Geog paper 1

• Natural hazard


  A natural process that can cause death, injury, or disruption to humans, property, or possessions
• Types of natural hazards

  • Tectonic (e.g. earthquakes)
  • Geological (e.g. landslides)
  • Atmospheric (e.g. hurricanes)
• Earth's layers


  • Crust (5-10 km thick, several large tectonic plates)
  • Mantle (2,900 km thick, hot and liquid rock)
  • Outer core (molten)
  • Inner core (solid, very dense)
• Convection currents in the Earth

  1. Radioactive decay generates heat

  2. Heat causes magma to rise

  3. Magma cools and sinks

  4. Circular convection current is formed
• Types of plate boundaries

  • Destructive (crust is destroyed, subduction)
  • Constructive (new crust is formed, plates pull apart)
  • Conservative (plates slide past each other)
• Earthquake focus


  Point where energy is initially released
• Earthquake epicenter


  Point directly above the focus on the Earth's surface
• Seismic waves


  Waves of energy that radiate outwards from the earthquake focus
• Earthquake management strategies


  • Earthquake-resistant buildings
  • Increasing public awareness and education
  • Improving earthquake prediction
• Volcanic hazards


  • Ash clouds
  • Lahars (fast-flowing mud)
  • Pyroclastic flows (superheated gas)
• Wealthier countries


  Better able to respond to and manage volcanic hazards
• Global atmospheric circulation


  System of cells (Hadley, Ferrel, Polar) that drive global wind and weather patterns
• Winds always blow from high pressure to low pressure
• Tropical storms have different names in different parts of the world
• Atmospheric circulation at the equator

  1. Sun heats ground

  2. Hot air rises

  3. Air cools and sinks

  4. Heated air rises again
• Low pressure


  Caused by hot air rising, leads to stormy, cloudy weather
• High pressure


  Caused by cold air sinking, leads to clear, calm weather
• Winds always blow from high to low pressure
• Tropical storm formation


  1. Sun heats large area of ocean, creating warm moist air and low pressure

  2. Air is sucked in, trade winds blow in opposite direction, Coriolis effect causes spinning

  3. Storm gathers speed, normally faster than 74 mph

  4. More cool air sinks in center, creating calm 'eye' of storm

  5. Storm loses energy when it hits land and loses water source

  6. Damage and effects occur
• Increase in ocean temperatures

  Increase in frequency of tropical storms
• Tropical storm management


  • Aid planning
  • Prediction
  • Educating people
• Tropical storm effects


  • Intense winds damaging buildings
  • High season flooding, people left homeless
  • Crop damage
• Typhoon Haiyan was a category 5 super typhoon that hit the Philippines in 2013, causing 6,500 deaths and 130,000 homes destroyed
• 190 million pounds in aid was issued for Typhoon Haiyan, and long-term typhoon preparedness education was provided
• Evidence of climate change

  • Global temperature rise of 0.9°C since 1950
  • Arctic sea ice decline of 10% in 30 years
  • Sea level rise of 10-20cm in 100 years
• Natural causes of climate change

  • Orbital changes
  • Sunspot activity
  • Volcanic eruptions
• Climate change management


  • Carbon capture technology
  • Tree planting
  • International agreements like COP26
  • Renewable energy
• The Cumbrian floods in the UK in 2015 had record heavy rainfall for 36 hours, causing 1,500 homes to be flooded
• Cumbrian floods management


  • New flood embankments
  • Floodplain zoning
  • Improved flood warnings
• Biotic


  Living components of an ecosystem
• Abiotic


  Non-living components of an ecosystem
• Food webs and chains show the interactions between biotic components
• Energy is lost at each trophic level in a food chain due to respiration, excretion, and movement
• Nutrient cycle

  1. Biomass layer (plants)

  2. Litter layer

  3. Decomposition

  4. Nutrients returned to soil
• Tropical rainforests cover 2% of Earth's surface but contain over 50% of its plant and animal species
• Interdependence


  When two organisms are mutually reliant on each other
• Tropical rainforests are found centered around the equator
• Climate graph


  Shows average monthly rainfall (bars) and temperature (line)
• Layers of tropical rainforest

  • Emergent layer
  • Canopy layer
  • Understory layer
  • Forest floor
• Epping Forest in the UK is a Site of Special Scientific Interest that is actively managed for conservation