Geo Paper 1

• Topics in paper one


  • Natural hazards
  • Living world
  • Physical landscapes
• 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 (5-10km thick, several large tectonic plates)
  • Mantle (2900km thick, hot and liquid rock)
  • Outer core (molten iron and nickel)
  • Inner core (solid iron and nickel, 5000 degrees)
• Convection currents


  1. Radioactive decay generates heat

  2. Heat causes magma to rise

  3. Magma cools and sinks

  4. Circular movement creates drag on tectonic plates
• Plate boundaries


  • Destructive (crust destroyed, earthquakes and volcanoes)
  • Constructive (new crust created, volcanoes)
  • Conservative (plates slide past, earthquakes)
• Focus


  Point where earthquake energy is initially released
• Epicenter


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


  Energy radiating outwards from the focus
• Earthquake management


  • Earthquake resistant buildings
  • Increase public awareness and education
  • Improve prediction and monitoring
• Earthquake case studies


  • Gorkha earthquake, Nepal 2015
  • Tohoku earthquake, Japan 2011
• Primary effects


  Immediate impacts of an earthquake
• Secondary effects


  Longer-term impacts of an earthquake
• Ash cloud


  Cloud of volcanic ash ejected into the atmosphere
• Lahar


  Fast-flowing mud flow from a volcano
• Pyroclastic flow


  Superheated gas and rock from a volcano
• Wealthier countries


  Better able to respond to volcanic hazards
• Global atmospheric circulation cells


  • Hadley cell
  • Ferrel cell
  • Polar cell
• Low pressure


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


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


  Have different names in different parts of the world (e.g. hurricane, typhoon, cyclone)
• Tropical storm formation


  1. Sun heats large area of ocean

  2. Warm, moist air creates low pressure

  3. Trade winds blow in opposite direction

  4. Coriolis effect causes spinning

  5. Storm gathers speed, over 74 mph

  6. Cool air sinks in center, creating calm eye
• Tropical storm hits land

  Loses energy source, runs out of energy
• Increase in ocean temperatures

  Increase in frequency of tropical storms
• Management of tropical storms


  • Aid planning
  • Prediction
  • Educating people
• Primary and secondary effects of tropical storms


  • Intense winds damage buildings
  • High season flooding, people left homeless
  • Crops damaged
• Typhoon Haiyan was a category 5 super typhoon that hit in 2013, causing 6,500 deaths and 130,000 homes destroyed
• Evidence for climate change

  • Global temperatures risen 0.9°C since 1950
  • Arctic sea ice declined 10% in 30 years
  • Sea levels risen 10-20cm in 100 years
• Natural causes of climate change

  • Orbital changes
  • Sunspots
  • Volcanic eruptions
• Actions to manage climate change


  • Carbon capture technology
  • Tree planting
  • International agreements (e.g. COP26)
  • Renewable energy
• Cumbrian floods had record heavy rainfall for 36 hours, causing 1,500 homes to be flooded
• Management of Cumbrian floods included new embankments, floodplain zoning, and improved flood warnings
• Abiotic


  Non-living components of an ecosystem
• Biotic


  Living components of an ecosystem (flora and fauna)
• Removing one species from an ecosystem


  Can disrupt the food web/chain
• Nutrient cycle


  The cycling of nutrients through the ecosystem via processes like litter fall, decomposition, and uptake by plants
• Tropical rainforests cover 2% of Earth's surface but contain over 50% of its plant and animal species
• Interdependence


  When two organisms rely on each other mutually
• Tropical rainforest climate


  • High temperatures (around 32°C) and high, year-round rainfall