Draw and label a diagram to show the features and ... · Draw and label a diagram to show the features and characteristics of a destructive plate boundary. Page 3. towards continental

Draw and label a diagram to show the features and characteristics of a destructive plate boundary.

Page 3

Oceanic crust moves towards continental crust and subducts downwards

The point where the 2 plates meet and subduction occurs creates a deep ocean floor – this is an oceanic trench

In the subduction zone the plates can get stuck. Pressure builds and eventually snaps as the plates jerk free. This sends shockwaves through the crust. This will result in an earthquake.

The oceanic plate melts as it subducts into the mantle. The build-up of molten rock increases the size of the magma chamber and pressure builds.

Magma is forced up through cracks in the continental crust, resulting in a volcanic eruption.

Repeated eruptions build up the volcanic cone in layers.

Oceanic Crust Continental Crust

Volcano Earthquake Oceanic Trench

Explain how different factors can affect hazard risk Page 2

Revision Tip: Remember VCN

Vulnerability The more people that are in areas exposed to natural hazards, the greater the probability they will be affected by a natural hazard – so the hazard risk is higher. An area with a high population density living on a flood plain (like Bangladesh) is very vulnerable to flooding caused by extreme weather. Capacity to Cope Natural hazards have to affect human activities to count as a hazard. The better a population can cope with an extreme event the lower the threat. A HIC will be much more likely to be able to afford to build defences against hazards like flood defences, evacuate people and repair the damage afterwards Nature of Natural Hazard The type of hazard is important. The hazard risk from some hazards is greater than others. For example, tropical storms can be predicted, but earthquakes happen suddenly without warning. Frequency – Some natural hazards occur more often than others, increasing the hazard risk. Magnitude – The more severe natural hazards cause greater effects than less severe natural hazards. For example a large 9.0 magnitude earthquake may cause more damage than a 5.8 magnitude one.

Give a definition of the term ‘natural hazard’ and give examples of different types of natural hazard.

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A natural hazard is a natural process which could cause death, injury or disruption to humans, or destroy property and possessions. Geological hazards are caused by land and tectonic processes; volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides and avalanches. Hazards caused from below our feet. Meteorological hazards are caused by weather and climate, tropical storms, storm surges, heatwaves, drought, cold spells and floods. Hazards caused from above our heads.

Describe and explain the distribution of volcanoes and earthquakes on the map. Page 3-4.

Distribution means where something is located, or the pattern You need to address both command words to be awarded all the marks available for this question. Describe: west coast of north & south America, south east Europe, eastern Asia – especially Japan and Indonesia, around the edge of the Pacific Ocean (Pacific Ring of Fire), Iceland. You can use the names of the plates in your answer, e.g on the east of the Eurasian plate. Explain: Volcanoes and earthquakes are formed as a result of activity at the edge of plates – known as the plate margins. Volcanoes form as two plates move towards each other and magma is forced out, or 2 plates move away from each other and magma rises to fill the gap. Earthquakes are formed due to the friction between plates which have become stuck as a result of moving towards each other or sliding past each other. The pressure is released causing a snapping action, sending shockwaves through the Earth’s crust, or tension cracking as plates fracture due to 2 plates moving apart.

Compare the features and characteristics of oceanic crust with that of continental crust. Page 3.

• Continental crust is thicker (30-50km) and less dense. It does not sink and cannot be

destroyed. 4 billion years old. Mainly made from granite. • Oceanic crust is thinner (5-10km) and more dense. It can sink and be destroyed. 200

million years old. Mainly made from basalt. The key to this question if the successful addressing of the command word ‘compare’. A comparison is done within one sentence, like this: Continental crust is thicker than oceanic crust – continental crust can be up to 50km thick, whereas oceanic crust can be as thin as 5km. The ‘whereas’ word is a trigger to the examiner that you are successfully comparing. Other trigger words for comparisons are:

Compare the features and characteristics of a constructive plate margin with that of a conservative

plate margin. Page 3.

• Constructive margin: Characteristics: 2 plates move apart (usually oceanic) leaving a gap which

allows magma to rise, resulting in volcanic eruptions. Features: volcanoes, new land, ocean ridges (e.g. mid-Atlantic ridge), earthquakes as tension from plates pulling apart cause crust to fracture.

