Climate change

• The climate has gradually cooled over the last 5.5 million years
• Over the past 2.6 million years (since the beginning of the Quaternary period) the temperature has fluctuated a lot causing glacial and warmer interglacial periods
• In recent years (since the mid 1970s) there has been a rapid rise in global temperatures
• Evidence of long term temperature changes

  • Fossil records
  • Ice cores - Amount of oxygen trapped in layer of ocean sediment and Antarctic ice
• Evidence of more recent temperature changes

  • Thermometer readings (only over the last 100 years)
  • Melting glaciers / sea ice (volume of Arctic sea ice reached a record low in 2014)
  • Rising sea levels (This is partly due to melting ice caps / glaciers but mainly due to thermal expansion – warm ocean water expanding in volume)
  • Seasonal changes (plants flowering earlier in the season and birds migration and nesting patterns changing)
• Milankovitch Cycles


  1. Eccentricity (every 100,000 years the Earth's orbit changes from almost circular to elliptical (oval) and back again)

  2. Axial tilt (every 41,000 years the tilt of the Earth's axis moves between 21.5° and 24.5° and back again - It's currently 23.5°). The greater the tilt, the more solar energy the pole facing the sun receives.

  3. Precision (every 26,000 years the Earth wobbles like a spinning top)
• Volcanic Activity


  • Volcanic ash can block out the sun, reducing temperatures in the short term
  • Sulphur dioxide forms sulphuric acid which acts like a mirror, reflecting solar radiation back into space, reducing temperatures longer term for years
• Solar Activity - Sunspots

  The sun's surface has dark patches (sunspots) and solar flares which change over an 11 year cycle. When sunspot activity is at a maximum, temperatures increase; when it is at a minimum, temperatures fall – e.g. during Europe's "Little Ice Age" at the end of 1600s
• The natural greenhouse effect keeps the Earth warm enough to support life but in recent years human activities have increased the rate of global warming
• Human causes of climate change

  • Use of fossil fuels (CO₂ from industry, power stations and transport causes approx. 60% of global warming)
  • Deforestation (burning tropical rainforest trees not only produced additional CO₂ but also stops trees from being carbon sinks, it stops them from absorbing CO₂)
  • Agriculture (Methane is produced by cattle and rice fields as well as landfill sites and sewage works. Although there's less of it than CO₂, it is more efficient, trapping more heat within the atmosphere)
• Positive impacts of climate change in the UK

  • Grow wider range of crops currently grown in warmer climates – grapes, citrus fruit
  • Less road accidents due to ice
  • Reduced heating bills
  • Longer growing season for crops
• Negative impacts of climate change in the UK

  • Coastal flooding due to sea level rise in the East
  • More extreme weather events -droughts & floods
  • Closure of Scottish ski resorts
• Negative impacts of climate change globally

  • 80 million displaced by coastal flooding due to sea level rise
  • Increase in cases of malaria and other tropical diseases (280m)
  • Increased frequency and intensity of tropical storms. Wider area affected
  • Increased demand for water in hotter summers
  • Decline in polar climate species
• Mitigation strategies to reduce climate change

  • Alternative energy production (hydroelectric power (HEP), wind, wave, solar, nuclear and tidal)
  • Carbon capture and storage (CCS)
  • Afforestation (planting trees)
  • International agreements (Paris Agreement 2015, 2019 UN Climate Action Summit, COP26)
• Adaptation strategies to respond to climate change

  • Changes in agricultural systems (Develop drought-resistant crops, Plant trees as wind-breaks and to provide shade, Change crop and livestock types, Change farming calendars and cropping patterns)
  • Managing water supply (Store water more effectively, Educate in water harvesting techniques, Develop more efficient irrigation systems)
  • Reducing risk from rising sea levels (Construct sea walls, Design and build houses on stilts, Construct artificial islands, Restore coastal mangrove swamps)
• The 3 Geography GCSE Exam Papers

  • Paper 1: Living with the Physical Environment
  • Paper 2: Challenges of the Human Environment
  • Paper 3: Geographical Application
• Paper 1: Living with the Physical Environment


  Friday 17th May 2024, 1 hour 30 mins, Worth 35% of total marks
• Paper 2: Challenges of the Human Environment

  Wednesday 5th June 2024, 1 hour 30 mins, Worth 35% of total marks
• Paper 3: Geographical Application

