EDEXCEL A LEVEL GEOGRAPHY PAPER 3
EXAM SCRIPT 2026 QUESTIONS WITH
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉the spheres and the amount of carbon held in them. Answer:
atmosphere- holds 0.0017% of all carbon. Atmospheric carbon is
rapidly increasing due to increased consumption of energy, cars,
industry, etc.
Biosphere- holds 0.012% of all carbon. Around 560 billion tonnes.
Photosynthesis and respiration help move carbon through the
stores.
STAT: mangroves sequester up to 1.5 metric tonnes of carbon per
hectare per year.
Hydrosphere- oceans hold 0.038% of carbon. 90% of this carbon is
dissolved.
lithosphere- 99.9% of all carbon is stored as sedimentary rock and is
released when the rocks dissolve
◉Forms of carbon. Answer: inorganic- in rocks and bicarbonates
such as coal
organic- in plants, soils and living organisms
gaseous- methane, carbon dioxide
,◉sources, stores and fluxes of carbon. Answer: store: they take in
more co2 than they release. They are pools/reservoirs of carbon.
source: they emit carbon
Flux: the movement and transport of carbon between stores.
◉natural greenhouse effect vs enhanced greenhouse effect. Answer:
The natural greenhouse effect is the carbon that naturally is released
in the atmosphere and used to keep the climate warm enough for life
to survive.
The enhanced greenhouse effect is caused by human activities an is
when the carbon in atmosphere traps more heat, leading to higher
temperatures. This can cause the melting of glaciers which reduces
the albedo effect( more heat is absorbed as there are less light
surfaces to reflect the sun's light), disruption of ecosystems.
◉measurement of carbon. Answer: Petagram
◉carbon sequestering. Answer: is the movement of carbon from the
atmosphere to other stores. This can be natural or artificial. A
natural process could be photosynthesis or respiration. Artificial
could be through CCS.
The ocean can store 50 times more carbon than in the atmosphere.
,◉fluxes and processes in the carbon cycle. Answer: volcanic
outgassing- terrestrial carbon is released when volcanoes erupt.
This releases extra CO2 which increases the temperature.
respiration- converts glucose and oxygen into energy and produces
CO2 as waste product which goes back into the atmosphere
photosynthesis- plants remove CO2 from the atmosphere to
promote plant growth
decomposition- the breakdown of dead plants and animals which
release CO2.
combustion- fire and burning of fossil fuels and anything with
carbon releases the carbon when burnt.
chemical weathering- CO2 in the atmosphere combines with
rainwater to produce carbonic acid. This dissolves carbon in the rock
and releases bicarbonates.
◉albedo effect. Answer: is the ability for a surface to reflect light.
When there are glaciers, their light surface is able to reflect sunlight,
therefore not heating up the earth. However, due to warmer
temperatures, permafrost and glaciers are melting, reducing the
albedo effect. This exacerbates the positive feedback loop, as it
absorbs more heat, which results in more melting and higher
temperatures. This cycle will continue.
◉positive feedback loop. Answer: a positive feedback loop is
something that increases the effect, a process where the output of
, system leads to an increase in the initial change. The cycle repeats,
each time more amplified.
A positive feedback loop in the carbon cycle is that greenhouse gases
cause the temperatures to rise, which causes permafrost to melt,
which releases gases( such as carbon and methane) which increases
the greenhouse effect). Additionally, it removes a surface for light to
be reflected, so more heat is absorbed making the earth warmer.
This cycle continues.
◉pumps( biological, carbonate, physical). Answer: Biological
pumps- moves CO2 from the ocean to phytoplankton through
photosynthesis. This converts the CO2 into food for the zooplankton.
Most is taken up by the phytoplankton, but some of the carbon is
recycled near the surface.30% sinks down into the deeper water to
be converted back into CO2.
Physical pumps- moves carbon in different parts of the ocean due to
downwelling and upwelling. Downwelling is the movement of
warmer surface water, deeper down into the layers. Upwelling is
vertical movements of water which brings nutrient rich water to the
surface. Eventually, deep ocean currents form the thermohaline
circulation which is the global system of surface and deep ocean
currents driven by temperature and salinity.
Carbonate pump-formation of sedimentary rock from carbon. When
phytoplankton that have formed shells from calcium carbonate die,
they sink to the ocean floor and accumulate as sedimentary rock.
