AQA GCSE Geography
Paper 1: Living with the Physical Environment
1 hour and 30 minutes
SECTION TOPIC MARKS
A Natural Hazards: 33 marks
Tectonic Hazards 1 x 9 marker + (3 SPAG marks)
Weather Hazards
Climate Change
B Living World: 25 marks
Ecosystems 1 x 9 marker
Tropical Rainforests Amazon
Cold Environments Svalbard and Alaska
C UK Landscapes: 30 marks
Coasts
Rivers
DO NOT ANSWER QUESTION 6 ON GLACIATION
Paper 1: Case Studies
TOPIC Specification Example
NATURAL Named examples of a tectonic hazard (in Earthquake in Chile
HAZARDS two areas of contrasting levels of wealth) Earthquake in Nepal
A named example of a tropical storm Typhoon Haiyan, Philippines
An example of a recent extreme weather Somerset Floods
event in the UK
LIVING An example of a small scale UK ecosystem UK freshwater pond
WORLD A case study of a tropical rainforest Amazon Rainforest
A case study of a cold environment Svalbard
UK An example of a section of coastline in the Swanage- O d Ha R ck
LANDSCAPES UK
An example of a coastal management Lyme Regis
scheme in the UK
An example of a river valley in the UK River Tees
An example of a flood management Jubilee Relief Channel
scheme in the UK
,Natural Hazards
Definition of a natural hazard
A natural hazard is a natural event which could cause death, injury or disruption to humans or
destroy property and possessions.
Types of natural hazards
Geological Hazards: including tectonics e.g. earthquakes and geomorphic processes e.g. landslides.
Hydrological Hazards e.g. floods
Climatological Hazards e.g. extreme temperatures
Atmospheric Hazards e.g. cyclones
Biological Hazards e.g. epidemics
Factors affecting hazard risk
Several factors affect the risk of a hazard, including:
The wealth of a country
o In LICs, poor housing quality leads to higher death tolls as buildings collapse,
whereas in HICs money can be spent on things like earthquake-proof buildings.
o Poor economies which means residents often have more risky jobs prone to natural
events e.g. mining sulphur on volcanoes or farming on floodplains.
o More money is spent on technology and training scientists able to predict and
prepare for natural events.
o More money is spent on education, emergency services and evacuation plans.
Magnitude
Population size/density
o A larger population leads to more housing and thus more buildings collapse.
o More people also simply means that more people will be affected and die.
Tectonic Hazards
Continental vs oceanic crust
Continental Oceanic
Dense Light
Thick Thin
Made of granite Made of basalt
Older Newer
Convection currents
Heat rising and falling a a a a a a
currents. Where they diverge, plates move apart, and when they converge, they move together.
Distribution of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
The distribution is not random and they are located in close proximity to either constructive or
destructive plate margins and are in narrow belts along them one major example being the Pacific
R F T a a a a a a a
, Plate margins
Constructive Plate Margins:
At constructive plate margins, two plates are moving apart from each other due to the opposite
movements of convection currents in the mantle underneath. As they move apart, fissures are
created through which magma forces its way to the surface, forming new land or shield volcanoes,
as the magma is very hot and fluid. Earthquakes can also happen as a result of the magma breaking
through the overlying crust.
Destructive Plate Margins:
At destructive plate margins, an oceanic and continental plate are moving towards each other. Since
the oceanic plate is denser, it is subducted under the continental crust. This happens at the
subduction zone which creates deep ocean trenches as it pulls down part of the continental plate. As
the oceanic plate enters the mantle, it begins to melt which creates more magma which breaks
through the crust forming steep-sided composite volcanoes due to the viscous lava. This process also
creates immense pressure and friction, and earthquakes are caused by a release of seismic energy
when the plates slip past each other.
Collision Plate Margins:
At collision plate margins, plates of similar densities are forced towards each other because of the
a D similar densities, neither plate is subducted under the
other, and so they instead collide and fold upwards, forming fold mountains.
Conservative Plate Margins:
At conservative plate margins, two plates of similar densities slide past each other in opposite
directions and at different speeds. This grinding between the two plates creates friction and builds
stress energy, which is eventually released in the form of an earthquake, a release of the
stress/seismic energy.
Effects and responses to tectonic hazards
Primary effects are immediate impacts whereas secondary effects are things that happen as a result
of primary impacts over an extended period of time.
Immediate responses aim to prevent the loss of life whereas long-term responses focus on
rebuilding an area after a natural event.
How monitoring, prediction, protection and planning can reduce the risks from a tectonic hazard.
The methods used to reduce the risk of a tectonic hazard are:
Monitoring - Using scientific equipment to detect warning signs of events.
Prediction Using historical data, scientists can make predictions about when a tectonic
hazard may occur.
Protection Designing buildings etc to withstand the tectonic hazards.
Planning Train individuals as well as specialist teams on what to do in the event of a
tectonic hazard.
