past paper flashcards

ASSESS the importance of prediction and forecasting in reducing the vulnerability of communities to earthquake hazards (12)

INTRO - vulnerability modification strats (hi tech forecasting, community prepping) vs loss modification strats (aid, resistant design, land zoning)

P1 - forecasting important bc can warn about tsunamis after earthquakes

2009 western pacific tsunami was low impact because earthquake warnings came first

tohoku 2011 tsunami devastating even though earthquake was predicted bc magnitude overwhelmed sea wall defences

P2 - nepal low community prepping and no aseismic infrastructure meant earthquake impacts were worse

nepal is all remote landlocked anyway so earthquakes always hard to handle bc hard to get aid in, even w forecasting

can't afford loss modification like aseismic buildings, so vulnerability modification like community prep is good

P3 - can't literally predict earthquake can only forecast to an area or large time period

stress points can be found like north anatolian fault line, but there aren't obvious accurate precursors

not always clear when to tell public about forecasted events

CONCLUSION - prediction important but the magnitude of event will always determine impact if it overwhelms preparations

EXPLAIN the contribution of marine processes in the development of these landforms (figure question) (6)

- photograph shows xyz

- xyz formed through... (spit formed thru sediment cell transport from longshore drift)

- third point eg behind spit is low energy environment which means sediment settles to make salt marsh

- landforms stabilised by plant succession

- salt marsh on estuarine coast and dune succession on sandy coastline

- sediment transport influenced by wave attack angle and longshore drift speed

EXPLAIN how subaerial processes contribute to the development of this landscape (figure question) (6)

- three types of weathering

- mass movement like slumping, landslides bc of weathering

- makes landforms like terraced cliffs

- photo shows... detail about rock type, shapes of rocks/cliffs

- any vegetation shows stability

- note if anything to imply hydraulic action like coastline

- note anything to imply weathering and block fall like different size rocks

- say what type of weathering could have occurred

EXPLAIN role of sea level change in submergent and emergent coastlines (8)

P1 - emergent is falling sea level relative to land (isostatic change) and makes raised beaches and fossil cliffs

fossil cliffs left when sea level lowers, new cliff and beach represents contemporary coastline

P2 - submergent is rising sea level making rias and fjords bc deep glacial valleys are drowned

dalmatian coasts like in the adriatic sea are long island chains bc of coast flooding

EVALUATE view that global warming is greatest threat to coastlines and their communities (20)

INTRO - global warming incl rising sea level leads to flooding, storm surge events can lead to quicker recession bc strong winds in the sea. but human impacts like groynes and mangrove removal are bad too. poverty also threatens coastlines.

P1 - global warming leads to eustatic change bc sea temp rises so sea expands and rises. low lying islands like tuvalu, kiribati at risk bc flooding

P2 - global warming leads to more storm surge events, more energy for tropical storms and strong winds that can weather / erode coast and cliff sediment

P3 - groynes in mappleton led to erosion south of groyne bc sediment is blocked from downstream. mangrove removal in maldives increased coastal community threat bc mangroves trap sediment + raise beach front.

P4 - bangladesh 80% low lying but also poor. can't afford sea walls and flood defences so coast will just erode, communities can't afford flooding insurance

CONCLUSION - global warming impactful but is exacerbated by human impacts like increased greenhouse gas from humans. human impact like money more risky bc cant recover from impacts of global warming

EXPLAIN how oceans regulate the composition of the atmosphere (6)

thermohaline circulation = carbon absorbed thru diffusion, dissolves and taken to deep ocean thru downwelling currents, warm water cools so more carbon is absorbed to deep ocean. upwelling takes carbon back to surface ocean and it can return back to atmosphere

biological pump = carbon sequestered into phytoplankton thru photosynthesis, when the plankton die the carbon falls to deep ocean when their bodies decay

carbonate pump = locks up carbon in long term ocean carbon cycle. co2 forms carbonic acid, reacts w hydrogen to form carbonates which make shells for organisms, carbonate organisms sink when die and become limestone on sea bed.

