Pre-Exam Cram

Question 1

Define groundwater flow.

Answer 1

Groundwater flow is the process by which water moves via pores in rocks and the upper soil layer.

Question 2

Define throughfall.

Answer 2

Throughfall is the flow of water through leaves and foliage onto the ground.

Question 3

Define channel flow and storage.

Answer 3

This is where water moves through and is stored in the river channel.

Question 4

What is human sequestration?

Answer 4

Human sequestration = carbon within factories -> utilises carbon capture and storage (CCS)

Question 5

What is natural sequestration?

Answer 5

Natural sequestration = plants capturing carbon in its vegetation during photosynthesis
Also sequestrated within rocks via geological processes (compression)

Question 6

What is hydrocarbon fuel extraction and burning?

Answer 6

Hydrocarbon fuel extraction and burning: carbon locked within lithosphere -> due to carbon entering oceans and phytoplankton -> which has been compressed into oil and gas -> which is then extracted/burnt by humans.

Question 7

What is wave quarrying?

Answer 7

Wave quarrying is the process by which water englarges joints via vibration (due to high-intensity waves)

Question 8

What is corrasion?

Answer 8

Corrasion is similar to attrition, in that it throws rocks at the face of the cliff.

Question 9

What is cavitation?

Answer 9

Cavitation is the compression of air into joints -> ‘fizzing’ occurs which enlarges fisses within joints.

Question 10

What are compound spits?

Answer 10

Compound spits are spits that have recurved ‘spurs’ along its joints -> these spurs can then become whole spits via long-term deposition

Question 11

What are offshore bars?

Answer 11

Offshore bars are ridges of sand/shingle that runs parallel to the coast across the offshore zone => due to deposition (eg low-energy waves, breakage of waves) -> useful for dredging and beach nourishment.

Question 12

What are bars/barrier beaches?

Answer 12

Bars/barrier beaches are ridges of sand across a bay, connected to the land on both sides -> a lagoon forms behind -> eg Start Bay in Devon (drift-aligned coasts)

Question 13

What are tombolos?

Answer 13

Tombolos are ridges of sand/bars connecting and offshore island with the mainland -> drift-aligned coasts via a spit

Question 14

What are cuspate forelands?

Answer 14

Cuspate forelands = Low-lying triangular shaped headlands that extend from the shoreline -> due to deposited sediment -> via LSD at the boundary of sediment cells -> therefore there are 2 currents supplying LSD

Question 15

What are marine platforms?

Answer 15

Wave-cut (marine) okatfirn = eroded at cliff base causing cliffs to retreat.

Question 16

What is the ICZM approach?

Answer 16

ICZM => Holistic long-term strategy, which works with the entirety of a coast -> recognises the sustainability and important -> within sediment cells -> SMP’s are created across the sub-cells

Question 17

What is risk-sharing, as a response to hazards?

Answer 17

Risk-sharing => Insurance to ensure cost of a hazard is spread across parties

Question 18

What are the layers found within the earth + its composition?

Answer 18

-> Inner core + Outer core => made up of iron + nickel (outer is more liquid)
-> Mantle => made up asthenosphere (bottom layer) and the lithosphere (top layer)
-> Crust => oceanic (denser) and continental (less dense)

Question 19

What are the different types of tectonic movement?

Answer 19

Tectonic movements:
-> Slab pull (plate motion driven by oceanic plate sinking into mantle at trenches
->Gravitational sliding (slope created when gravity pushes plates away, widening a gap -> under gravitational influence)
->Magma plumes (driving force of plate movement - hotspots form above them)

Question 20

What is the plate tectonic theory?

Answer 20

->Continental drift/Jigsaw fit
->Fossils
->Similar geology composition in different places

Question 21

What are ocean trenches?

Answer 21

Ocean trenches = deep water areas at destructive plate margins -> a volcanic island arc can sometimes be found between the trench and continental plate

Question 22

What are mid-ocean ridges?

Answer 22

Mid-ocean ridges = long mountain ridges created at a divergent boundary -> eg Mid-Atlantic ridge (balsaltic flow)

Question 23

What are fold mountains?

Answer 23

Fold mountains = large mountain ranges where layers of rock within them has been crumpled at destructive and collision boundaries (plates of equal density)

Question 24

Contrast composite and shield volcanoes

Answer 24

->Composite volcanoes => Andesitic flow, high sillica content, viscous, alternating layers of ash and lava
->Shield volcanoes = Balsaltic lava, low sillica content, less viscous, layers of solidified lava

Question 25

What are rift valleys?

Answer 25

Rift valleys => where composite volcanoes are formed as lithosphere thinning and so magma rises

Question 26

Key characteristics of Hurricane Katrina.

Answer 26

Hurricane Katrina:
-2005, New Orleans
-$125bn damages
-Due to low pressure system over the Atlantic Ocean
-Category 5
->Flaws in flood engineering
->Evacuation to superdome stadium - some poorer people remained at their homes
-6 metre storm surges
-80% flooded
->Almost 2k deaths
-$50bn in aid
->Law restored after as looting increased after the hazard

Question 27

What are the primary hazards of volcanoes?

Answer 27

Primary Hazards:
->Lava flow
->Pyroclastic flow/Nuees Ardentes (dense clouds of ash and gas that flow down volcanoes)
->Ash fall (ash particles and tephra falling down - kills vegetation, building collapse, water source contamination
->Gas eruptions (CO2 + Sulphur dioxide)

Question 28

What are secondary hazards of volcanic eruptions?

Answer 28

Secondary hazard:
->Mudflow -> rainfall mobilises volcanic ash and then moves at fast speeds