O-LevelGeographyThe natural environment2217/11 · Oct/Nov 2011 · Q425 Marks

(a) Study Fig. 7 on page 15, which shows parts of the world which experience natural disasters. [Figure 7]

(a)(i)What is a drought?[1]
(a)(ii)Identify one similarity and one difference between the locations of the areas affected by drought and tropical storms.[2]
(a)(iii)Describe three hazards for people which result from tropical storms.[3]
(a)(iv)Explain why earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur in similar areas.[4]
(b)(i)Do bigger earthquakes (higher magnitude) cause more deaths? Support your answer with data from Fig. 8.[3]
(b)(ii)Suggest reasons for the variation in the number of deaths caused by the earthquakes listed in Fig. 8.[5]
(c)Volcanic eruptions are another natural hazard. For a named example of a volcanic eruption which you have studied, describe its effects. Name of volcanic eruption[7]

This question uses a diagram from the original paper, which isn't shown here. Open the full paper from the past papers archive to see it.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2011). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

[1] Long period of time/many weeks/months/years without rain
[1] Similarity: In tropical areas/close to Equator low latitude/near tropics or named tropic/s/India/China/Australia; Both occur in southern Asia; Mainly in LEDCs rather than MEDCs/more in LEDCs than MEDCs.
[1] Difference: Drought mainly inland but tropical storm coastal; Drought occurs in Africa/South America but tropical storms do not; Tropical storms begin over sea but droughts on land.
[1] strong winds/hurricane/cyclone/typhoons
[1] heavy rain
[1] flooding
[1] pollution of water supplies/water borne disease or examples
[1] loss of telephone communications
[1] damage to roads/bridges
[1] loss of electricity supply/electric shock
[1] damage to/loss of housing/building collapsing
[1] flying glass/slate
[1] loss of food supplies
[1] landslips/mudslides
[1] Plate boundaries
[1] both occur where there are faults/line of weakness
[1] plates are moving at either side of fault/moving in different directions
[1] build up of pressure
[1] both earthquakes and volcanoes result from plate movement/tectonic activity
[1] Yes/it is true that earthquakes of high magnitude could cause a lot of deaths (e.g. Indonesia 2004, magnitude 9.0, 283000 people).
[1] No/there is no obvious link between magnitude and number of deaths caused/no obvious pattern (e.g. USA 1964, magnitude 9.2, 125 deaths, yet India 1993, magnitude 6.2, 9500 deaths).
[1] Max. 2 on data (for specific examples with statistics).
[1] magnitude
[1] population density
[1] undersea could cause tsunami/e.g. coastal flooding (dev)
[1] quality of housing/building materials
[1] and 'earthquakes proofing'/or example/e.g. computer controlled buildings (dev)
[1] time of day/e.g. people in bed (dev)
[1] degree of preparedness
[1] emergency services
[1] level of economic development/LEDC v MEDC
[1] Earthquake drills/education re procedures
[1] Depth of focus
[1] Rock type
[1-3] Level 1: Simple statements including limited detail describing effects of a volcanic eruption (e.g. people killed, housing destroyed, roads and railways damaged, forests destroyed etc.).
[4-6] Level 2: Uses named example. More developed statements describing effects of a volcanic eruption (e.g. people killed by hot lava/suffocation by toxic fumes, housing buried by lava/layers of dust, communications disrupted by lava covering roads/railways, devastation of lumbering industry by destruction of forests etc.). NB MAX 5 marks if no named example.
[7] Level 3: Uses named example (e.g. Mt St Helens). Comprehensive and accurate statements including some place specific reference (e.g. 61 deaths/suffocation by toxic fumes, logging camps destroyed, communications disrupted by floodwaters washing away roads/railway bridges, every tree within 250 km sq blast zone destroyed, all fish including those in a hatchery on Toutle river destroyed, Spirit Lake filled in). NB: may accept positive effects.