• Conservative margin: Characteristics: 2 plates slide past each other, in opposite directions, or the same direction with one plate moving paster and overtaking the other. Features: earthquakes only – nothing is created or destroyed hence name ‘conservative’ for ‘conserve’ i.e. keep as it is.

The key to this question if the successful addressing of the command word ‘compare’. A comparison is done within one sentence, like this: Plates move apart at the constructive margin, whereas plates slide past each other at the conservative margin. The ‘whereas’ word is a trigger to the examiner that you are successfully comparing. Other trigger words for comparisons are:

Explain how earthquakes are measured. Page 4.

The moment magnitude scale (also known as the Richter Scale) measures the magnitude (strength) of an earthquake by the energy released using the seismometer. Many people think that 10 is the highest, but this scale is actually open-ended. The highest recorded earthquakes have not yet exceeded 10. The scale is logarithmic, which means that each whole number increase on the scale is a ten-fold increase in power. Therefore, an earthquake measuring 8 is 10x more powerful than a 7, 100x more powerful than a 6 and 1000x more powerful than a 5 and so on…

Outline the difference between the focus and the epicentre of an earthquake.

Page 4.

The shock waves spread out from the focus – the point within the Earth where the earthquake starts. The epicentre is the point on the Earth’s surface directly above the focus.

To what extent do you think primary effects are more dangerous than secondary effects for

earthquakes or volcanic eruptions? Page 5.

You need to make it clear that you understand the difference between primary & secondary effects. Remember: • Primary effects are the immediate impacts of the ground shaking – buildings collapsing,

people injured by these buildings collapsing or falling debris, infrastructure damage such as roads, railways, bridges and ports as well as electricity, cables, gas, water pipes and communications becoming cut off.

• Secondary effects happen later on, often as a result of the primary effects – landslides and tsunamis triggered by the ground shaking, leaking gas starting fires, people die from illnesses related to homelessness e.g. hypothermia, lack of clean water encourages diseases to spread, blocked roads prevent emergency vehicles getting through to rescue people with treatable injuries, business destroyed means a rise in unemployment and downturn in economy, repairs prevent a country from developing as it spends its money on fixing earthquake damage rather than education, healthcare and other development projects.

Start your answer with ‘ a judgement – to a large extent, some extent, small extent etc. This question does not have a right or wrong answer – the marks are in the justification of your standpoint. You could also illustrate your answer with examples from the Italy and Pakistan earthquakes on page 7 of the CGP revision guide.

Use figure 1 and your own knowledge to describe the immediate and long-term responses for an earthquake or volcanic eruption. Page 5.

Make it clear to the examiner that you are using both sources of information in your answer by structuring as follows… In figure 1, I can see a search and rescue team looking for trapped people amongst the rubble of a collapsed building. This would be an immediate response because finding people would be a priority as they will need medical treatment immediately if they are to survive any injuries. From my own knowledge, other immediate responses would be to put out fires, initiate Google Crisis Response service – a disaster response tool to allow damage to be recorded and people to confirm their safety and provide temporary shelters for people whose homes have been damaged or destroyed. Long-term responses would occur weeks, months and even years after the event, for example repair or rebuild damaged buildings roads, railways and bridges, reconnect broken electricity, water gas and communications connections, improve building regulations so that buildings are more resistant to damage from earthquakes and set up initiatives to help economic recovery, e.g. promoting tourism, giving out low cost loans to people who want to start up new businesses. Long-term responses tend to be repair and recover actions, rather than life-saving actions which are immediate responses.

‘Tectonic hazards affect wealthy and less wealthy countries differently’. Discuss.

Page 7.

There is not necessarily a right or wrong answer here. You are being asked to consider how a rich country (HIC) might deal with an earthquake or volcanic eruption differently to a poorer country (NEE or LIC). Using the examples of the Italy and Pakistan earthquakes would be a good idea for this answer. You could write about how Italy’s preparation and/or response was better. Include Magic Keys as this would be a 9 mark question with 3 levels of response – L3 7-9 marks. Italy 2009 – only 300 deaths, 1500 injured, 60,000 homeless. Italy was better prepared with a rapid rescue as emergency teams and equipment on stand-by. Camps were quickly set up, mobile phones and SIM cards were given out for free, peoples’ rent, gas and electricity bills were paid for by the government. Pakistan – 80,000 deaths, 10,000+ injured, 3 million homeless. Pakistan had to wait for international rescue teams for several days and up to weeks, so villagers had to dig victims out of rubble with basic equipment, landslides blocked roads making areas inaccessible, many people did not get temporary shelters and many deaths occurred in the freezing winter that followed, disease spread due to lack of clean drinking water. The government co-ordinated a large rebuilding project, but even up to 10 years after the earthquake many people still live in temporary homes and some children still have lessons outside due to lack of school buildings that were destroyed.