Paper 1: Living with the Physical Environment
1 hour and 30 minutes
SECTION TOPIC MARKS
A Natural Hazards: 33 marks
Tectonic Hazards 1 x 9 marker + (3 SPAG marks)
Weather Hazards
Climate Change
B Living World: 25 marks
Ecosystems 1 x 9 marker
Tropical Rainforests Amazon
Cold Environments Svalbard and Alaska
C UK Landscapes: 30 marks
Coasts
Rivers
DO NOT ANSWER QUESTION 6 ON GLACIATION
Paper 1: Case Studies
TOPIC Specification Example
NATURAL Named examples of a tectonic hazard (in Earthquake in Chile
HAZARDS two areas of contrasting levels of wealth) Earthquake in Nepal
A named example of a tropical storm Typhoon Haiyan, Philippines
An example of a recent extreme weather Somerset Floods
event in the UK
LIVING An example of a small scale UK ecosystem UK freshwater pond
WORLD A case study of a tropical rainforest Amazon Rainforest
A case study of a cold environment Svalbard
UK An example of a section of coastline in the Swanage- O d Ha R ck
LANDSCAPES UK
An example of a coastal management Lyme Regis
scheme in the UK
An example of a river valley in the UK River Tees
An example of a flood management Jubilee Relief Channel
scheme in the UK
,Natural Hazards
Definition of a natural hazard
A natural hazard is a natural event which could cause death, injury or disruption to humans or
destroy property and possessions.
Types of natural hazards
Geological Hazards: including tectonics e.g. earthquakes and geomorphic processes e.g. landslides.
Hydrological Hazards e.g. floods
Climatological Hazards e.g. extreme temperatures
Atmospheric Hazards e.g. cyclones
Biological Hazards e.g. epidemics
Factors affecting hazard risk
Several factors affect the risk of a hazard, including:
The wealth of a country
o In LICs, poor housing quality leads to higher death tolls as buildings collapse,
whereas in HICs money can be spent on things like earthquake-proof buildings.
o Poor economies which means residents often have more risky jobs prone to natural
events e.g. mining sulphur on volcanoes or farming on floodplains.
o More money is spent on technology and training scientists able to predict and
prepare for natural events.
o More money is spent on education, emergency services and evacuation plans.
Magnitude
Population size/density
o A larger population leads to more housing and thus more buildings collapse.
o More people also simply means that more people will be affected and die.
Tectonic Hazards
Continental vs oceanic crust
Continental Oceanic
Dense Light
Thick Thin
Made of granite Made of basalt
Older Newer
Convection currents
Heat rising and falling a a a a a a
currents. Where they diverge, plates move apart, and when they converge, they move together.
Distribution of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
The distribution is not random and they are located in close proximity to either constructive or
destructive plate margins and are in narrow belts along them one major example being the Pacific
R F T a a a a a a a
, Plate margins
Constructive Plate Margins:
At constructive plate margins, two plates are moving apart from each other due to the opposite
movements of convection currents in the mantle underneath. As they move apart, fissures are
created through which magma forces its way to the surface, forming new land or shield volcanoes,
as the magma is very hot and fluid. Earthquakes can also happen as a result of the magma breaking
through the overlying crust.
Destructive Plate Margins:
At destructive plate margins, an oceanic and continental plate are moving towards each other. Since
the oceanic plate is denser, it is subducted under the continental crust. This happens at the
subduction zone which creates deep ocean trenches as it pulls down part of the continental plate. As
the oceanic plate enters the mantle, it begins to melt which creates more magma which breaks
through the crust forming steep-sided composite volcanoes due to the viscous lava. This process also
creates immense pressure and friction, and earthquakes are caused by a release of seismic energy
when the plates slip past each other.
Collision Plate Margins:
At collision plate margins, plates of similar densities are forced towards each other because of the
a D similar densities, neither plate is subducted under the
other, and so they instead collide and fold upwards, forming fold mountains.
Conservative Plate Margins:
At conservative plate margins, two plates of similar densities slide past each other in opposite
directions and at different speeds. This grinding between the two plates creates friction and builds
stress energy, which is eventually released in the form of an earthquake, a release of the
stress/seismic energy.
Effects and responses to tectonic hazards
Primary effects are immediate impacts whereas secondary effects are things that happen as a result
of primary impacts over an extended period of time.
Immediate responses aim to prevent the loss of life whereas long-term responses focus on
rebuilding an area after a natural event.
How monitoring, prediction, protection and planning can reduce the risks from a tectonic hazard.
The methods used to reduce the risk of a tectonic hazard are:
Monitoring - Using scientific equipment to detect warning signs of events.
Prediction Using historical data, scientists can make predictions about when a tectonic
hazard may occur.
Protection Designing buildings etc to withstand the tectonic hazards.
Planning Train individuals as well as specialist teams on what to do in the event of a
tectonic hazard.
