Year 8 Humanities – Geography: Coastal Landscapes and Landforms & Urbanisation

Comprehensive review flashcards covering coastal processes, landforms, wave types, coastal management strategies (hard and soft engineering), urbanisation definitions, push and pull factors, megacities, and exam skills (PQE, TEEL, and command terms).

What are the two examined sections of the Year 8 Geography Examination, and how many marks is each section worth?

Section 1 is Coastal Landscapes and Landforms ($4\text{ questions}$, $20\text{ marks}$) and Section 2 is Urbanisation ($3\text{ questions}$, $15\text{ marks}$), totaling $35\text{ marks}$.

In geographical examination questions, what does the command term "identify" require?

To recognise and name a specific feature, component, pattern, or key fact.

In geographical examination questions, what does the command term "explain" require?

To make the relationships between things evident (explaining how and why).

In geographical examination questions, what does the command term "define" require?

To give the precise meaning of a term or concept.

In geographical examination questions, what does the command term "justify" require?

To give reasons and evidence to support a choice or decision.

In geographical examination questions, what does the command term "describe" require?

To provide brief characteristics, features, and qualities of a given concept.

In geographical examination questions, what does the command term "analyse" require?

To identify the different components or parts and determine the relationship between them.

What do the components of the "PQE" framework for reading geographical graphs and maps stand for?

Pattern (identifying the overall trend or distribution), Quantify (backing up the pattern with specific numbers, years, or units from the data), and Exception (identifying anything that does not fit the pattern).

What do the four letters in the "TEEL" paragraph structure stand for?

T for Topic Sentence (introducing the main argument), E for Explanation (elaborating on how or why it occurs), E for Evidence / Example (providing specific data, statistics, quotes, or case studies), and L for Link (summarising and linking back to the question or thesis).

Based on the Middle Park Beach coastal management source, what are the financial costs and trade-offs of building a seawall versus beach nourishment?

A seawall costs $\$4\text{ million}$ and lasts $50\text{ years}$, but can increase erosion at nearby beaches. Beach nourishment costs $\$600,000\text{ every }5\text{ years}$ and looks natural, but sand can wash away.

What is the difference between a landform and a landscape?

A landform is an individual natural feature (such as a cliff, beach, or stack), whereas a landscape is the entire scene or area made up of multiple landforms, vegetation, and human features.

How do the processes of weathering, erosion, and deposition differ from one another?

Weathering breaks down rock in place without moving it; erosion removes and transports broken sediment; and deposition drops and deposits sediment in a new location.

What is physical weathering, and what is one example of how it occurs?

Physical weathering breaks rocks apart without altering their chemical makeup. An example is water freezing and expanding within cracks, or rocks expanding when heated and contracting when cooled.

What is chemical weathering?

The breakdown of rock where chemicals dissolve or alter the rock, such as slightly acidic rainwater reacting with specific minerals.

What is biological weathering, and how does it happen?

Weathering caused by living organisms, such as growing plant roots expanding within cracks and forcing rocks apart.

What sequential erosional landforms are created as waves attack lines of weakness on a headland?

Waves widen lines of weakness into a sea cave; undercutting causes it to break through into an arch; arch collapse leaves an isolated stack; further erosion reduces the stack to a stump on a wave-cut platform.

How do constructive waves differ from destructive waves regarding their wave height, energy, swash, and backwash?

Constructive waves have lower height, less energy, and a strong swash with a weak backwash that deposits sediment and builds beaches. Destructive waves have greater height, more energy, and a weak swash with a strong backwash that scours and erodes beaches.

What is longshore drift?

The transportation of sand and shingle along a shoreline caused by the action of incoming waves and currents.

What hard engineering coastal management structure is pictured, and how does it work?

A groyne; a barrier built perpendicular to the shore that traps sediment by blocking longshore drift, helping to build up the beach.

What coastal management strategy is shown in this image, and what is its primary function?

A seawall; a vertical or curved hard engineering wall constructed along the coastline to prevent erosion and protect the area behind it from wave energy.

What hard engineering coastal protection method is shown, and what benefits does it offer over a sea wall?

Riprap (rock armour); large boulders placed along the coast that dissipate wave energy without creating scour at the base, and are cheaper and longer-lasting than vertical seawalls.

What type of coastal management structure is shown here, and what is its purpose?

A breakwater; an artificial offshore barrier designed to absorb wave energy and protect a harbour, marina, or anchorage from rough seas.

What soft engineering coastal management technique is depicted, and what are its main strengths and weaknesses?

Beach nourishment; it rebuilds beaches for recreation and natural coastal protection while looking natural, but sand can wash away and requires expensive repeated replenishment.

What soft coastal management strategy is shown, and how does it protect the shoreline?

Dune fencing and boardwalk construction (dune stabilisation); fences, walkways, and planted grasses hold sand together and prevent pedestrian damage, preserving dunes as natural barriers against sea erosion.

What is the geographical definition of urbanisation?

The increasing proportion of a population living in towns and cities relative to rural areas.

What population threshold defines a megacity?

A city or urban metropolitan area with a total population greater than $10\text{ million}$ people.

According to the 2024–25 Australian Bureau of Statistics data, how do the population growth rates of Perth, Darwin, and Hobart compare?

Perth has the highest growth rate at $2.4\%$, Darwin has a growth rate of $1.7\%$, and Hobart has the lowest capital city growth rate at $0.2\%$.

What are push factors in migration, and what four specific examples are highlighted in the urbanisation module?

Negative conditions that compel people to leave rural areas: natural disasters (such as tornadoes or floods), poor living conditions (low living standards), crop failure (poor harvests), and conflict or war (civil unrest).

What are pull factors in migration, and what four specific examples are highlighted in the urbanisation module?

Positive conditions that attract people toward cities: higher wages (better paying jobs), better healthcare and education (access to schools and hospitals), more job opportunities, and better living conditions (improved housing and services).

In the case study of Dhaka, Bangladesh, what are the primary push factors, pull factors, and resulting urban challenges?

Push factors include floods damaging farmland and low rural incomes; pull factors include factory and construction jobs, schools, and hospitals. Urban challenges include severe overcrowding, large informal settlements, traffic congestion, and strain on water and sanitation.

What urban phenomenon is shown in this aerial image, and what challenges does it cause?

Urban sprawl; the rapid low-density outward expansion of suburbs into surrounding rural and bush land, leading to car dependence, high infrastructure costs, and loss of open space.

What urban condition is depicted in this photo of neglected multi-story residential blocks?

Urban decay; the physical deterioration and abandonment of city areas and infrastructure over time due to depopulation, disinvestment, or industrial decline.

What urban process is evidenced by the modern high-end architectural redevelopment built alongside an older, modest home?

Gentrification; the influx of wealthier residents into an older, lower-income neighbourhood, resulting in property renovation, rising values, and changes in the local socioeconomic profile.

What is urban consolidation, and what is its main goal?

The policy and practice of increasing residential density within existing built-up urban boundaries (such as constructing medium-density or high-rise apartments) to curb urban sprawl and maximize existing transport and infrastructure.

How do hard and soft engineering compare in terms of coastal protection philosophy and ongoing drawbacks?

Hard engineering relies on heavy artificial structures (e.g., seawalls, groynes) that provide immediate protection but are costly and can shift erosion downshore. Soft engineering works with natural coastal systems (e.g., dune management, nourishment), offering cheaper, natural-looking defenses that require continuous, long-term maintenance.