EXPLAIN the contribution of human activity to the risk of drought (8)

P1 - overabstraction lowers water table in sana'a yemen, may go dry by 2030. infrastructure to get water is also poor + gets bombed and can only dig 600m

P2 - deforestation increases drought bc tree removal disrupts interception and evapotranspiration cycle, so overall lower precipitation

P3 - population growth exacerbates drought. sana'a cant handle 2 million pop, sahelian countries like niger have high fertility rates

ASSESS how successful different countries have been in achieving energy security (12)

INTRO - brazil, uk, saudi

P1 - brazil started producing own sugarcane ethanol, secure bc dont need to import + new cars are flex fuel. but uses lots of water + farmers burn the land after

P2 - uk has diverse energy mix like 10% biomass and 8% nuclear. but reliant on imports which makes price unstable, reliant on north sea oil gas drilling but that is depleting

P3 - saudi oil secure hundreds of billions of oil barrels, secure bc doesnt have to import. but pressure on them to move to renewables

CONCLUSION - countries w own supplies are more secure, but lots of environmental impacts

EVALUATE the view that land use changes are the main cause of the increasing risk of river flooding (20)

INTRO - using land for logging / grazing, living on low lying land, urbanisation, sudden rainfall like cloudbursts, enso cycles

P1 - 50% more flood risk in india bc logging and grazing, so less trees to intercept and cattle trampled ground made it less permeable. all of this increases river filtration.

P2 - rapid urbanisation makes ground impermeable so water has to infiltrate to full rivers. nearly 5% of london is car parks, south korea flooding from han river bc very urbanised

P3 - natural enso cycles, increased flood risk during el nino in southern us and gulf of mexico

P4 - 2024 bangladesh flooding, cloudbursts lead to prolonged rainfall. dumbar dam opened so high river flow. bangladesh 80% on flood plain so hard to zone. combo of everyone living on low lying land + meteorological factor of rain

OUTRO - land use is a main cause bc its making ground impermeable, so even natural events like enso can be damaging

ASSESS the importance of governance in the successful management of tectonic mega disasters (12)

INTRO - mega disasters are large scale disasters w serious economic and human impact

P1 - japan 2011 9.0, 15k+ deaths

• cannot predict earthquakes but government has invested so much into aseismic infrastructure + training + robust alert system

• majority of deaths and loss were from tsunami rather than initial earthquake, showing strength of buildings bc only 700 died in earthquake

• able to quickly warn about incoming tsunami 3 mins after earthquake due to pre existing robust alert system

P2 - haiti 2010 7.0, 200k+ deaths

• mix of poverty and corrupt government meant aid was not sequestered adequately

• not enough money invested in aseismic infrastructure or earthquake training

• however, even a good government would be constrained by the poverty in haiti, as $1bn in damages was 9% of the gdp at the time

P3 - nepal 2015 7.9, 9k dead

• not governance at all, mostly poverty and extreme infrastructure damage

• less deaths than both japan and haiti, but roads and bridges severely damaged so water and aid couldn’t be accessed as nepal is landlocked

• $5bn in damages was 25% of gdp at the time + earthquake flattened tourism which contributed significantly to economy

EXPLAIN the formation of the cliff profile shown (figure) (6)

• beaches can act as shock absorbers to dissipate wave energy, cliff profiles are consequences of things like wave attack and nature of the material of the cliffs

• short and low cliff suggest rapid erosion, tall cliff suggests slower erosion

• evidence of rotational slumping / rockfall / wave undercutting on cliff

• potentially evidence for abrasion in rounded rocks at base

• material of cliff is xyz which is prone / not prone to erosion because of xyz features

EXPLAIN the influence of rock structure and lithology on the physical features shown in the cliff (figure) (6)

• lithology is rock strength due to its make up

• rock structure and rock hardness impacts resistance to erosion and weathering

• structure involves things like jointing which would make rock more prone to erosion

• tall cliffs suggest the material is relatively resistant to wave processes / short cliffs suggest opposite

• steep cliffs suggest resistance

• lines on cliff profile can suggest horizontal bedding

EXPLAIN how the sediment cell concept contributes to the understanding of coastal systems (8)

• 11 large sediment cells in england and wales

• coastal systems are largely self contained bc coastal erosion, transportation, deposition mostly contained in its sediment cell

