Geography for exam

Question 1

What are ecosystem services?

Answer 1

The benefits humans derive from healthy ecosystems

Question 2

What are the four classifications of ecosystem services

Answer 2

Sources, sinks, services and spirituality

Question 3

Sources + Example

Answer 3

Natural products used or converted by humans E.g. turning coal into fuel

Question 4

Sinks + Example

Answer 4

Natural processes that absorb waste E.g. micro-organisms in the ocean breaking down oil spills

Question 5

Services + Example

Answer 5

Things done by the natural environment that don’t produce consumable resources E.g. forests absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen

Question 6

Spirituality + Example

Answer 6

Personal relationships humans have with the environment E.g. Indigenous Australian’s connection with the land

Question 7

What is renewable energy

Answer 7

Naturally replenishing resources used to produce energy which reduces fossil fuel reliance

Question 8

What are the 6 renewable energy sources

Answer 8

Solar, hydro, wind, tidal, geothermal and biomass

Question 9

Example of solar energy

Answer 9

Harnessing sun’s energy

Question 10

Example of hydro energy

Answer 10

Force of flowing water

Question 11

Example of wind energy

Answer 11

Wind turbines convert kinetic energy to electricity

Question 12

Example of tidal energy

Answer 12

Tides, waves, temperature differences

Question 13

Example of geothermal energy

Answer 13

Extracting heat from within Earth

Question 14

Example of biomass energy

Answer 14

Burning organic matter

Question 15

Where do scientists find evidence of past climates?

Answer 15

Tree rings, ice cores and historical records. They can add these to more recent direct measurements of temperature and CO2 data to build a record of climate change.

Question 16

What is the enhanced greenhouse effect

Answer 16

Recently human activities have emitted CO2, methane and nitrous oxide; these gasses trap additional heat in the atmosphere, causing rising temperatures

Question 17

What are the main source of CO2, the most dangerous greenhouse gas?

Answer 17

Burning fossil fuels for transport, industry and homes (about 75%)
Farming and land use change (deforestation).

Question 18

What are the impacts of climate change on people?

Answer 18

Changes to food and water supplies, impacts on health and economies, increases in migration and conflict

Question 19

What are the impacts of climate change on ecosystems?

Answer 19

Changing weather patterns, melting ice sheets and glaciers, warming seas and sea level rise, loss of ecosystem

Question 20

What are the four natural causes of climate change?

Answer 20

Sunspots, Milankovitch cycle, volcanic eruptions and asteroid strikes

Question 21

Sunspots

Answer 21

Areas that appear darker on the surface of the sun, Affects Earth’s climate, More sunspots = more radiation

Question 22

Milankovitch cycle

Answer 22

At times Earth’s orbit becomes more oval, the angle of its axis changes and Earth can wobble on its axis: the Milankovitch cycle, Results in changes to the amount of solar radiation reaching Earth, causing warmer and cooler periods e.g ice age

Question 23

Volcanic Eruptions

Answer 23

Some very large volcanic eruptions send ash and gasses high into the atmosphere, where they can spread around the world, They scatter and reflect solar radiation back into space, cooling climate, E.g. The eruption of Tambora in 1815

Question 24

Asteroid strikes

Answer 24

catastrophic global impact by ejecting massive amounts of particles into the atmosphere, by reducing the incoming solar radiation and causing global cooling, E.g. Asteroid strike that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago

Question 25

Land Degradation

Answer 25

The loss of productivity in land-based environments

Question 26

How does land degradation contribute to climate change?

Answer 26

It stores less carbon than natural covers

Question 27

What are the three types of land degradation?

Answer 27

Soil degradation, soil erosion and ecosystem decline

Question 28

Soil degradation

Answer 28

Loss of fertility due to chemical damage

Question 29

Soil Erosion

Answer 29

Soil worn away by rivers, rain, waves, glaciers and win, accelerated by tree cleaning from farming

Question 30

Ecosystem declines

Answer 30

Natural ecosystems (forest and streams) become degraded. Causes: Vegetation loss, invasive species, stream quality decline

Question 31

Atmospheric degradation

Answer 31

Atmosphere is being degraded by pollutants such as carbon, nitrogen and sulphur from factories and transport

Question 32

What does atmospheric degradation result in?

Answer 32

Changes to the natural balance of gases, reduction of forest cover due to deforestation, Rise in global temperature and changes to the climate

Question 33

What is air pollution?

Answer 33

Contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical or gas that changes the natural characteristics of the atmosphere.

Question 34

What is air pollution from?

Answer 34

Rapid population growth, city expansion and cheapest fuels and most reliable are fossil fuels

Question 35

Ozone layer

Answer 35

The region 10km above Earth's surface, shields Earth from sun's ultraviolet rays

Question 36

Water pollution

Answer 36

Human activities have reduced the quality and quantity of fresh water services

Question 37

What is the highest demand for fresh water?

Answer 37

Irrigating farms to grow food

Question 38

What activities degrade water sources?

Answer 38

Extracting water from rivers and aquafers, Damming rivers, Disruption of the flow of water, Flood control, Water pollutants

Question 39

What are the effects of water degradation?

Answer 39

Deterioration of water health, Disrupts provision of fresh water, Decrease fertile soil and food production, Degraded coastal ecosystems as fewer nutrients reach river mouth

Question 40

What are pollutants in our water?

Answer 40

Contamination of rivers, lakes, wetlands, estuaries, seas and oceans

Question 41

What are causes of water pollutants?

Answer 41

Use of fertilisers and pesticides in farming, Littering and land fill, Clearing land, Processing sewage, Industrial activities: Shipping, fishing and oil drilling

Question 42

What are the effects of water pollutants?

Answer 42

Lose access to safe and clean drinking water, marine animals slowly killed or decline in health

Question 43

What is the difference between the greenhouse effect and the enhanced greenhouse effect?

Answer 43

Greenhouse effect - Natural process, the Earth traps some heat from the sun to provide warmth Enhanced greenhouse effect - From humans, as they release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, these absorb more radiation so less is lost into space, causing global warming

Question 44

Sustainability

Answer 44

The act of maintaining resources so it is available for future generations