Explain why people chose to live in tectonic areas. Page 8.

• Fertile soils from the ash are good for farming • Amazing scenery attract tourists and tourism is a profitable & growing industry • Useful minerals are often found in volcanic areas and many people work in mines which

extract them and industries which process them nearby • Geothermal energy using the heat from below the ground in volcanic areas creates jobs,

cheap electricity and hot water • People believe that the government and local authorities have plans that will look

after them in the event of an emergency • Many people have grown up and lived in the area all their lives – they have friends and

family there and don’t want to leave • If there has never been a major event they might become complacent, think it will never

happen to them & take the risk. Try to include specific examples for the highest marks: • Thousands of tourists visited Iceland after the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull in 2010. In

2000 just over half a million people visited Iceland, by 2014 this number had jumped to 4.4 million.

• The region around Naples in Italy is famous for vines, olives, tomatoes and citrus fruit trees grown in the fertile soils as a result from ash deposits from the eruptions of Mount Vesuvius.

To what extent can earthquakes and volcanic eruptions be predicted?

Page 8.

There are 2 parts to this answer and you need to be clear on the differences. Earthquakes – cannot be predicted with any useful degree of accuracy. Lasers can monitor the movement of tectonic plates, small tremors can be monitored to see if any patterns are emerging. As soon as an earthquake does occur a message can be sent to an app on smartphones, but it only gives a matter of seconds or a minute’s notice. Volcanoes – can be monitored and predicted with some degree of accuracy to allow useful actions to be taken such as evacuation a few hours, days or weeks before the eruption takes place. Increase in frequency and size of tremors around the volcano as magma pushes upwards Change in the shape of the crater as magma pushes upwards Change in the behaviour of springs and geysers nearby Change in the temperature of springs, geysers and rivers nearby Increase in CO2 concentrations emitted from the crater of the volcano Small eruptions of steam and ash Bulges or change in shape of the ground around the volcano and the cone of the volcano

How can planning and protection reduce the effects of tectonic hazards?

Page 8.

There are 2 parts to this answer that you need to address: Planning: Emergency supplies can be stockpiled; blankets, bottled water, food, medicines. If a natural hazard is predicted the stockpiles can be moved close to the areas likely to be affected. ‘Drop, Cover, Hold’ posters are displayed in schools and public buildings in California. They aim to educate people on what to do in an earthquake. Future developments can be planned to avoid the areas most at risk from tectonic hazards. Emergency services can train & prepare for disasters. On the 1st September Japan practices an earthquake drill as part of Disaster Prevention Day. This occurs on the anniversary of the Great Kanto earthquake in 1923, which killed 140,000 people. Governments and councils can plan evacuation routes to get large numbers of people out of dangerous areas quickly and safely. This reduces deaths by fires, pyroclastic flows and mudflows. Protection: Automatic shut-off switches can be fitted to gas and electricity supplies to prevent fires if an earthquake is detected by a monitoring system. Existing buildings and structures can be strengthened so they are less likely to collapse under the weight of falling ash or shaking from an earthquake. New buildings and structures can be made earthquake proof – rubber shock absorbers, computer controlled counter-weights on the roof and birdcage interlocking flexible frame help buildings to sway with the movement of the tremors.

How does global atmospheric circulation affect the Earth’s climate? Page 9.

The underlying principle here is that wind is created as air moves rapidly from high pressure areas to low pressure areas. This movement is curved due to the coriolis force caused by the Earth’s spin. At 0° The sun is most powerful at the equator, so the air is warmed and warm air rises.

