GCSE Geography: paper 1 case studies aqa

GCSE Geography case studies: Epping Forest, Malaysian Rainforest, Thar Desert, Nepal vs Chile earthquakes, Typhoon Haiyan, UK extreme weather events, the Jubilee Relief Channel, River Tees, Swanage coastal defences, and Medmerry managed realignment.

Epping Forest

A small-scale deciduous woodland ecosystem located in north-east London, England.

Characteristics of Epping Forest Food Web

A food web showing producers (mosses, grasses, herbs, ferns, deciduous trees, shrubs) consumed by primary consumers (rabbits, insects, beetles, worms, caterpillars), which in turn support mice, small birds, badgers, foxes, owls, and sparrowhawks.

Malaysian Rainforest

A tropical rainforest ecosystem located in south-east Asia that covers $67\%$ of Malaysia.

Commercial Farming in Malaysia

Large-scale agriculture that drives deforestation in the Malaysian rainforest, primarily for palm oil production, making Malaysia the world's largest palm oil exporter.

Environmental Impacts of Deforestation in Malaysia

Forest clearing that causes a loss of biodiversity and carbon sinks, leads to severe soil erosion, increases atmospheric $\text{CO}_2$, and results in a significant decline in the orangutan population.

Thar Desert

The most densely populated desert in the world, covering $200{,}000\,\text{km}$ across North-West India and extending into Pakistan.

Kaolin (Thar Desert)

A valuable mineral resource extracted and exported from the Thar Desert, used as a paper whitener.

Gypsum (Thar Desert)

A mineral resource extracted from the Thar Desert that is utilized in the production of plaster and cement for construction.

Feldspar (Thar Desert)

A mineral resource mined in the Thar Desert that is primarily used in ceramics manufacturing.

Phosphors (Thar Desert)

A mineral resource obtained from the Thar Desert used in the manufacturing of agricultural fertilisers.

Thar Desert Climatic Challenges

Environmental challenges including severe water scarcity with less than $250\,\text{mm}$ of rain per year, and extreme temperatures averaging $40^\circ\text{C}$ with highs reaching $53^\circ\text{C}$.

Typhoon Haiyan (2013)

A Category 5 super typhoon that struck the Philippines in November 2013, generating winds up to $170\,\text{mph}$ and an unexpected 5-metre-high storm surge.

Typhoon Haiyan Impacts

Effects resulting in 6,300 deaths (mostly drowned), 600,000 displaced people, 220,000 left homeless, $90\%$ destruction in affected areas, 30,000 fishing boats destroyed, disease outbreaks, and looting.

Typhoon Haiyan Responses

Government distribution of temporary aid and shelter, establishment of 1,200 evacuation centres, receipt of international aid kits from the UK, and long-term rebuilding aid programs.

UK Heatwave (July 2022)

An extreme weather event between 15–19 July 2022 where the UK recorded its highest ever temperature of $40.3^\circ\text{C}$ on 19 July, with over 34 locations exceeding the 2019 record of $38.7^\circ\text{C}$.

UK Heatwave 2022 Impacts

Consequences including 5 drowning deaths during water incidents, the London Fire Brigade's busiest day since World War II, buckled train tracks leading to a $40\%$ drop in rail travellers, the closure of the Northeast mainline, and power outages.

Beast from the East (2018)

A severe winter weather event occurring from 26 February to 3 March 2018 caused by a polar air mass from Siberia, bringing temperatures down to $-12^\circ\text{C}$ and up to $50\,\text{cm}$ of snow on high ground.

Beast from the East Impacts

Disruptions including 10 deaths, over 330 school closures in Kent, a National Grid gas deficit warning, and hundreds of motorists stranded on the M80 near Glasgow for up to 13 hours across 8 miles.

Jubilee Relief Channel

An $11\,\text{km}$ diversion channel built for £110 million by the Environment Agency to divert River Thames floodwaters around Maidenhead, Windsor, and Eton.

Weirs (Jubilee Relief Channel)

Mini dams installed along the Jubilee Relief Channel to maintain water levels and prevent drying out, which have drawn criticism for looking ugly and promoting stagnant water algae growth that removes oxygen.

River Tees

A river located in North East England displaying a typical upper, middle, and lower course profile and featuring landforms such as the High Force Waterfall and Gorge.

Swanage Coastal Management Scheme

A £2.2 million coastal defence scheme in Dorset designed to protect a town of 10,000 built on easily eroded Wealden clay through hard engineering (replacing 18 groynes, repairing sea wall) and soft engineering (beach replenishment).

Groynes (Swanage)

Hard engineering structures (18 replaced at Swanage) used to trap sediment moving via longshore drift (LSD) to maintain a sandy beach for tourists and prevent coastal erosion.

Medmerry Coastal Realignment

A £28 million soft engineering managed realignment scheme in West Sussex where an existing seawall protecting low-value farmland was breached to create a wave-absorbing saltmarsh.

Saltmarsh (Medmerry)

A natural intertidal wetland formed behind the breached defences at Medmerry that acts as a natural barrier to slow down wave action and provides a new wildlife habitat.

nepal 2015- lic development indicators

GNI- 1,090 

HDI- 144^th  

Life expectancy 70 

Corruption index- 33/100 

chile 2010 HIC development indicators

GNI- 13,549  

HDI- 48^th  

Life expectancy 80 

Corruption index- 64/100 

cause of nepal 2010 LIC earthquake

Indo-Australian plate colliding with Eurasian plate 

causes of chile 2010 HIC earthquake

Nazca plate subducting beneath South American Plate

nepal size

magnitude of 7.9

chile 2010 size

magnitude of 8.8

primary effects of nepal 2015

9000 people died  

20,000 injured  

7,000 schools destroyed 

210,000 homes destroyed- 3 million homeless 

1.4 m people left without food, water and shelter  

Costs of 5 billion

chile 2010 hic primary effects

• 500 people died  

• 12,000 injured  

• 4,500 schools destroyed 

• 2,400 homes destroyed- 2 million 

• 700,000 people left without food, water and shelter 

• Costs of 30 billio

secondary effects nepal 2015

• Communities cut off due to landslides and avalanches- blocking aid efforts 

• Relied heavily on international aid, slightly slow 

• Avalanches on Mount Everest- 19 people died 

• Flood threatening following a landslide blocking river- evacuation 

chile 2010 seconary effects

• Tsunamis destroyed coastal towns- even effected surrounding countries 

• Fires broke out- in chemical plant near Santiago  

• Landslides blocked 1,500 km of road hindering aid  

• 93% population experienced blackouts 

nepal immediate responses

• International search and rescue teams rescued 16 survivors  

• Distributing bottled water  

• Shelters and field hospitals set up  

• Financial aid  

chile 2010 immediate responses

• Emergancy services acted swiftly and field hospitals and communications were regained  

• Temporary reparids made to infrastructure  

• 90% of homes had power adn water restored wihtin 10 days 

long term responses chile 2010

• Housing reconstruction project was announced to build 200,000 homes  

• Strong economy meant little international aid was needed  

long term resopnses nepal 2015

• Stricter codes on buildings in the future 

• Schools rebuilt  

• Most road repaired by late 2015  

• 212,000 new homes built by 2020  

• Resotring damaged temples and palaces