AQA GCSE Geography Paper 1

Natural hazard definition

A natural event that threatens people's lives and causes property damage.

Hazard risk factors

Urbanisation, climate change, farming on fertile floodplains, and poverty.

Global atmospheric circulation model

Convection cells (Hadley, Ferrel, Polar) driven by solar radiation that distribute heat globally via surface winds and pressure belts.

Low pressure zone features

Rising air, cloud formation, high precipitation (e.g., equator and 60°N/S).

High pressure zone features

Sinking air, clear skies, low precipitation, dry conditions (e.g., 30°N/S desert belts).

Oceanic crust characteristics

Thinner (5-10 km), denser, younger, and continuously created/destroyed.

Continental crust characteristics

Thicker (30-50 km), less dense, older, and permanently preserved.

Constructive plate margin process

Plates move apart; magma rises to fill the gap, cools, and forms new oceanic crust (e.g., Mid-Atlantic Ridge).

Destructive plate margin process

Dense oceanic plate subducts beneath lighter continental plate; melting creates magma, causing explosive volcanoes and earthquakes.

Conservative plate margin process

Plates slide past each other at different speeds or directions; friction builds until pressure releases as an earthquake.

Collision plate margin process

Two continental plates collide; neither subducts, so the land buckles upward to form fold mountains.

Distribution of tropical storms

Form in tropical regions between 5° and 30° north and south of the equator where sea surface temperatures exceed 27°C.

Primary effects of tropical storms

Strong winds destroying buildings, torrential rain causing immediate flooding, storm surges drowning coastal regions.

Secondary effects of tropical storms

Structural damage leading to homelessness, contaminated water causing disease outbreaks, economic disruption due to destroyed infrastructure.

Tropical storm monitoring and prediction

Satellites track cloud patterns, hurricane hunter aircraft record wind speeds, and computer models predict storm paths to trigger early warnings.

Tropical storm protection measures

Building storm-proof shelters on stilts, reinforced roofs, seawalls, and shatter-resistant window shutters.

UK extreme weather types

Heavy rainfall causing inland flooding, severe gales, extreme cold spells/snowstorms, prolonged heatwaves, and droughts.

Natural causes of climate change

Orbital changes (Milankovitch cycles), solar energy output fluctuations, and major volcanic activity emitting ash that blocks sunlight.

Human causes of climate change

Fossil fuel combustion, deforestation reducing carbon sinks, agriculture (methane from cattle/rice), and industrial process emissions.

Climate change mitigation strategies

Alternative energy production (solar/wind), carbon capture and storage (CCS), afforestation, and international climate agreements.

Climate change adaptation strategies

Changing agricultural systems, managing water supply (dams/recycling), and constructing defenses against sea level rise.

Ecosystem definition

A community of living organisms (biotic) interacting with each other and their non-living (abiotic) environment.

Producer definition

An organism (like a green plant) that uses solar energy to produce its own food via photosynthesis.

Consumer definition

An organism that gets its energy by feeding on other living organisms (e.g., herbivores, carnivores).

Decomposer definition

Organisms (fungi, bacteria) that break down dead organic material, returning nutrients to the soil.

Gersmehl nutrient cycle stores

Biomass, Litter, and Soil.

Biomass to litter nutrient flow

Dead plant and animal matter falls to the ground as litter.

Litter to soil nutrient flow

Decomposers break down litter, releasing nutrients directly into the top layer of soil.

Tropical rainforest climate characteristics

Equatorial climate: hot year-round (around 27°C) with high annual rainfall (>2000 mm) due to low pressure.

Rainforest soil nutrient profile

Infertile red latosols; nutrients are concentrated in the top organic layer and rapidly absorbed by fast-growing plants.

Lianas adaptation

Woody vines rooted in the ground that climb up tree trunks into the canopy to reach maximum sunlight.

Buttress roots adaptation

Massive ridge-like roots that spread widely above ground to anchor tall canopy trees in shallow soil.

Drip-tip leaves adaptation

Smooth leaves with pointed tips that allow heavy rain to run off quickly without breaking the leaf structure.

Causes of deforestation

Commercial farming (cattle ranching, soy farming), logging, mineral extraction, road construction (e.g., Trans-Amazonian Highway), and energy development.

Environmental impacts of deforestation

Loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, contribution to global warming (loss of carbon sink), and disruption of the water cycle.

Sustainable rainforest management methods

Selective logging, replanting (afforestation), ecotourism, international hard-wood agreements, and debt reduction/swaps.

Hot desert climate characteristics

Extremely low rainfall (<250 mm/year) with extreme diurnal temperature ranges (very hot days, freezing nights).

Plant adaptations in hot deserts

Succulents store water in fleshy tissue; deep taproots reach underground aquifers; leaves reduced to spines to limit transpiration.

Animal adaptations in hot deserts

Camels store fat in humps, have wide hooves for walking on sand, concentrated urine to conserve water, and nocturnal behavior.

