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O-LevelGeographyThe natural environment2217/22 · May/June 2015 · Q830 Marks

Students were planning fieldwork on a local pebble beach. The students wanted to investigate beach profiles and the action of longshore drift on the beach. Fig. 12 (Insert) shows the profiles of two beaches, one shaped by constructive waves and one shaped by destructive waves. The students decided to investigate the following hypotheses: Hypothesis 1: The local beach is shaped by constructive waves. Hypothesis 2: Longshore drift along the beach is from west to east.

  1. (a)Before the students began their fieldwork their teacher suggested that they needed to prepare for their visit to the beach. Use arrows to match the statements in columns P and Q in the tables below which show examples of preparations that were made. P Q Check the times of high tide to wear appropriate clothing and take sunblock Work in groups of three or four to communicate with their teacher if they have a problem Charge up their mobile (cell) phone to know when it will be safe to make measurements on the beach Check the weather forecast to complete all their tasks and check their measurements[3]
  2. (b)The students had learned that beach profiles can be different if affected by constructive or destructive waves. Tick (✔) the correct statement to complete each of the following sentences about the two types of wave. In a constructive wave backwash is stronger than swash backwash and swash are of equal strength swash is stronger than backwash The wave frequency of a destructive wave is less than 13 waves per minute exactly 13 waves per minute more than 13 waves per minute[2]
  3. (c)(i)Describe a method the students could use to measure wave frequency.[3]
  4. (c)(ii)The results of the students' measurements are shown in Table 3 below. Calculate the average number of waves per minute. Insert your answer into Table 3.[1]
  5. (d)(i)Describe the method shown.[4]
  6. (d)(ii)The students used their measurements to complete the beach profile shown in Fig. 14 below. The students decided that Hypothesis 1: The local beach is shaped by constructive waves was correct. Why did the students reach this decision? Support your answer with evidence from Table 3 and Fig. 14. Look again at Fig. 12 (Insert) to help you to answer.[3]
  7. (e)(i)Movement of pebbles along the beach is by longshore drift. The students had learned that the direction of longshore drift is usually related to the wind direction. Describe a simple method the students could use to work out the wind direction at the beach.[2]
  8. (e)(ii)To investigate Hypothesis 2: Longshore drift along the beach is from west to east, the students stretched a tape measure along the beach near to the sea and randomly selected 20 pebbles every 20 metres. They then measured the length of the pebbles and calculated the average length at each point. Their results are shown in Table 4 (Insert). Use these results to plot the average length of pebbles at 0m and 240m on Fig. 15 below.[2]
  9. (e)(iii)Smaller and lighter pebbles are carried more easily by waves than large heavy pebbles, so smaller pebbles are often carried further by longshore drift. Do these results support Hypothesis 2: Longshore drift along the beach is from west to east? Use evidence from Fig. 15 and Table 4 to support your answer.[3]
  10. (e)(iv)Describe another method the students could have used to measure longshore drift along the beach.[4]
  11. (f)Cliffs at the back of a nearby beach are shown in Photograph B (Insert). Suggest reasons why there is rock debris at the base of the cliffs.[3]

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Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2015). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

