Geography Paper 1

Question 1

What are ocean currents?

Answer 1

Ocean currents are when cold salty water sinks at the poles. it then flows towards the equator and is warmed again creating a convection current.

Question 2

What are the differences between the pressure differences of land and sea? (temperature)

Answer 2

Land heats quickly in summer and cools quickly in winter. Air is heated above, becomes lighter and rises. Forms low pressure in the summer and high pressure in the winter.
Sea takes longer to heat and cool, so the air is dense and cool in the summer. Forms high pressure in summer and low pressure in winter

Question 3

What is the Inter-Tropical convergence zone?

Answer 3

The inter-tropical convergence zones occurs near the equator between the two hadley cells, where warm tropical air converges at the equator. The suns radiation is most intense at the equator causing warm tropical air to rise rapidly creating an area of low pressure that brings heavy rainfall. As the rising air moves away from the equator it loses its moisture and density, descending to form arid regions.

Question 4

What are the four theories that explain why climate has changed in the past?

Answer 4

The four theories that explain why the climate has changed in the past include:

• Eruption Theory
• Asteroid collision theory
• Sunspot theory
• Orbital change theory

Question 5

What is the eruption theory?

Answer 5

The eruption theory is that eruptions produce ash that rises into the stratosphere, reflecting some sunlight back into space and cooling the planet

Question 6

What is the asteroid collision theory?

Answer 6

Asteroid collision theory is the theory that euprtions produced ash that raised into the stratosphere, reflecting some sunlight back into space and cooling the planet

Question 7

What is the asteroid collision theory?

Answer 7

The asteroid collision theory is the theory that asteroids hit earth sending tonnes of ash and dust into the atmosphere, blocking sunlight and cooling the climate

Question 8

What is the sunspot theory?

Answer 8

The sunspot theory is the thory that lots of sunspots means more solar energy warming th eplanet

Question 9

What is the orbital change theory?

Answer 9

The orbital change theory is the theory that the earth’s orbit is sometimes more oval affecting the amount of radiation the earth receives, cooling the earth. Earth’s title also changes, a greater tilt makes the difference in the seasons more pronounced. less tilt, less difference in seasons.

Question 10

What is the enhanced greenhouse effect?

Answer 10

The enhanced greenhouse effect is due to human activity worsening the greenhouse effect by producing excessive greenhouse gases

Question 11

How do ice cores present evidence of past climate change?

Answer 11

Counting the air bubbles that contain co2 in ice cores tell us there have been previous warm and cold periods

Question 12

How do tree rings present evidence of past climate change?

Answer 12

Each tree rin shows a year’s growth. In warmer and wetter years, a tree grows more rings

Question 13

How can we measure climate change?

Answer 13

We can measure climate change by measuring global temp, rising sea levels (thermal expansion - the increase in volume of sea water owing to heating), decreasing arctic sea ice, shrinking glaciers

Question 14

What are the consequences of climate change?

Answer 14

Consequences of climate change include more frequent flooding and droughts, stronger storms, changes to farming due to unreliable rainfall, climate refugees from people living in low-lying areas

Question 15

Why is it hard to predict future climate change?

Answer 15

Its hard to predict future climate change because we don’t know how populations and economies may grow, fossil fuel consumption versus renewable energy and people’s lifestyle choices

Question 16

What are the features of a tropical cyclone?

Answer 16

Features of a tropical cyclone include:

• Rotating system of clouds and storms
• Forms over tropical waters above 26.5 degrees
• Winds that exceed 118 km/h
• Known as a Hurricane (Atlantic ocean), Typhoon (Pacific ocean), Cyclone (Indian ocean)

Question 17

What are the conditions needed for cyclones to form?

Answer 17

Cyclones form due to warm oceans, strong winds that draw the warm air up rapidly from the ocean surface, a strong coriolis force created by the earth’s rotation

Question 18

What hazards to cyclones present to people?