Permafrost definition

Ground (soil or rock) that remains completely frozen at or below 0°C for two or more consecutive years.

Cold environment plant adaptations

Low-growing mosses/lichens resist high winds; small leaves minimize transpiration; hairy stems retain heat; rapid summer life cycles.

Wilderness area definition

Unspoilt regions undisturbed by human activity, critical for scientific research, biodiversity, and ecosystem preservation.

Strategies to manage cold environments

Action by national governments, international treaties (e.g., Antarctic Treaty), technology (e.g., elevated pipelines), and conservation groups.

Mechanical weathering process

Freeze-thaw: Water enters rock joints, freezes, expands by ~9%, exerts pressure, and repeatedly splits the rock apart over time.

Chemical weathering process

Carbonation: Weakly acidic rainwater (containing dissolved carbon dioxide) reacts with calcium carbonate in limestone, dissolving it.

Mass movement types

Rockfall (instantaneous detachment), landsliding (block of material moving rapidly along a slip plane), and mudflow/slumping.

Hydraulic action process

The sheer force of trapped air squeezed into cracks by pounding waves, forcing the rock face to fracture.

Abrasion process

Waves throw rocks and sediment against cliff faces, scraping and wearing them away like sandpaper.

Attrition process

Eroded rocks carried by waves smash against each other, breaking down into smaller, smoother, rounder pebbles over time.

Solution process (erosion)

Soluble rocks (e.g., chalk, limestone) are dissolved by chemical action in coastal or river water.

Longshore drift process

Swash carries sediment up the beach at an angle following prevailing wind; backwash pulls sediment straight down the slope under gravity, moving material along the coast.

Formation of headlands and bays

Differential erosion along concordant/discordant coasts where soft rock erodes quickly to form sheltered bays, leaving hard rock extending outward as headlands.

Formation of stacks and stumps

Cracks in headlands erode into caves, caves erode through into arches, arch roofs collapse leaving isolated stacks, and stacks erode down to stumps.

Spit formation

Longshore drift deposits sediment past a bend in the coastline; prevailing winds create a curved tip, and a salt marsh forms in the sheltered water behind.

Constructive vs Destructive waves

Constructive: Low height, long wavelength, strong swash builds beaches. Destructive: High height, short wavelength, strong backwash erodes beaches.

Hard engineering coastal management

Sea walls (reflect wave energy), groynes (trap sediment to build beaches), rock armour/rip-rap (absorb energy), and gabions.

Soft engineering coastal management

Beach nourishment (adding sand), dune regeneration (planting marram grass), and managed retreat (allowing controlled coastal flooding).

River profile change downstream

Upper course: steep gradient, narrow V-shaped valley. Middle course: gentler gradient, wider valley floor. Lower course: flat, wide floodplain.

Vertical vs Lateral erosion

Vertical erosion deepens the river channel (dominant in upper course); lateral erosion widens the river valley (dominant in middle/lower courses).

Interlocking spurs formation

In the upper course, the river lacks energy to erode laterally and winds around obstacles of resistant rock, creating interlocking ridges.

Waterfall formation

River flows over hard rock overlying soft rock; soft rock erodes faster creating an overhang, which collapses into a plunge pool deepened by hydraulic action and abrasion.

Meander formation

Fastest current (thalweg) flows on the outside bend, causing lateral erosion and undercut river cliffs; slower current on inside bend deposits sediment, forming a slip-off slope.

Oxbow lake formation

Narrow neck of a meander is cut through during a flood; deposition seals off the old loop, leaving a cut-off horseshoe-shaped lake.

Floodplain and Levee formation

Floodplains form from repeated flooding depositing fine alluvium; levees are raised natural banks formed when heavy, coarse sediment is deposited first right along the channel edges.

Hydrograph factors increasing flood risk

Flashy response: steep basin slopes, impermeable bedrock, urban concrete surfaces, high rainfall intensity, and antecedent wet weather.

Glacial erosion processes

Plucking (meltwater freezes onto rock fragments and pulls them away as the glacier moves) and abrasion (embedded rocks scratch the bedrock beneath like sandpaper).

Freeze-thaw action in glacial areas

Meltwater seeps into rock fractures, freezes and expands, shattering the rock into angular scree along mountain ridges.

Corrie/Cirque formation

Snow accumulates in a hollow, compresses into ice, and moves in a rotational slide; plucking steepens the back wall while abrasion deepens the hollow, leaving a tarn lake.

Arête and Pyramidal peak formation

An arête is a knife-edge ridge formed when two back-to-back corries erode into each other; a pyramidal peak forms when three or more corries erode backward into a single mountain summit.

Glacial trough and Hanging valley formation

A main glacier carves out a steep-sided, flat-floored U-shaped valley (glacial trough); smaller tributary glaciers carve shallower valleys, leaving hanging valleys above the main floor.

Moraine types

Terminal (deposited at the snout), Lateral (deposited along the sides), Medial (formed where two lateral moraines join), and Ground moraine (dragged under the glacier).

