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EnglandGeography

Area of Study 3: Physical Systems and Sustainability

9 dot points across 9 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How are humans disrupting the carbon cycle, and what are the climate consequences, tipping points and uncertain futures?

Human disruption of the carbon cycle, the climate consequences and tipping points it triggers, the uncertainty in projecting future change, and the mitigation and adaptation responses available.
An Edexcel A-Level Geography answer to carbon cycle disruption and climate, covering human disruption of the carbon cycle, the climate consequences and tipping points it triggers, the uncertainty in projecting future change, and the mitigation and adaptation responses from Paris to coastal defences.
13 min answer →

How does the carbon cycle operate through its stores and pumps, and why does it matter for planetary health?

The global carbon cycle as a system of stores and fluxes, the fast biological and slow geological cycles, the biological and physical ocean pumps, terrestrial stores and the greenhouse effect, ocean acidification and planetary health.
An Edexcel A-Level Geography answer to carbon cycle processes and pumps, covering the global carbon cycle as a system of stores and fluxes, the fast and slow cycles, the biological and physical ocean pumps, terrestrial carbon stores, the greenhouse effect, ocean acidification and planetary health.
13 min answer →

How is the climate changing, what are the consequences, and how should the world respond?

The evidence and causes of climate change, the role of feedbacks linking the water and carbon cycles, the projected physical and human consequences for places, and the mitigation and adaptation strategies needed for a sustainable future.
An Edexcel A-Level Geography answer to climate change and the future, covering the evidence and causes of a changing climate, the feedbacks that link the water and carbon cycles, the projected physical and human consequences for different places, and the mitigation and adaptation strategies needed to build a sustainable future.
12 min answer →

What shapes a country's energy security and energy mix, and how do energy pathways and players interact with the carbon cycle?

Energy security and the national energy mix, the factors shaping it, energy pathways and chokepoints, the players that influence supply, and the links between energy, the carbon cycle, water and climate.
An Edexcel A-Level Geography answer to energy security and the energy mix, covering the meaning of energy security, the national energy mix and the factors that shape it, energy pathways and chokepoints, the players that influence supply, and the links between energy, carbon, water and climate.
13 min answer →

How can growing water insecurity be managed, and how do hard, soft and integrated approaches compare?

Hard supply-side mega projects, soft sustainable demand-side schemes, integrated water resource management and transboundary treaties as competing strategies for managing a finite and contested water resource.
An Edexcel A-Level Geography answer to managing water insecurity, covering hard supply-side mega projects such as dams and inter-basin transfers, soft sustainable demand-side schemes, integrated water resource management, and the transboundary treaties and cooperation that govern a finite and contested resource.
13 min answer →

How does the carbon cycle operate, why does energy security matter, and how can both be managed sustainably?

The carbon cycle as a system of stores and fluxes, the role of the biological and physical pumps and human disruption, the meaning and drivers of energy security, the energy mix and pathways, and the links between carbon, energy and sustainability.
An Edexcel A-Level Geography answer to the carbon cycle and energy security, covering the carbon cycle as a system of stores and fluxes, the biological and physical carbon pumps, human disruption through fossil fuel use and deforestation, the meaning and drivers of energy security, the changing energy mix and pathways, and the links between carbon, energy and sustainability.
12 min answer →

How does the water cycle operate, why is water becoming insecure, and how can supply be managed sustainably?

The global water cycle as a system with stores and flows, drainage-basin processes and the water budget, the physical and human causes of water insecurity, and the conflicts and management strategies that surround a finite water resource.
An Edexcel A-Level Geography answer to the water cycle and water insecurity, covering the global hydrological cycle as a system of stores and flows, drainage-basin processes and the water budget, the physical and human causes of growing water insecurity, the conflicts it creates, and hard and soft strategies for managing a finite water resource sustainably.
12 min answer →

How does the hydrological cycle operate as a system, and what causes river regimes to vary and basins to flood or run dry?

The global hydrological cycle as a closed system of stores and fluxes, the drainage basin as an open system, the water budget and storm hydrographs, and the physical and human factors that drive floods and drought.
An Edexcel A-Level Geography answer to water cycle processes and budgets, covering the global hydrological cycle as a closed system of stores and fluxes, the drainage basin as an open system, the water budget, storm hydrographs, and the physical and human factors driving floods, drought and ENSO.
13 min answer →

Why is water becoming increasingly insecure, and how does scarcity drive conflict between and within countries?

Water scarcity and stress measured against the Falkenmark thresholds, the physical and human causes of rising insecurity, the contested price of water, and the geopolitics of transboundary rivers and aquifers.
An Edexcel A-Level Geography answer to water insecurity and conflict, covering physical water scarcity versus economic water stress, the Falkenmark index, the causes of rising insecurity, the contested price of water, and the geopolitics of transboundary rivers such as the Nile, Colorado and Mekong.
13 min answer →