GCSE Geography B Knowledge Organiser Summary

Global System: The atmosphere transfers heat, impacting heat distribution and climate.
Ocean Currents: Cold, salty water sinks at poles, flowing equatorward and forming convection currents.
Pressure Differences: Land heats/cools more rapidly than sea creating low/high pressure systems.
Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ): Area near equator where warm air rises, leading to rainfall and arid regions elsehwere.

Past Climate Changes: Natural causes include eruptions, asteroids, sunspots, and orbital changes. Evidence from ice cores, tree rings, and historical data.
Current Climate Change: Driven by human activities causing the enhanced greenhouse effect.
Impacts: 1°C temperature rise since early 1900s, sea levels up by 200mm, loss of glacial areas. Consequences like floods, droughts, and climate refugees are anticipated.

Formation Conditions: Warm ocean water (>26.5°C), strong winds, and Coriolis force.
Hazards: Strong winds, storm surges, flooding, landslides. Vulnerability in areas like Bangladesh due to socio-economic conditions.
Preparedness: Bangladesh uses forecasting, technology, warning systems; lessons learned from past cyclones like Aila.

Layers: Lithosphere (crust), mantle (a.sthenosphere & lower), and core (outer liquid & inner solid). Heat from radioactive decay drives convection.
Plate Boundaries:
- Conservative (earthquakes)
- Divergent (shield volcanoes)
- Convergent (composite volcanoes).
Measuring Earthquakes: On Richter Scale; tsunamis can be generated by underwater quakes.

Development Measurement: Economic (GDP), social (literacy), political (corruption). Human Development Index (HDI) combines multiple indicators.
Global Inequalities: Definitions like HICs, LICs, and emerging nations. The Rostow model covers stages of development from traditional society to mass consumption.
Growth Factors in India: Location in the Indian Ocean, trade connections, and regional competition.

Urbanisation Trends: Increase in urban populations driven by migration and natural growth.
City Structures: Land use typically includes commercial (CBD), industrial, and residential areas.
Mumbai as a Megacity: Experiences hyper-urbanisation, potentially leading to social and environmental challenges.
Sustainability Strategies: Top-down (e.g. Vision Mumbai) versus bottom-up development (e.g. LSS health charity); both showing pros and cons to urban improvement strategies.