  1. [3] (a) 4 correct = 3 marks, 3 correct = 2 marks, 1 or 2 correct = 1 mark
  2. [2] (b) Swash is stronger than backwash (1)
  3. [2] (b) More than 13 waves per minute (1)
  4. [3] (c) (i) Examples
  5. [3] (c) (i) Count number of waves breaking/crashing/reaching/going up beach/hitting object or person (1)
  6. [3] (c) (i) Count for specified time period (1)
  7. [3] (c) (i) Use a stopwatch / timer/ clicker (1)
  8. [3] (c) (i) Take an average of a number of counts (1)
  9. [1] (c) (ii) 7.6 or 7 3/5
  10. [4] (d) (i) Examples
  11. [4] (d) (i) Lay tape measure on beach to create a transect/ perpendicular to beach (1)
  12. [4] (d) (i) Poles put at break of slope (1)
  13. [4] (d) (i) Measure distance between poles/sites/breaks of slope (1)
  14. [4] (d) (i) Poles must be vertical (1)
  15. [4] (d) (i) Read angle from lower pole (nearer to sea) to upper pole (further from sea) (1)
  16. [4] (d) (i) Student holds clinometer at top / at same marked height on ranging pole / look along string or rope (1)
  17. [4] (d) (i) Read / measure/record angle (1)
  18. [4] (d) (i) Move poles up beach /along profile to next site/break of slope (1)
  19. [3] (d) (ii) Examples of evidence:
  20. [3] (d) (ii) Average wave frequency is 7.6 / less than 13/between 6–10/less than destructive wave (1)
  21. [3] (d) (ii) Beach profile is more similar to constructive beach profile (1)
  22. [3] (d) (ii) Small bars near sea/0–15m (1)
  23. [3] (d) (ii) Build up of ridge (berm)/at 30m (1)
  24. [3] (d) (ii) Small bars rather than large bars (1)
  25. [3] (d) (ii) Ridge rather than steep beach (1)
  26. [3] (d) (ii) Flattens off at back/after ridge/ from 30–40m (1)
  27. [2] (e) (i) Examples
  28. [2] (e) (i) Wind sock / streamer / material held up / throw grass into the air / wet finger /observe features blown by wind (1)
  29. [2] (e) (i) Use compass to see direction wind is blowing (1)
  30. [2] (e) (ii) Completion of graph:
  31. [2] (e) (ii) 0m @ 6.5cm length, 240m @ 4.2cm length
  32. [3] (e) (iii) Yes / results support hypothesis /hypothesis is True
  33. [3] (e) (iii) Examples of evidence
  34. [3] (e) (iii) Average pebble size decreases from west to east/further east along beach (1)
  35. [3] (e) (iii) Overall decrease from 6.5cm length at 0 to 4.0cm length OR other appropriate paired data (1)
  36. [3] (e) (iii) 0-100m all 6cm or more; 100–260m all 5.9 or less (1)
  37. [3] (e) (iii) Anomalies at 20/ 80 /160 m where pebble size is larger (1 mark max)
  38. [3] (e) (iii) Credit paired data (distance and pebble size) to 1 mark max
  39. [4] (e) (iv) Examples
  40. [4] (e) (iv) Paint 50 pebbles (1)
  41. [4] (e) (iv) Group/put them in the swash / backwash zone / west side of beach/at water's edge (1)
  42. [4] (e) (iv) Mark starting point (1)
  43. [4] (e) (iv) Leave them for period of time (1)
  44. [4] (e) (iv) Find the pebbles & measure distance from starting point (1)
  45. [4] (e) (iv) OR Lay out tape measure close to water / mark start and finish points (1)
  46. [4] (e) (iv) Put float/coloured balls in water at start point (1)
  47. [4] (e) (iv) Time how long it takes object to reach finish point (1)
  48. [4] (e) (iv) Repeat a number of times and take average (1)
  49. [4] (e) (iv) OR Measure from top of groyne to beach surface (1)
  50. [4] (e) (iv) On both sides of groyne (1)
  51. [4] (e) (iv) Measure at equal distances along groyne (1)
  52. [4] (e) (iv) Calculate average distance from top to beach on both sides of groyne (1)
  53. [4] (e) (iv) Repeat for other groynes to confirm movement along beach (1)
  54. [3] (f) Examples
  55. [3] (f) Weathering/physical/chemical weathering of rock forming cliffs (1)
  56. [3] (f) Freeze-thaw could crack rocks (1)
  57. [3] (f) Rock falls (1)
  58. [3] (f) Undercutting/erosion of cliff (1)
  59. [3] (f) Collapse of unsupported rock
  60. [3] (f) Strong waves carry rocks to cliff (1)
  61. [3] (f) Backwash too weak to move them (1)
  62. [3] (f) Can be three separate ideas or one of above developed to 2 or 3 marks

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About this question

Topic
The natural environment, O-Level Geography (syllabus 2217). Structured question, 30 marks.
Source
O-Level Geography, May/June 2015 Paper 2 Variant 2, question 8.

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