2.4(b) Coastal field work 2 - enquiry skills

Question 1

Name two sources of secondary data useful for coastal environment enquiries.

Answer 1

Weather data from Met Office, OR
old photographs of the coastal sample site, OR
newspaper articles, OR
Ordnance Survey maps, OR
geology maps, OR
aerial photographs (any two)

Question 2

What statistical method is commonly used to analyze quantitative data like pebble size in coastal enquiries?

Answer 2

The mean

Question 3

What type of graph is suitable for showing continuous changes in data over time?

Answer 3

Line graphs

Question 4

What does ‘reliability’ mean in the context of a coastal enquiry?

Answer 4

Whether the study can be repeated and obtain the same results

Question 5

What is the purpose of including secondary data in a coastal fieldwork report?

Answer 5

To supplement and provide context for the primary data collected

Question 6

What type of map would be useful for identifying sample sites in a coastal enquiry?

Answer 6

Ordnance Survey maps

Question 8

What width should the bars be in a bar graph?

Answer 8

All bars should be the same width

Question 9

What should you do if asked to complete an unfinished graph in an exam?

Answer 9

Use the same style as the data which has already been put on the graph

Question 10

What does qualitative analysis of photographs in a coastal enquiry typically focus on?

Answer 10

Landforms and their formation, and data collection techniques

Question 11

How should you round a mean of 10.15 if asked to give the answer to one decimal place?

Answer 11

10.2 (round up because the second decimal is 5 or higher)

Question 12

In the evaluation stage of a coastal enquiry, what should you note?

Answer 12

How successful the investigation was and what you would do differently next time

Question 13

What type of graph is best for comparing data through rectangles drawn to a certain length?

Answer 13

Bar graphs

Question 14

What is the first step in calculating the median gradient of a beach?

Answer 14

Organizing the data in order from smallest to largest

Question 15

Which graph type shows either a positive or negative relationship between two variables?

Answer 15

Scattergraphs

Question 16

What is an important consideration when drawing a best fit line on a scattergraph?

Answer 16

The line should represent the overall trend of the data points

Question 17

What should you do if your equipment fails during coastal fieldwork?

Answer 17

Note it in your evaluation and suggest bringing spare equipment next time

Question 18

What type of data are beach slope and pebble size measurements considered?

Answer 18

: Quantitative data

Question 19

What should be included in the conclusion of a coastal enquiry?

Answer 19

: Whether the hypothesis has been proved or disproved

Question 20

What is an example of an anomaly that might occur in coastal fieldwork data?

Answer 20

A recent rockfall making the sample size larger than expected