As it rises it cools, condenses and forms clouds. These areas are warm and rainy – equatorial climate

From 0° to 30° this air movement cell is known as the Hadley Cell. At 30° The air begins to sink – high pressure. This does not allow clouds to form. These

areas have very little rainfall, but are still warm - hot desert climate As the air reaches back to the ground it can move as surface winds from high pressure

at 30° either back to low pressure at the equator as trade winds (from the NE in the northern hemisphere and from the SE in the southern hemisphere) or towards low pressure at 60° towards the poles as westerlies (as the winds blow from the west)

From 30° to 60° this air movement cell is known as the Ferrell Cell. At 60° Warm surface winds meet cold air from the poles, the warm air is less dense so it

rises, creating low pressure – air rises, cools and condenses to form clouds. These areas are cooler and rainy – temperate climates.

At 90° The cool air sinks back down – high pressure. This does not allow clouds to form. These areas have very little rainfall and are cold - cold deserts polar climate

The movement of surface winds from high pressure at the poles to low pressure at 60° is known as polar easterlies (as the winds blow from the east)

From 60° to 90° this air movement cell is known as the Polar Cell.

Explain the formation of a tropical storm. Page 10.

A strong upward movement of air draws water vapour up from the warm (27⁰C+) ocean

surface. The evaporated air cools as it rises and condenses to form towering thunderstorm clouds. As the air condenses it releases heat which powers the storm and draws up more and

more water from the ocean. Several smaller thunderstorms join together to form a giant storm. The Earth’s rotation

deflects the paths of the winds, which causes the storms to spin. The effect of the Earth’s rotation is called the Coriolis effect.

When the surface winds reach an average of 75 mph the storm officially becomes a tropical storm.

The tropical storm develops an eye at its centre where air descends rapidly. The outer edge of the eye is the eye wall where the most weather conditions of strong winds and heavy rain are felt.

As the tropical storm is carried across the ocean by the prevailing winds, it continues to gather strength.

On reaching land the tropical storm’s energy supply (warm evaporated water) is cut off. Friction with the land slows it down and the tropical storm begins to weaken.

Draw and label a diagram to show the structure of a tropical storm. Page 10.

The ‘eye’ of the storm can be up to 50km across. There is very low pressure, light winds,

no clouds, no rain and high temperatures. A The eye wall is typically 10-25km from the eye. Towering cumulonimbus clouds reach

20km up into the troposphere. The winds are strongest here (around 160km per hour), there is torrential rain & a low temperature. B

Towards the edges of the storm the wind speed falls, the bands of clouds become smaller and more scattered. The rain becomes less intense and temperature increases. C

In some areas there is weak convection and air can sink. D A gentle outflow of air spirals away from the top of the eye. E Sinking air in the eye. F

Describe the distribution of tropical storms.

Distribution means where something is located, or the pattern Located between 0° to 30° north and south of the equator, although none actually on the

equator. Found over areas of water; seas and oceans rather than land Hurricanes found off the coast of the northern part of South America, central America,

southern part of North America – both over the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

Tropical Cyclones in the Indian Ocean – Madagascar, India and the eastern Pacific off the coast of Indonesia and northern Australia,

Typhoons in the Pacific Ocean towards Japan and China

How might climate change affect tropical storms? Page 10.

More Storms: Global temperatures will rise, so ocean temperatures will rise making more areas of water 27°C+ so more parts of the seas and oceans will be warm enough for tropical storms to form

Storms throughout the year: Oceans will stay at 27°C+ for longer, so tropical storms will happen for longer within a year

Stronger Storms: Higher temperatures will make tropical storms stronger, so there will be more Category 4 and 5 storms – the strongest on the Saffir-Simpson Scale.

Describe the primary effects and secondary effects of tropical storms.

Page 11.

• Primary effects are the immediate impacts of the storm – buildings destroyed, rivers

and coastal areas flooded, people drown or injured/killed by flying debris blown by the high winds, roads, railways, ports and airports damaged, electricity cables damaged, cutting off supplies, sewage overflows due to flooding contaminate water.

• Secondary effects happen later on, often as a result of the primary effects –people die from illnesses related to homelessness e.g. hypothermia, lack of clean water encourages diseases to spread, blocked roads prevent emergency vehicles getting through to rescue people with treatable injuries, business destroyed means a rise in unemployment and downturn in economy, repairs prevent a country from developing as it spends its money on fixing storm and flood damage rather than education, healthcare and other development projects, shortages of food if crops are damaged, livestock killed or supply lines blocked.

