Download Tips for success

 Tips for success 
MAKE SURE YOU KNOW & UNDERSTAND THE FOLLOWING:
Definition of weathering
The breakdown of rocks by actions of the weather, plants and animals
Be able to draw and label a diagram of freeze-thaw weathering
An understanding of onion skin, biological and chemical weathering
Onion skin
Happens when rock is
repeatedly heated and
cooled. As the rock heats
up it expands and as it
cools it contracts. This
weakens the rock and
eventually it peels off.
Biological
Seeds blow into a crack
Crack gives moisture and
shelter
Tree/ plant grows
Roots break up rocks
Chemical
Occurs when the small
amounts of acid in
rainwater dissolve rock. It
mostly occurs in warm and
wet climates
Definition of erosion - The wearing away of rock
4 types of erosion
Sea
River
Ice
Wind
River key terms e.g. source / watershed etc
A watershed
The source
River basin
Tributary
Channel
is an area of highland forming the edge of a river basin
is where a river begins
is an area of land drained by a river and its tributaries
is a stream or small river flowing into a main river
is where the river flows
Mouth
River banks
is where the river flows into a lake or sea
The sides of a river
River bed
Load
The bottom of a river
Material carried by a river
Tributary
Channel
Source
River basin
Mouth
Watershed
Label a waterfall
Overhang
Plunge Pool
Waterfall
retreats
Hard rock
Eroded
material
Soft rock
Undercutting
What happens at a meander (river bend)
Inside
Slowest flow
Shallow water
Deposition
Gentle slope
Outside
Fastest flow
Deep water
Erosion
River cliff
Causes of flooding
Factors that increase the chance of flooding
Human
Physical
Deforestation
Rock soil and type
Urbanisation
Very wet soil
Very dry soil
How urbanisation increases the chance of flooding
Urbanisation increases the chance of flooding because when buildings and roads
are built the concrete does not allow the water to sink into the ground like soil
would. This means that the water gets to the river quicker and gives it less
chance to get rid of the water to a sea or lake.
Causes and effects of flooding
E.g. Bangladesh
Causes =
It’s a low lying, flat country
Heavy monsoon rain
The water comes quickly from the steep Himalayan Mountains
Effects=
Death
The spread of disease
Homes destroyed
Disruption to transport (airport was completely submerged in 1998)
Map work
Britain lies on the Eurasian plate. We don’t get any major volcanoes or
earthquakes because we are not on a plate boundary. The Pacific plate and the
North American plate run a long the west coast of the USA – you need to be able
to get this information from a map of the world.
Why and where volcanoes happen
Make sure you know how the earth is split (core, outer core, mantle, crust) and
why this makes volcanoes and earthquakes happen
What is used to measure the size of earthquakes
Seismograph
Why earthquakes in less developed countries usually do more damage than
similar earthquakes in richer, more developed countries
Paragraph 1 – Introduction e.g. Both LEDC and MEDC countries have devastating
effects from earthquakes. However, the effects from an earthquake in an LEDC
is usually more serious.
Paragraph 2 – Explain why earthquakes happen e.g. the earth is not all one piece
but is separated into several sections including the core, outer core, mantle and
the crust. The crust is also split up into sections called plates and these plates
move very slowly (only a few millimetres a year) as they float on top of the
mantle. The movements of these plates causes earthquakes to occur as the
plates rub against each other. The more pressure that is built up before an
earthquake then the stronger it will be (magnitude). Earthquakes are measured
using a seismograph but even if two different earthquakes are the same size,
the effects can often still be far worse in LEDCs.
Paragraph 3 – Case study of a LEDC e.g. Haiti – state when the earthquake was
and what the effects were
Paragraph 4 – Case study of a MEDC e.g. New Zealand - state when the
earthquake was and what the effects were
Paragraph 5 – You could use Japan as a case study here and explain that if an
earthquake causes a Tsunami then the effects may be worse again for the
country but also state that a MEDC may be in a better position to cope with it.
Paragraph 6 – explain how MEDCs use the ‘3 P’ approach (PREDICT/ PROTECT &
PREPARE) to reduce the damage done by earthquakes. Give examples of what
strategies are used in each one e.g. IT is impossible to predict when exactly an
earthquake is going to happen but seismographs are used to measure any
movement in the ground. Earthquakes may be more likely after a long period of
no activity
Paragraph 7 – Conclusion – make sure you answer the question!