  Friday 14th June 2024, 1 hour 30 minutes, Worth 30% of total marks
• Paper 1: Living with the Physical Environment - Sections

  • Section A: The Challenge of Natural Hazards
  • Section B: The Living World
  • Section C: Physical Landscapes in the UK
• Section A: The Challenge of Natural Hazards

  Tectonic hazards, Weather hazards and Climate change, 33 marks, Answer all questions
• Section B: The Living World


  Ecosystems – small, local scale such as a pond and global scale- particularly Tropical Rainforests and Hot Deserts, 25 marks, Answer all questions
• Cold environments will appear as an option instead of hot deserts - CHOOSE HOT DESERTS!
• Section C: Physical Landscapes in the UK

  The UK's diverse landscape – the main upland and lowland areas, Coasts and Rivers, Answer 2 out of 3 questions: Do Q3 (Coasts) and Q4 (Rivers), Do not answer Q5 (Glaciers), 2 x 15 marks
• Don't forget to take: Calculator, Sharp pencil, Eraser, Ruler, A couple of black pens
• Natural Hazard

  A natural event that has a social impact (impact upon people). An event which has the potential to cause death or damage to property. If an event occurs and does not effect people it is not regarded a 'hazard'.
• Hazard Risk


  The chance or probability of being affected by a natural event
• Factors influencing hazard risk

  • Location
  • Scale (size of the event)
  • Population
  • Wealth (poverty)
  • Level of urbanisation
• Tectonic Hazards: How do the plates move?

  1. Convection cells turn

  2. Mantle movement results in plate movement in the crust

  3. Causes earthquake and volcanic activity
• Plate Tectonics

  The Earth's outer shell (crust) is divided into several plates that glide over the mantle. The plates move as a result of convection currents in the mantle's magma.
• Types of plate boundaries

  • Constructive – apart
  • Destructive – towards (oceanic vs continental)
  • Collision – towards (continental vs continental)
  • Conservative – side by side
• Constructive Plate Boundary (Divergent)


  Plates are moving apart (diverging), forming a gap between the plates (a vent). Convection currents cause magma to fill the gap, creating volcanoes and lava. Over time this leads to the creation of new land.
• Constructive Plate Margin - Divergent

  1. Convection cells

  2. Oceanic plate/Crust

  3. Spreading ocean ridge

  4. Direction of movement

  5. New plate forming

  6. Shield volcanoes

  7. Oldest plate/Newest plate

  8. Mantle

  9. Friction
• Destructive Plate Boundary (Convergent)

  Oceanic crust is moving towards continental crust. The oceanic crust is more dense than the continental crust and so it sinks under the continental crust where an oceanic trench forms. As the crust sinks friction occurs causing earthquakes. Eventually the oceanic crust melts in the mantle forming a magma chamber. This then causes volcanoes to occur, creating mountains such as the Andes Mountains in Peru.
• Destructive Plate Margin - Convergent

  1. Oceanic/Continental plate

  2. Direction of movement

  3. Subduction zone

  4. Friction/Earthquakes

  5. Melting oceanic plate

  6. Magma chamber/Volcano

  7. Young fold mountains

  8. Oceanic trench

  9. Mantle
• Collision Plate Boundary

  Convection currents cause two continental plates to move together (converge). As the plates move towards each other they 'fold' upwards (as they are the same density). As they fold upwards friction can cause earthquakes. Over time large mountains, called fold mountains form (e.g. Himalayas)
• Collision Plate Margin - Convergent

  1. Continental plate

  2. Direction of movement

  3. Mountain root

  4. Earthquake activity

  5. Young fold mountains

  6. Mantle
• Conservative Plate Boundary

  Convection currents are causing the plates to move side by side. Over time friction can build up and eventually, as pressure is released, earthquakes occur. The point at which the earthquake occurs in the land is called the focus. At this point seismic waves of energy are released causing the ground to shake. Directly above the focus is the epicentre – often the point of greatest destruction.
• Conservative Plate Margin - Transform

  1. Continental plate

  2. Direction of movement

  3. Where friction occurs

  4. Focus

  5. Epicentre

  6. Seismic waves
• 2 types of volcano

  • Shield volcano
  • Acid Lava and Composite Volcanoes