Use an example to describe the effects and responses of a tropical storm.

Page 12.

A question like this is likely to be a 9 marker. This is all about Magic Keys for L3’s (7-9 marks) Hurricane Katrina – imagine the examiner covered this over – the facts below would still let the examiner know which tropical storm you are writing about as they are so specific. Effects: 1800 killed, 300,000 homes destroyed, 80% New Orleans flooded, 3 million left without electricity, The Frank Davis Memorial Bridge on the I-10 road collapsed into Lake Pontchartrain, Coastal habitats were damaged and 85% of the marshland area in the Chandeleur Islands was destroyed, 230,000 jobs lost from damaged buildings, $150 billion total cost of damage. Responses: 80% New Orleans evacuated before storm hit, Mississippi and Louisiana declared states of emergency – they set up control centres, emergency shelters and stockpiled supplies. The coastguard, police, fire service and army rescued over 50,000 people. Charities collected donations and provided aid - The Salvation army served 5.7 million hot meals. The US Army recommended that buildings are rebuilt on stilts or not rebuilt at all in very low-lying areas. Repaired and improved flood defences for New Orleans were completed in 2013 at a cost of $14.5 billion.

You only need 2-3 specific facts to access L3 marks.

Assess which is most important when reducing the effects of tropical storms; prediction, planning or

protection. Page 12.

Assess is asking you to make a judgment or decision. The best answers will rank prediction, planning and protection in order of what is most important and you should do this clearly in your answer. Prediction: Forecasting where and when a tropical storm will strike, so that preparation and evacuation can take place; radar, satellites and aircraft can monitor storms. Computer models can predict the path of the storm so that people can board up their windows, prepare their properties and evacuate if necessary. Planning: Training emergency services and the public so they know the procedures and plans to follow in the event of a tropical storm. Evacuation routes can be planned and signposted, stockpiles of supplies can be stored in warehouses on the edge of major built-up areas. Protection: Building to an appropriate standard and using designs to withstand winds and flood waters. Houses on stilts, flood defences such as levees and sea walls can all reduce the likelihood of damage.

There is no right or wrong answer. This is asking for your judgement, so the mark is not in your choice of answer, but in your reasoning and explanation.

Outline how weather hazards experienced by the UK can cause problems for people.

Page 13.

Fog, Thunderstorms, Hailstorms, Drought, Rain, Heat Waves, Snow & Ice, Wind

Rain: Too much in too short a time can cause flooding, which can damage homes and possessions, disrupt transport networks and cause death by drowning. It can cause businesses to close and recovering from flooding can cost millions of pounds. Snow & Ice: This can cause injuries and fatalities due to road traffic accidents, slipping and deaths due to cold. Schools and businesses can be forced to shut and major disruption to road, rail and air travel can causes economic impacts. Unseasonal cold snaps can damage crops and other plants. Drought: This is a lack of precipitation – not enough rain or snow. Water supplies can run low during a drought, causing economic impacts such as crop failures. Rules to conserve water, such as hosepipe bans, have to be introduced. Wind: This can damage properties and cause disruption to transport. Uprooted trees and debris can injure and even kill people. Forests can be damaged when trees are blown over. Coastal areas tend to experience the strongest, especially on the west coast and in upland areas.

Give evidence to support the case that weather in the UK is becoming more extreme.

Page 13.

Your answer needs actual events and data. You need to get across the idea that these are all recent and have taken place within the last 20 years. The UK recorded its highest temperature ever 0f 38.5⁰C in Faversham, Kent on 10th August 2003. Over 2000 people died in the weeks during the heat wave. Railways tracks buckled and in places the tarmac on the roads melted!

In June & July of 2007 13 people were killed and many left homeless as summer floods affected large parts of the county – especially Hull, Sheffield and Gloucestershire. It was Britain’s wettest May-July since records began in 1776.

On the 1st February 2009 the south of England experienced the heaviest snow in 18 years. 20cm fell on London.

In November 2009 the town of Cockermouth in Cumbria was devastated by floods. Record rainfall amounts fell in November in the Lake District.

Between 25th November and 26th December 2010 most of the UK was hit by heavy snowfalls. Northern Ireland recorded a record low temperature of -18.7⁰C at Castlederg.

