A-Level Geography · Topic 1
Physical systems and hazards: every key term you need (+ practice quiz)
16 flashcard terms for A-Level Geography Topic 1, written to match the course framework. Study them here, then drill them as interactive flashcards, or test yourself with the 8-question quiz — free, no account needed.
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Systems approach Analysing a landscape through inputs, stores, flows and outputs. Dynamic equilibrium is disturbed then restored by negative feedback.
Negative feedback A response that counteracts a change and restores balance. Positive feedback amplifies the original change instead.
Drainage basin An open system bounded by a watershed, with precipitation as the main input and channel discharge and evaporation as outputs.
Lag time The delay between peak rainfall and peak discharge on a storm hydrograph. Urbanisation shortens it and raises flood risk.
Longshore drift Net movement of sediment along a coast, caused by swash arriving at the prevailing wind angle and backwash returning perpendicular.
Sediment cell A largely self-contained stretch of coast where sediment movement is effectively closed, forming the basis of shoreline management planning.
Hard vs soft engineering Hard engineering builds structures against natural processes; soft engineering works with them and is usually cheaper and more sustainable.
Isostatic vs eustatic change Isostatic change is local land moving vertically after ice loading; eustatic change is a global shift in sea level.
Plate boundary Destructive boundaries subduct and build mountains and deep earthquakes; constructive boundaries create new crust; conservative boundaries slide past.
Benioff zone The inclined band of earthquake foci marking a subducting slab — deeper earthquakes occur further from the trench.
Hazard risk equation Risk is a function of hazard magnitude and vulnerability, divided by capacity to cope. Explains why equal-magnitude events kill unequally.
Park model Traces the phases of disaster response — relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction — against quality of life over time.
Carbon cycle Movement of carbon between atmosphere, oceans, biosphere and lithosphere. Combustion and land-use change shift it faster than slow geological fluxes.
Water insecurity When demand exceeds reliable supply, driven by population growth, salinisation, over-abstraction and contamination as well as climate.
Globalisation Deepening interconnection of economies and cultures through trade, capital flows, migration and technology, with uneven winners and losers.
Rebranding Re-imaging and regenerating a place to change perceptions and attract investment, often contested over who actually benefits.
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