A Level Geography

For this topic, you will cover the processes of erosion, transportation and deposition that shape river landscapes. You will examine the movement of water through drainage basins including the relationship between inputs, outputs, stores and transfers. This topic will help you to understand the components of a storm hydrograph such as rising/falling limbs, peaks, lags and amount of timing of precipitation. You will also study the factors influencing storm hydrographs including climate, vegetation type and drainage basin characteristics. Finally, you will study the cause of river floods along with the impact. Management factors will be considered such as predictions, forecasts and effectiveness of hard/soft engineering management strategies. Modules for this topic are:

• The drainage basin system
• River channel processes and landforms
• River flood hazards and impacts

The earth’s atmosphere and weather focuses on processes such as energy transfer, air pressure and global circulation systems. The processes control weather patterns and climate. For this topic, you will cover energy budget systems including inputs, outputs and transfers. You will also look into weather processes such as evaporation and condensation. Finally, you will look into the evidence that exists to show that global warming is a problem along with the causes of global warming and climate change. Modules for this topic are:

• Energy budgets
• Weather processes and phenomena
• Global warming and climate change

For this topic you will be concentrating on the internal forces that shape the Earth’s surface. Tectonic plates, create dynamic landscapes but also pose significant risks to human populations. For example, plate margins such as Nazca and South American plates, subduction causes powerful earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. This can be seen along the Andes mountain range. Understanding these processes allows geographers to assess their social, economics and environmental impacts. Modules for this topic are:

• Plate tectonics
• Tectonic processes and landforms
• Mass movement hazards and impacts

This topic will examine how human populations are distributed and how they change over time. Global population looks at factors such as birth rates and death rates. Learners must then consider how these rates effect levels of development and the pressure placed on services like education and healthcare. You will then look at population structure which considers the age and sex composition of populations. You will see how this can effect economic and social planning. Finally, you will look at migration which looks at the movement of people between places. The impacts of migration will be covered along with the causes. Modules for this topic are:

• Global population
• Population Structure
• Migration

Humans need access to clean water not only for health reasons but for food production and economic development. This section will examine the distribution and use of water across the world and why there is a shortage in some areas. Learners will also look at factors influencing water resources such as climate, geology, population and economic development. Finally, you will consider strategies to increase access to water and how best to manage the demand.

• Global water resources
• Factors influencing water resources at the regional/national scale
• Management of water resources at the regional/national scale

More than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas and this topic considers the growth and development of cities. Issues such as housing shortages, inequality and congestion will be covered along with the environmental impact. Finally, you will look at sustainability along with issues surrounding waste disposal, transport and quality of housing.

• Urban growth
• Urban structure and change
• Sustainable urban development

This topic focuses mainly on humid tropical (rainforest) and seasonally humid tropical (savanna) environments. You will consider how they function as natural systems under increasing human pressure.

Coasts are constantly changing due to factors such as waves, geology, climate and human activity. This section explores the physical processes that shape coastlines over time. A bonus section in this topic is the exploration of coral reefs along with the threats to them. Finally, you will consider the physical and human challenges to the coastal environment.

This topic looks into tectonic hazards, tropical cyclones and wildfires. These natural hazards are dangerous when they interact with vulnerable human populations. Finally, you will look into management strategies and evaluate the success of them.

This topic includes hot arid deserts and hot semi-arid regions. You will study regions with low and unreliable rainfall and how this creates extreme climatic conditions and distinctive landscapes. You will also look at how plant species exhibit adaptations to these environments producing less transpiration, resulting in low biomass productivity and nutrient cycling. Finally, you will consider the increasing pressure of population growth and climate change.

This topic will consider future climate projections based on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and mitigation effects. Indicators are precipitation patterns, sea-level rise and greater frequency of extreme weather events. You will look into the impacts on different environments such as cold environments like the Artic and marine environments. Socio-economic impacts will also be covered along with how they are unevenly distributed. Finally, you will look at ways to mitigate climate change and adapt.

This unit will consider energy supplies including renewable and non-renewable sources. You will look at the challenges of transitioning from fossil fuels to sustainable energy along with its social acceptance and economic cost. Pollution will also be covered and the damage it causes due to human activities such as mining, agriculture and large-scale projects. As well as exploring rural pollution, you will cover pollution within urban areas such as high population density, transport networks and waste.

This unit explores flows and patterns of visible trade between importing countries and exporting countries. You will learn the role and impact of inter-governmental organisations (IGOs) on global trade flows. You will also cover patterns and trends in international tourism.

For this unit, you will cover the geography of disease. This will involve disease outbreak, epidemic, pandemic and endemic. You will also gain an understanding of pathogenic diseases, their spread and impacts. Finally, you will cover monitoring the disease and responded to disease outbreaks.