Describe the impacts of an extreme weather event in the UK. Page 14.

Extreme Cold Snap 2010

Social: 19 people died - mainly from hypothermia or road traffic accidents during the month-long spell of cold weather. Lots of water pipes froze in the cold weather and burst. When they thawed the pipes started to leak. 400,000 homes & businesses across Northern Ireland were left without water, in some cases for over a week. Economic: The frost damaged crops, especially sugar beet. Transport networks were severely disrupted. Some motorways were shut, e.g. the M8 was closed for 2 days. Some drivers were trapped in their cars for 15 hours. Trains and flights were also cancelled. Schools closed on several occasions, including 7000 schools on 2 December, meaning parents had to take time off work to look after their children. Due to school closures and blocked roads many people were unable to get to work and this affected the UK’s economy. The run up to Christmas is usually a busy time for shops, however at the end of 2010 footfall was down by 20% as shoppers were put off by the weather and stayed at home. The overall economic impact of the cold period was around £1.6 billion – enough to reduce the UK’s GDP by about 0.5%. Environmental: Snow covered almost all of the UK on several occasions – to a depth of over 50cm in some hilly locations. People turned up their heating - use of gas and electricity was more than double a normal December, increasing CO2 emissions.

Magic Keys for L3’s needed for this answer

Use figure 1 and your own knowledge to describe how management strategies can reduce the risk of

extreme weather in the UK. Page 14.

Make it clear to the examiner that you are using both sources of information in your answer by structuring as follows… Figure 1, shows how prediction can help. There is a Met Office weather warning map which has been broadcast by the BBC possibly on the television and internet. This allows people to prepare on the days shown according to the risk. For example the risk to life area likely in Scotland may mean that schools are closed on 28 February and 1 March to ensure people stay at home and do not travel in the snowy conditions. From my own knowledge, protection can help local authorities prepare before the weather hits, for example stocking up on grit and salt and sending gritters and snow ploughs onto the roads. Planning can help emergency services and local councils if they know there is a risk in advance, for example calling in extra workers to be on duty, closing schools in advance of any extreme weather.

Describe the Earth’s climate in the Quaternary period. Page 15.

Fluctuating between cold glacial periods and warm interglacials. 5 cold glacial periods 5 warm interglacials. Each glacial period lasts for about 100,000 years Interglacial lasts for around 10,000 years

Outline how this graph suggests that the Earth’s climate is getting warmer.

It’s a graph – so use data in your answer! CO2 levels (parts per million) fluctuate between 180 and 300 in the last 400,000 years. From 1950 the levels increase rapidly/soar to over 380 parts per million. CO2 levels are linked to climate change because CO2 is a greenhouse gas. As CO2 becomes more concentrated in the atmosphere more heat radiation will be trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere resulting in a warming climate.

Give sources of evidence for climate change. Page 15.

Note the plural in ‘sources’ – this tells you that more than one is needed. Ice Cores - sheets are made up of layers of ice – one layer is formed each year. Scientists drill into ice sheets to get long cores of ice. By analysing the gases trapped in the layers of ice, scientists can tell what the temperature was each year. One ice core from Antarctica can show temperature change over the last 400,000 years. Sediment Cores - the remains of organisms found in cores taken from ocean sediments can also be analysed. These can extend the temperature record back to at least 5 million years. Temperature Records - global temperatures have been measured accurately using thermometers since the 1800’s. This gives a reliable, but short-term record of temperature change. Tree Rings - as a tree grows it forms a new ring each year – the rings are thicker in warm, wet conditions. Scientists count the rings to find the age of a tree. The thickness of each ring shows what the climate was like. Tree rings are a reliable source of evidence of climate change for the past 10,000 years.

Outline how natural factors cause climate change. Page 16.

Note the plural in ‘sources’ – this tells you that more than one is needed. The way the Earth moves around the sun changes. The path of the Earth’s orbit changes from a perfect circle to an ellipse (oval) and back again about every 100,000 years. When the earth has an elliptical orbit, the climate is warmer because it gets closer to the sun and receives more solar radiation. Orbital Changes probably caused the glacial and interglacial cycles of the Quaternary Period. Major volcanic eruptions eject large quantities of material into the atmosphere. Some of these particles reflect the sun’s rays back out into space, so the Earth’s surface cools. Volcanoes also release CO2 but not enough to cause warming. Eruptions can cause short-term cooling, like that seen after the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815 and Mount Pinatubo in 1991. The sun’s output energy isn’t constant – it changes in cycles of about 11 years, and possibly longer cycles of several hundred years. Periods when solar output is reduced may cause the Earth’s climate to become cooler. Most scientists agree that solar output only has a minimal effect on global climate change.