Answer 18

Cyclones present strong winds, storm surfes, intense rainfall and landslides

Question 19

What makes an area more vulnerable to cyclones?

Answer 19

An area where much of its population is rural on low-lying flood-prone farmland and is in a poor country are more vulnerable to cylones

Question 20

How can a population be protected against a cyclone?

Answer 20

Forecasting, satellite technology, warning systems, evacuation strategies and surge defences protect countries such as Bangledesh from cyclones.

Question 21

What is the lithosphere?

Answer 21

The lithosphere is the uppermost layer and is split into the continental crust and the oceanic crust

Question 22

What is the mantle?

Answer 22

The mantle is divided into two layers - the asthenosphere which is a partly molten layer under lithosphere, and the lower mantle which is a solid

Question 23

What is the core?

Answer 23

The core is split into two layers, the outer liquid corner and the inner solid core (due to the intense pressure). They are both composed of iron and nickel

Question 24

What causes convection currents?

Answer 24

Convection currents are caused by the geothermal energy and move tectonic plants. The rising heat creates plumes which bring magma to the surface.

Question 25

What happens at a conservative plate boundary?

Answer 25

At a conservative plate boundary, plates slide past each other - friction between the plates causes earthquakes

Question 26

What happens at a divergent plate boundary?

Answer 26

At a divergent plate boundary, the plates move apart and magma rises to fill the gap - hot and runny magma made of basalt spreads to form shield volcanoes. Earthquakes also form

Question 27

What happens at a convergent plate boundary?

Answer 27

At a convergent plate boundary, the denser oceanic plate is subducted under the continental plate, the melting of the oceanic plate creates magma which is cooler and less fluid, so composite volcanoes form

Question 28

What scale is used to measure the magnitude of an earthquake?

Answer 28

The Richter scale measures earthquake magnitudes

Question 29

What were the impacts of hurricane Katrina? (category 4 storm in new Orleans in 2005)

Answer 29

• Evacuation was ordered, but poor people remained
• The levee defences were broken and the city was flooded
• People sort refuge in the Superdome stadium, where conditions were unhygienic and there was a lack of food and water
• 1 million people left homeless
• 1200 drowned

Question 30

What were the responses to hurricane Katrina?

Answer 30

Responses to Hurricane Katrina were slow, but they received 50 billion dollars in aid, UK aid was sent and the National Guard maintained the law

Question 31

What were the economic impacts of Typhoon Haiyan? (Phillipines, Category 5, 2013, 313 km/h winds)

Answer 31

The overall economic impact of Typhoon Haiyan is estimated at $5.8 billion (£3.83 billion).
Six million workers lost their sources of income.
Major rice, corn and sugar-producing areas for the Philippines were destroyed affecting the country’s international trade and farmers’ incomes.
Fishing communities were severely affected with the storm destroying 30,000 boats and associated equipment.

Question 32

What were the social impacts of Typhoon Haiyan?

Answer 32

More than 7,000 people were killed by Typhoon Haiyan.
1.9 million people were left homeless and more than 6,000,000 displaced.
There were outbreaks of disease due to the lack of sanitation, food, water, shelter, and medication.

Question 33

What were the environmental impacts of Typhoon Haiyan?

Answer 33

Widespread floods damaged and in many cases destroyed homes and businesses in coastal areas.
The Philippine government estimated that about 71,000 hectares of farmland was affected.
Thousands of trees were uprooted leading to a massive release of carbon dioxide and loss of habitat with resulting effects on wildlife.

Question 34

What were the responses of Typhoon Haiyan?

Answer 34

The UK government provided food, shelter, clean water, medicine and other supplies for up to 800,000 victims.

Several charities provided emergency aid such as water, food and shelter. In the longer term, they are helping people get their livelihoods back, for example by repairing fishing boats or distributing rice seeds.

The United Nations launched an international aid appeal in December 2013 for £480 million to finance the humanitarian relief effort for 2014.