EXAM SCRIPT 2026 QUESTIONS WITH
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉the spheres and the amount of carbon held in them. Answer:
atmosphere- holds 0.0017% of all carbon. Atmospheric carbon is
rapidly increasing due to increased consumption of energy, cars,
industry, etc.
Biosphere- holds 0.012% of all carbon. Around 560 billion tonnes.
Photosynthesis and respiration help move carbon through the
stores.
STAT: mangroves sequester up to 1.5 metric tonnes of carbon per
hectare per year.
Hydrosphere- oceans hold 0.038% of carbon. 90% of this carbon is
dissolved.
lithosphere- 99.9% of all carbon is stored as sedimentary rock and is
released when the rocks dissolve
◉Forms of carbon. Answer: inorganic- in rocks and bicarbonates
such as coal
organic- in plants, soils and living organisms
gaseous- methane, carbon dioxide
,◉sources, stores and fluxes of carbon. Answer: store: they take in
more co2 than they release. They are pools/reservoirs of carbon.
source: they emit carbon
Flux: the movement and transport of carbon between stores.
◉natural greenhouse effect vs enhanced greenhouse effect. Answer:
The natural greenhouse effect is the carbon that naturally is released
in the atmosphere and used to keep the climate warm enough for life
to survive.
The enhanced greenhouse effect is caused by human activities an is
when the carbon in atmosphere traps more heat, leading to higher
temperatures. This can cause the melting of glaciers which reduces
the albedo effect( more heat is absorbed as there are less light
surfaces to reflect the sun's light), disruption of ecosystems.
◉measurement of carbon. Answer: Petagram
◉carbon sequestering. Answer: is the movement of carbon from the
atmosphere to other stores. This can be natural or artificial. A
natural process could be photosynthesis or respiration. Artificial
could be through CCS.
The ocean can store 50 times more carbon than in the atmosphere.
,◉fluxes and processes in the carbon cycle. Answer: volcanic
outgassing- terrestrial carbon is released when volcanoes erupt.
This releases extra CO2 which increases the temperature.
respiration- converts glucose and oxygen into energy and produces
CO2 as waste product which goes back into the atmosphere
photosynthesis- plants remove CO2 from the atmosphere to
promote plant growth
decomposition- the breakdown of dead plants and animals which
release CO2.
combustion- fire and burning of fossil fuels and anything with
carbon releases the carbon when burnt.
chemical weathering- CO2 in the atmosphere combines with
rainwater to produce carbonic acid. This dissolves carbon in the rock
and releases bicarbonates.
◉albedo effect. Answer: is the ability for a surface to reflect light.
When there are glaciers, their light surface is able to reflect sunlight,
therefore not heating up the earth. However, due to warmer
temperatures, permafrost and glaciers are melting, reducing the
albedo effect. This exacerbates the positive feedback loop, as it
absorbs more heat, which results in more melting and higher
temperatures. This cycle will continue.
◉positive feedback loop. Answer: a positive feedback loop is
something that increases the effect, a process where the output of
, system leads to an increase in the initial change. The cycle repeats,
each time more amplified.
A positive feedback loop in the carbon cycle is that greenhouse gases
cause the temperatures to rise, which causes permafrost to melt,
which releases gases( such as carbon and methane) which increases
the greenhouse effect). Additionally, it removes a surface for light to
be reflected, so more heat is absorbed making the earth warmer.
This cycle continues.
◉pumps( biological, carbonate, physical). Answer: Biological
pumps- moves CO2 from the ocean to phytoplankton through
photosynthesis. This converts the CO2 into food for the zooplankton.
Most is taken up by the phytoplankton, but some of the carbon is
recycled near the surface.30% sinks down into the deeper water to
be converted back into CO2.
Physical pumps- moves carbon in different parts of the ocean due to
downwelling and upwelling. Downwelling is the movement of
warmer surface water, deeper down into the layers. Upwelling is
vertical movements of water which brings nutrient rich water to the
surface. Eventually, deep ocean currents form the thermohaline
circulation which is the global system of surface and deep ocean
currents driven by temperature and salinity.
Carbonate pump-formation of sedimentary rock from carbon. When
phytoplankton that have formed shells from calcium carbonate die,
they sink to the ocean floor and accumulate as sedimentary rock.