• sediment cells are generally considered closed systems, suggesting sediment is not transferred between cells

• boundaries of sediment cells are defined by coastal topography, which acts as a natural barrier to prevent sediment transfer between cells boundaries

• however, bc of things like wind and tide there is probably some fine material transfer between cells, so not completely closed systems in actuality

EVALUATE the contribution that changes in sea level make to the formation of coastal landscapes (20)

INTRO:

• coastal landscapes are assemblages of landforms that have developed over time

• can be impacted by sea level change, the bedrock lithology and the coastline topography

P1:

• sea level rise creates coastal landscapes like the dalmatian coast, by flooding the synclines and leaving the anticlines emerging. however, the concordant nature of the land also contributed to the dalmatian coast formation, not just sea level rise

P2

• bedrock lithology also contributes to coastal landscape formation bc soft rock coastlines erode quicker (holderness boulder clay)

• dorset coast erodes slower bc of the layout. the hard rock is facing the areas with harsher wave exposure, sheltering the bands of soft rock behind it like swanage bay from eroding too quickly.

P3

• steep and low lying coastlines and wave action contribute to the formation of the coastal landscape

• steep coastlines experience more intense wave action at the base, so more undercutting and cliff collapse which creates a rougher coast appearance

• low lying coasts have wider beaches that can act as a buffer that absorb wave energy

P4

• isostatic sea level decrease leads to emergent coasts like scotland fossil cliffs. land rebounded due to post glacial readjustment

• localised sea level change, the land rises because of the increase in sea level as the ice melts and stops depressing the crust

EXPLAIN why river regimes might vary between basins (6)

• river regime = annual variations of discharge in the river

• r1 = seasonal distribution of rainfall = more rain during the rainy seasons

• r2 = high temperature increases the rate of evapotranspiration

• r3 = low temperatures below freezing suspend flow

• r4 = impermeable geology will lead to rapid flow into the river after heavy rain

• r5 = permeable geology acts as aquifers which slows flow and leads to a steady regime

• r6 = large basins have complex regimes because they cross many climatic types (eg blue nile and white nile meeting)

EXPLAIN how physical and human factors contribute to an increased risk of water insecurity (8)

• consequence of finite supply (physical) and growing demand (human)

• salt water encroachment contaminates freshwater supplies, bc overabstraction lowers the water table (human) or bc the land is already low lying (physical)

• climate change can lead to increased temps bc more atmospheric carbon traps heat and changes rain patterns, eg will get drier in mediterranean (human) but el niño events that can lead to drought in places like australia usually have (physical) causes

• economic scarcity (human) - port moresby has very expensive water bc there is a lack of water infrastructure so people have to buy off expensive street vendors

• water aquifers do not recharge quick enough to match rising populations and changing diets ie more people eating meat

ASSESS the likely impacts of climate warming on the components of the carbon cycle (figure) (12)

INTRO

• climate warming will accelerate in the arctic and lead to:

• decreased albedo effect bc snow melt

• create carbon sources bc permafrost thaws

• increase the speed we move towards the climate tipping point

P1:

• positive feedback loop in figure shows that increasing air temp will lead to increased snow melt and replace it with vegetation, so decreased albedo effect bc less white surfaces

• however increased vegetation could increase photosynthesis which may make a new carbon sink

P2:

• increases in carbon dioxide are due to the permafrost thawing and becoming a carbon source

• increases in nitrous oxide are also due to warming as it increases activity of microbes

P3

• different peat depths undergo different rates of change, so for some we may not notice the change until its too late and we are past the climate tipping point

• nitrous oxide has multi decade impacts as it is a potent greenhouse gas (traps heats and depletes ozone layer, more than regular carbon dioxide)

EVALUATE the view that rates of coastal recession are largely controlled by geological factors (20)

P1

• bedrock lithology

• holderness coast

• made of boulder clay which is sedimentary and slumps easily

P2

• wave types

• freshwater bay isle of wight

• tall + strong backwash waves means increased coastal recession

• waves also have longer fetches here which makes them more powerful

P3

• beach layout

• coasts with wide beaches have lower recession bc the beaches absorb wave energy

cant think of fourth point lol