Outline how humans cause climate change. Page 16.

Note the plural in ‘sources’ – this tells you that more than one is needed. Farming Rearing livestock produces a lot of methane – cows love to fart. Rice paddies contribute to global warming because flooded fields produce methane. Burning Fossil Fuels CO2 is released into the atmosphere when we burn coal, oil, natural gas and petrol. The most common activity is in power stations and vehicles. Deforestation Plants remove CO2 from the atmosphere and convert it into organic matter using photosynthesis. When trees are chopped down they stop taking in CO2. CO2 is released into the atmosphere when trees are burnt as fuel or to make way for agriculture. Cement Production This is made from limestone, which contains carbon. When this is produced lots of CO2 is released into the atmosphere.

Use figure 1 & your own knowledge to describe the impacts of climate change on the environment. P17.

Make it clear to the examiner that you are using both sources of information in your answer by structuring as follows… Figure 1, shows that corals are becoming damaged, this is because of bleaching caused by warmer sea temperatures. Changing rain patterns will mean that some areas may experience too much rain and flooding, while other areas receive less rain and suffer from droughts. From my own knowledge, I know that rising sea levels are causing some coastal areas to flood, for example the Maldives in the Indian Ocean. Melting of ice on land in Greenland and Antarctica is causing freshwater to be returned to the oceans and contributing to sea levels rising.

‘Africa is more vulnerable to climate change than any other region on the planet’.

To what extent do you agree with this statement? Page 17.

Start your answer with a judgement, eg. To a large extent, some extent, small extent. This question does not have a right or wrong answer – the marks are in the justification of your standpoint. This would be a 9 mark question. To get L3 7-9 marks you would need to include: • Information from the source • Examples of other places in the world suffering from impacts of climate change • The idea that everywhere in the world suffers from the effects of climate change • The idea that Africa struggles to prepare for and cope with the effects of climate change Lower crop yields could increase malnutrition, ill health and death from starvation – especially in the equatorial and tropical regions. Climate change is seeing more extreme weather. This means more money is having to be spent on predicting extreme weather, reducing their impacts and rebuilding after they have caused damage and destruction. Some areas are becoming so hot and dry that it is no longer possible to live there. At the same time floods in low-lying areas are becoming increasingly common. This is forcing migration and the areas where people are moving to are becoming overcrowded. Changing rainfall patterns are creating water supply problems. This can lead to political tensions, especially where rivers and reservoirs are on the borders of countries.

How might people mitigate against climate change? Page 18

Replacing fossil fuels with nuclear power and renewable energy can help reduce climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from power stations. In the UK, more offshore wind farms are being built, several wave and tidal power projects are planned, as well as more nuclear power plants. International Agreements: From 1997 most countries in the world agreed to monitor and cut greenhouse gas emissions by signing the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol set each country a target. The UK agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5% by 2012. The UK met the target, actually reducing emissions by 22%. The EU has now agreed to cut emissions by 20% from their 1990 levels by 2020. Carbon Capture and Storage, known as CCS is a new technology designed to reduce climate change by reducing emissions from fossil fuel burning at power stations. CCS involves capturing CO2 and transporting it to places where it can be stored safely, e.g. underground. Planting trees increases the amount of carbon dioxide that is absorbed from the atmosphere through photosynthesis.

Evaluate the best strategy to manage climate change; mitigation or adaptation.

Page 18.

There is no right or wrong answer here – the marks are in the justification. Mitigation is the belief that we can still prevent climate change by reducing the causes, whereas adaptation is accepting that climate change is going to happen and people will need to adjust to it by changing the way we live: Mitigation: Replacing fossil fuels, International Agreements, Carbon Capture and Storage, Planting trees. Adaptation: Changing agricultural systems, managing water supply, coping with rising sea levels. You need to show you understand and can explain examples of both mitigation and adaptation. You need to show that you can make a decision as to which strategy would be the best and explain why.