cools and solidifies, it creates a mountain or cone-like shape, forming a composite volcano. It releases andesitic lava which has a high silica content, meaning ts more viscous, so the lava won't travel far. |
| What is andesitic lava? | Magma that is thick because it has a high silica content, making it viscous. |
| What is basaltic lava? | Magma that has a low silica content, meaning it's less viscous. |
| What does viscous mean? | The lava's resistance to flow. |
| How are shield volcanoes formed? | When magma rises to fill in the space where the divergent plate has moved from, the volcano is formed. It also has basaltic lava, so it flows far before cooling, which is which is doesn't really build in height. |
| What is an example of a sheild volcano? | The Laki Fissure in Iceland. |
| Explain which volcanoes are the most dangerous in your opinion. | I think that composite volcanoes are the most dangerous. Although the eruptions are infrequent, when they happen they are very life threatening. Although hotspot volcanoes have the potential to erupt, composite volcanoes are more dangerous since they also have lava bombs and mudflows that can kill people. Shield volcanoes most destroy crops. |
| What is an earthquake? | Intense vibrations within the earths crust that makes the ground shake. |
| What is the focus? | The point in the crust where the earthquake originates. The epicentre is the point on the ground directly above the crust. |
| Where is the most deadly earthquake found? | On the conservative plate boundary in Haiti. |
| What is the Tohoku Japan case study of 2011? | On the 11th of March, 2011, at 2;47 PM, an earthquake with a magnitude of 90 mW shook north-east Japan, triggering a tsunami in the Pacific region. The Pacific plate which moves 83 mm a year was thrust under the Eurasian plate at the Japan Trench. Faulting occurred 300 km along the trench causing an upward fault at 10 meters, and a sideways at 50 meters. The focus was around 30 km below the seabed and the epicentre was 130 km east of Sendai. Primary impacts were 667-1,479 deaths directly due to the earthquake, no electricity and land subslides. Secondary impacts were economic costs, high radiation levels and liquefaction. |
| What plates were involved in the Tohoku earthquake in Japan? | The pacfic plate, the Pjilippine plate and the Eurasian plate. |
| What were some preparations Japan made for the Tohoku earthquake? | Billions on shatter resistant glass and shock absorbent buildings, networks of seismographs and tsunami + earthquake drills. |
| What are some enviormental reasons for living near volcanoes? | There's fertile soil around Mount Agung. There are hot-springs. |
| What are some economical reasons for living near volcanoes? | Some people cannot afford to live anywhere else but in cheap, hazardous areas Some people are already employed and finding a new job may be hard. Magma heats the ground making renewable energy (steam) without fossil fuels, creating jobs. People can get jobs from tourism, e.g 1000 people visit Mount Etna every year. Metals like diamonds can be found and sold. Natural sulphur can be found. They are confident that the government will support them financially. |
| What are some social reasons for living near volcanoes? | 1000s of farmers in Bali are attracted to the fertile soil. There are hot springs. They are confident that the government will support them. Moving away means leaving family and friends. People believe that it won't erupt, e.g 1 million people live at the foot of Mount Etna, Italy. |
| Why do people live near Iceland's volcanoes? | People live near the volcano in Iceland because; They have naturally hot water without using gas; The volcano provides shelter from winds; Geothermal energy can be used for tourism and electricity; Hot-water pools attract tourists. |
| Do you think that people in developing countries have a choice on where they live? | Those in developing countries may have less of a choice due to their family as a whole being financially unstable. This may mean that they have to stay with their family in their homes, or if they have a low paying job, they may not have enough money to move out or may be scared of loosing their position in their job since it may be bad enough. This would limit peoples options because they may lose something they cannot gain again, so it wouldn't be worth taking the risk. |
| What is monitoring? | Using scientific equipment to detect warning signs to monitor. |
| What is prediction? | A combination of historical data, monitoring and scientific information to make predictions. |
| What is protection? | The construction of buildings that can provide protection. |