Question 35

What were the primary impacts of the Haiti Earthquake? (2010, 7.0 magnitude, Haiti, Convergent plate boundary)

Answer 35

The primary impacts of the Haiti earthquake:
220,000 people were killed.
300,000 people were injured.
The main port was badly damaged.
Eight hospitals collapsed.

Question 36

Where were the secondary impacts of the Haiti earthquake?

Answer 36

The secondary impacts of the haiti earthquake:
2 million people were left without food and water.
Frequent power cuts occurred.
Crime increased - looting became a problem and sexual violence escalated.

Question 37

What were the primary impact of the Japan Earthquake? (Japan, 2011, 9.0 magnitude, convergent plate boundary)

Answer 37

• 20 000 killed
• 400 000 roads and buildings damaged
• 4.4 million houses with no electricity
• Nucleur power meltdown

Question 38

Where were the secondary impacts of the Japan earthquake?

Answer 38

• Tsunami (above 40 metres high)
• National disaster prevention day on September 1st
• Rural areas isolated due to road blockages
• 235 billion worth of damage

Question 39

What were the responses to the Japan earthquake?

Answer 39

The country recently unveiled a newly-installed, upgraded tsunami warning system.
Earthquake engineers examined the damage, looking for ways to construct buildings that are more resistant to quakes and tsunamis. Studies are ongoing.

Question 40

What is urbanisation?

Answer 40

Urbanisation is the rise in the percentage of people living in urban areas

Question 41

What are the causes of urban growth?

Answer 41

The causes of urban growth are rural-urban migration, and natural increase (higher birth rate than death rate)

Question 42

What is urban primacy?

Answer 42

Urban primacy means cities that have an importance and bigger influence on a country than what their size suggests

Question 43

What are the push factors of cities that cause counter-urbanisation?

Answer 43

Lack of jobs, lack of services, high crime rates, pollution, congestion, overcrowding are push factors

Question 44

What are pull factors that encourage urbanisation?

Answer 44

Job opportunities, lots os services, low crime rates, regeneration of brownfield sites and good economies are pull factors

Question 45

What are the three land uses in cities?

Answer 45

The three land uses in cities are:

• Commercial - mostly in CBD - most acessible and expensive
• Industrial - either inner city or city edge
• Residential - 19th century terraced housing found closer to the centre and detached housing towards the suburbs

Question 46

What are the key features of Mumbai?

Answer 46

• On an estuary where its port grew
• CBD located near island tip
• High quality housing in inner city
• Informal areas encourage rural-urban migration

Question 47

What challenges do Mumbai face?

Answer 47

Challenges that mumbai face:

• Not enough income from tax
• A weak local government
• House shortages and slum development

Question 48

What are the advantages of the Mumbai Monorail?

Answer 48

The advantages of Mumbai Monorail:

• Built above land
• Cheap tickets
• Provided transport for commuters
• Allowed access for people in slums to the main city

Question 49

What are the disadvantages of the Mumbai monorail?

Answer 49

The disadvantages of the Mumbai monorail:

• Mostly used by tourists
• Tickets still too expensive for the poorest people
• Delayed construction

Question 50

What are the advantages of vision mumbai?

Answer 50

The advantages of vision mumbai:

• New flats replaced slums with clean water and sewage
• 300 extra public toilets
• 72 new trains and safer wider platforms

Question 51

What are the disadvantages of vision mumbai?

Answer 51

The disadvantages of mumbai monorail:

• Splits up communities
• Unaffordable rents
• Small workshops had to be moved

Question 52

What are the advantages of the SPARC toilets?

Answer 52

Avantages of sparc toilets:

• 800 blocks built, each with 8 toilets
• Lights at night making it safe
• 20 communities benefitted

Question 53

What are the disadvantages of the SPARC toilets?

Answer 53

Disadvantages of sparc toilets:

• Relies on charity funding
• Delayed funding delays construction
• Poorest communities cannot afford permit