IGCSE Geography Exam Revision Guide (2025)

Constructive waves

Build beaches; strong swash, weak backwash.

Destructive waves

Erode coast; weak swash, strong backwash.

Erosion

Hydraulic action, Abrasion, Attrition, Solution.

Transportation

Traction, Saltation, Suspension, Solution.

Longshore drift

Moves sediment along the coast.

Mechanical weathering

Freeze-thaw, Salt crystallisation.

Chemical weathering

Carbonation (acid rain).

Biological weathering

Root growth, Animal burrowing.

Mass movement

Sliding, Slumping, Rock fall.

Geology

Concordant (parallel layers) vs. Discordant (alternating).

Vegetation

Stabilises dunes, reduces erosion.

Human activity

Tourism, industry, coastal defences.

Isostatic change

Land level changes (e.g. post-glacial rebound).

Eustatic change

Global sea level rise/fall due to climate.

Emergent landforms

Raised beaches, Relic cliffs/stacks/arches.

Submergent landforms

Rias (drowned river valleys), Fjords (drowned glacial valleys).

Erosional landforms

Headlands and bays, Cliffs, Wave-cut platforms.

Caves

Arches, Stacks, Stumps.

Depositional landforms

Beaches, Spits, Bars, Tombolos.

Coral reefs

Warm, shallow, clear seas.

Mangroves

Salt-tolerant trees; protect coasts.

Salt marshes

Intertidal zones, mudflats.

Sand dunes

Formed by wind; stabilised by plants.

Ecosystem threats

Industrialisation, Agriculture, Tourism, Deforestation.

Earthquakes

Sudden crust movement; measured by Richter/Mercalli.

Volcanoes

Magma erupts; VEI scale.

Distribution of earthquakes and volcanoes

At plate boundaries (constructive, destructive, conservative).

Hotspots

Volcanoes not at boundaries (e.g., Hawaii).

Tropical cyclones features

Low pressure, heavy rain, strong wind.

Conditions for tropical cyclones

26C+ sea temp, low pressure, Coriolis force, wind shear.

Measurement of tropical cyclones

SaffirSimpson scale.

Hazard impacts (short-term)

Deaths, damage, flooding.

Hazard impacts (long-term)

Economic loss, homelessness, rebuilding.

Vulnerability

Physical (location), Social (housing, healthcare), Economic (resources).

Prediction

Remote sensing, GIS, warning systems.

Protection

Building design, evacuation plans.

Responses

Emergency aid, risk mapping, long-term reconstruction.

Urbanisation

Global trend: More people in cities, especially LICs/NEEs.

Suburbanisation

Moving to suburbs.

Counter-urbanisation

Moving from cities to countryside.

Push factors

Poor rural life.

Pull factors

Better jobs/services in cities.

Megacities

Cities with 10+ million people.

Growth

Migration + natural increase.

Urban problems

Congestion, Pollution, Crime, Waste, Unemployment, Poor housing.

Urban land use

Influenced by: Accessibility, land value, locational needs.

Rural-urban fringe

Developments: Housing estates, Business parks, Industrial estates.

Greenfield

Undeveloped land.

Brownfield

Previously built-on land.

Economic sectors

Primary: Raw materials; Secondary: Manufacturing; Tertiary: Services; Quaternary: Research & IT.

Employment structures

LICs: Primary; HICs: Tertiary/Quaternary.

Clark-Fisher Model

Shows changes over time.

Factors affecting economic location

Raw materials, labour, transport, technology, policies.

Causes of sector shifts

Globalisation, Mechanisation, Demographics, Policies.

Positive sector shifts

More services.

Negative sector shifts

Deindustrialisation, job losses.

Sampling

Random, Systematic, Convenience.

Transect

A survey line across an area.

Site

Specific point along transect.

Primary data

You collected (e.g. traffic count).

Secondary data

From others (e.g. census).

Quantitative data

Numbers.

Qualitative data

Descriptions.

Data presentation

Maps, graphs, field sketches, photos.

Evaluation

Accuracy: How exact was it? Reliability: Would you get the same result again?

Questionnaires

Good ones are: Clear, Unbiased, Short, Relevant.

Application

Be able to apply these methods to unfamiliar scenarios.