Geography

🌊 Geography – Coastal Environments

1. Sustainability

  • Using resources in a way that they’re not depleted.

  • Ensures ecosystems survive long-term.

  • Helps future generations meet their needs.

  • Reduces pollution and environmental harm.

2. Types of Environmental Change

  • Natural: Caused by nature (e.g., tsunamis, cyclones).

  • Human-induced: Caused by people (e.g., deforestation, pollution).

  • Indirect: Changes from human actions over time (e.g., global warming).

  • Example: Building a dam changes river flow (human-induced).

3. What is a PQE?

  • P = Pattern: Describe overall trend (e.g., most cities on the coast).

  • Q = Quantify: Use data/stats to support (e.g., 70% near ocean).

  • E = Exception: Point out anything different (e.g., one inland city).

  • Helps explain graphs/maps clearly.

4. Environmental Change Examples

  • Natural: Earthquake → destroys coral reefs.

  • Human: Oil spill → harms marine life.

  • Impacts ecosystems: loss of biodiversity, pollution, erosion.

5. Spatial Concepts

  • Location: Where something is.

  • Scale: Local to global level.

  • Distance: Space between places.

  • Distribution: Spread of features.

  • Movement: How people/goods move.

  • Region: Area with common features.

  • Change: How things alter over time.

  • Environment: Interaction with surroundings.

6. Urban vs Rural

  • Urban: Cities, busy, jobs, infrastructure.

  • Rural: Farms, fewer services, more nature.

  • Urban growth can cause environmental issues (e.g., pollution).

🌍 Geography – Environmental Change

1. Explain absolute vs. relative location

  • Absolute: Exact coordinates (e.g., Sydney = 33.87°S, 151.21°E).

  • Relative: Location compared to another place (e.g., Sydney is northeast of Canberra).

  • Example: School’s absolute location (address) vs. relative location (near the park).

2. Explain types of distance

  • Absolute distance: Measured in units (e.g., 10 km).

  • Relative distance: Time or cost (e.g., 30 minutes’ drive).

  • Psychological distance: How far a place “feels” (e.g., overseas feels further than it is).

3. SHEEPT framework applied to environmental issue (e.g., Deforestation)

  • S = Social: Farming communities clear forests to survive.

  • P = Political: Weak laws allow illegal logging.

  • Spatial concepts: Change, Environment, Interconnection.

4. Urbanisation and challenges

  • More people → more pollution, traffic, housing stress.

  • Stress on water, transport, and waste systems.

  • Leads to environmental degradation and urban sprawl.

5. Evaluate major environmental challenge

  • Climate change is most critical:

    • Global impacts: sea levels, weather events.

    • Affects ecosystems, food supply.

    • Hard to reverse = long-term damage.

6. Compare & contrast: desert vs. coastal challenges

  • Desert: Lack of water, extreme heat, limited farming.

  • Coastal: Erosion, storms, rising sea levels.

  • Similarities: Both are climate-sensitive, vulnerable to human actions.

  • Differences: Desert = dryness; Coast = flooding risk.

7. Coastal management strategy

  • Seawalls: Stop erosion but reflect wave energy.

  • Beach replenishment: Adds sand, maintains beaches.

  • Zoning laws: Stop building near vulnerable areas.

  • dunes

  • vegetation