Drumlin features

Smooth, elongated hills of unsorted till deposited beneath a moving glacier; the blunt stoss end points up-glacier, and the tapered lee end points down-glacier.

2011 Tōhoku earthquake: Location and date

Occurred in Tōhoku, Japan on 11th March 2011 with a magnitude of $9.0$.

2011 Tōhoku earthquake: Tectonic cause

Destructive plate margin where the Pacific Plate subducted beneath the Eurasian Plate, releasing elastic strain.

2011 Tōhoku earthquake: Primary effects

$15{,}899$ deaths, $130{,}000$ buildings collapsed, and $4.4\text{ million}$ households left without power.

2011 Tōhoku earthquake: Secondary effects

A $140\text{ ft}$ tsunami triggered, Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant meltdown causing radiation evacuations, and total cost estimated at $\$235\text{ billion}$.

2011 Tōhoku earthquake: Immediate responses

Automatic text warnings issued, $100{,}000$ Japanese Self-Defense Forces deployed within $24\text{ hours}$, and international search-and-rescue teams accepted.

2011 Tōhoku earthquake: Long-term responses

$10\text{-meter}$ high concrete sea walls built along coasts, updated emergency drills, and upgraded building standards for earthquake and tsunami resistance.

2015 Gorkha earthquake: Location and date

Occurred in Gorkha, Nepal on 25th April 2015 with a magnitude of $7.8$.

2015 Gorkha earthquake: Tectonic cause

Collision margin where the Indian Plate slid beneath the Eurasian Plate.

2015 Gorkha earthquake: Primary effects

$8{,}841$ deaths, $16{,}800$ injured, and over $600{,}000$ homes destroyed or severely damaged.

2015 Gorkha earthquake: Secondary effects

Avalanches triggered on Mount Everest killing $19$ people, landsliding blocking river valleys creating flood risks, and total cost over $\$5\text{ billion}$.

2015 Gorkha earthquake: Immediate responses

International aid requested, India and China sent search-and-rescue teams, temporary shelters erected, and helicopter evacuations conducted in remote areas.

2015 Gorkha earthquake: Long-term responses

Strict building codes introduced, schools rebuilt with earthquake resilience, and international aid used to restore heritage sites and infrastructure.

Typhoon Haiyan: Location and date

Occurred in the Philippines, Southeast Asia in November 2013 as a Category $5$ storm.

Typhoon Haiyan: Primary effects

$6{,}300$ deaths, over $1\text{ million}$ homes damaged, and Tacloban airport severely damaged by a $5\text{-meter}$ storm surge.

Typhoon Haiyan: Secondary effects

$1.9\text{ million}$ people left homeless, water supply contaminated causing cholera outbreaks, and widespread looting in Tacloban due to food shortages.

Typhoon Haiyan: Immediate responses

PAGASA issued storm warnings, $800{,}000$ people evacuated to shelters, and UK/USA delivered emergency food, water, and field hospitals via military aircraft.

Typhoon Haiyan: Long-term responses

'Build Back Better' initiative launched, storm-resistant homes built on stilts away from coastline, and mangrove trees planted as coastal barriers.

Amazon Basin deforestation: Location

Amazon Basin, South America across $9$ countries (predominantly Brazil).

Amazon Basin deforestation: Causes

Commercial cattle ranching (accounts for $\approx 80\%$), soy farming, logging, gold mining, and infrastructure projects like the Trans-Amazonian Highway.

Amazon Basin deforestation: Environmental impacts

Loss of $135$ plant/animal/insect species per day, soil erosion washing away topsoil, and reduction of the carbon sink.

Amazon Basin deforestation: Economic impacts

Mining and commercial farming bring high tax revenue and jobs, logging generates export earnings, but long-term loss of ecotourism and ecosystem services occurs.

Amazon Basin deforestation: Sustainable management strategies

Selective logging (cutting mature trees only), ecotourism, international hardwood agreements, debt-for-nature swaps, and designating national parks.

Alaska cold environment: Location

Northwestern corner of the USA, extending into the Arctic Circle.

Alaska cold environment: Development opportunities

Mineral extraction (gold, silver, iron ore), oil and gas extraction (Prudhoe Bay generates over $50\%$ of state revenue), commercial fishing, and tourism.

Alaska cold environment: Development challenges

Extreme temperatures ($-25^\circ\text{C}$ in winter), inaccessibility due to frozen roads/lack of paved routes, and ground thawing causing permafrost subsidence.

Alaska cold environment: Management strategies

Trans-Alaska Pipeline raised on concrete stilts to prevent melting permafrost, gravel pads used under roads to reduce heat transfer, and international treaties protecting Arctic wildlife.

Holderness Coast: Location & geology

East Yorkshire, UK; stretch from Flamborough Head to Spurn Head made of soft, easily eroded glacial boulder clay.

Holderness Coast: Coastal processes

Strong prevailing winds cause powerful longshore drift to transport sediment southwards, causing cliff retreat at an average rate of $2\,\text{m/year}$.