Key term
AQA A-Level Geography 7037
Water and Carbon Cycles
Topic overviewSystems, Stores and FlowsMass Balance in Water and Carbon StoresFieldwork and the Rainforest Case StudyMeasures of Central Tendency and DispersionSpearman's Rank, Chi-Square and Data AnalysisScatter Graphs, Triangular Graphs and Logarithmic ScalesAtlas, Thematic and Flow-Line MapsOS Maps, Sketch Maps and Field SketchesRemote Sensing, GIS and Big DataQualitative Data, Questionnaires and InterviewsSampling, Accuracy and Measurement ErrorData Misuse and Research EthicsThe Global Water StoresEvaporation, Condensation and Cloud FormationPrecipitation and Cryospheric ProcessesThe Drainage Basin as an Open SystemInfiltration and Overland FlowThe Water Balance EquationFlood HydrographsHuman Impacts on the Water CycleThe Global Carbon StoresPhotosynthesis, Respiration and Carbon TransferFarming, Land Use and Carbon SinksGreenhouse Gases and Links between the CyclesFeedback Loops and Climate ChangeCarbon Sequestration and MitigationMass Balance in a Drainage BasinUnit Conversion and Flux CalculationsLine Graphs, Bar Graphs and Pie ChartsWater and Carbon Cycles in the Tropical RainforestThe Amazon rainforest case studyStores within a River CatchmentTransfers and the Controls on Catchment HydrologyThe River Eden catchment case study
Hot Desert Systems and LandscapesLandscape
Topic overviewDeserts as Systems: Inputs, Stores, Flows and FeedbackDesert Climate, Soils and VegetationThe Aridity IndexEnergy, Sediment and Geomorphic Processes in DesertsThermal Fracture and Rock BreakdownDeflation, Abrasion and Aeolian TransportDesert Water Sources and Ephemeral StreamsDeflation Hollows, Yardangs and ZeugenBarchan and Seif DunesWadis, Bahadas and PedimentsPlayas, Inselbergs and Landscape DevelopmentObservation, Measurement and Mapping in DesertsDeath Valley hot desert case studyThe Causes and Definition of DesertificationEnvironmental Impacts of DesertificationHuman Impacts and Responses to DesertificationDesertification on the Yatenga plateau, Burkina Faso
Coastal Systems and LandscapesLandscape
Topic overviewEnergy Inputs to the Coastal SystemCoastal Flows and FeedbackWaves, Tides and Sediment CellsMarine Erosion and Transport ProcessesCliffs, Notches and Wave-Cut PlatformsBeaches, Spits and BarsSand Dune Formation and SuccessionEstuaries, Mudflats and SaltmarshSea Level Change and Coastlines of SubmergenceEmergent Coastlines and Present Sea Level RiseHard Engineering at the CoastSoft Engineering and Managed RetreatThe Holderness coast case studyThe Sundarbans and the Ganges–Brahmaputra delta
Glacial Systems and LandscapesLandscape
Topic overviewGlaciers as Systems: Inputs, Stores and FlowsIce-Albedo and Negative FeedbackDynamic Equilibrium, Landforms and LandscapesThe Glacial Mass Budget and Ice MovementThe Distribution of Cold EnvironmentsClimate, Soils and Vegetation in Cold EnvironmentsCorrie FormationGlacial Troughs and Hanging ValleysRoches Moutonnées, Drumlins and ErraticsMoraines, Till and Fluvioglacial LandformsPeriglacial Landforms and ProcessesThermokarst and Landform DistributionThe Fragility of Cold EnvironmentsImpacts and Management of Cold EnvironmentsFieldwork Skills in Glaciated EnvironmentsGlacial Case Study RequirementsCwm Idwal and the Ogwen valley case studyAlaska as a contrasting glaciated landscape
HazardsHazards or ecosystems
Topic overviewNatural Hazards: Types, Perception and ResponsesThe Park ModelThe Hazard Management CycleThe Internal Structure of the EarthPlate Tectonic Theory and Plate MovementPlate Margins and SeismicityWhere Vulcanicity OccursVolcanic Hazards and Eruption MagnitudeVolcanic Prediction, Impacts and ResponsesA Recent Volcanic EventHow Earthquakes HappenSeismic Hazards, Distribution and MagnitudeEarthquake Prediction, Impacts and ResponsesFocus, Epicentre and Seismic VulnerabilityThe 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunamiTropical Storm Formation and IntensificationTropical Storm Hazards, Distribution and MagnitudeThe Impacts of Tropical StormsManaging Storm Risk in Contrasting PlacesTyphoon Haiyan and Hurricane Maria comparedWildfires and Vegetation TypeWeather Conditions and Wildfire RiskCauses of IgnitionPrimary, Secondary and Environmental Impacts of WildfiresSocial, Economic and Political Impacts of WildfiresShort- and Long-Term Responses to WildfiresWildfire Preparedness, Prevention and AdaptationThe 2018 Camp FireThe Philippines as a multi-hazard environmentLiving with Vesuvius in the Naples area
Ecosystems Under StressHazards or ecosystems
Topic overviewBiodiversity Levels and Causes of DeclineBiodiversity Loss and Ecosystem ServicesEcosystem Structure, Trophic Levels and Food WebsEcosystem Inputs, Outputs, Stores and TransfersBiomass, Net Primary Production and SuccessionNutrient Cycling, Climate and SoilEnvironmental Controls and Ecosystem FeedbackBiomes and the Tropical Rainforest EnvironmentRainforest Stratification and AdaptationsSavanna Climate, Soils and AdaptationsHuman Impacts on the Tropical RainforestHuman Impacts on the SavannaSuccession and Climatic ClimaxTemperate Deciduous WoodlandPlagioclimax and Heather MoorlandCoral Reef Conditions, Services and StressesHuman Pressures and Coral Reef ManagementThe Great Barrier Reef: Extent and BleachingCrown-of-Thorns Starfish and Reef TourismLocal Ecosystems: Heathland, Parkland, Ponds and DunesAdaptations to Dry EnvironmentsAgriculture, Urbanisation and Invasive SpeciesEcological Change and Conservation StrategiesSustainability and Stakeholder ConflictStudying Local Ecosystems and Ecological ChangeThe Sefton Coast sand dunes case studyEcological change in Borneo
Global Systems and Global Governance
Topic overviewGlobal Flows of Capital, Labour, Goods and InformationGlobal Patterns of Production and DistributionTransport and Communications in GlobalisationSecurity, Tariffs and Trade BarriersForms of Global InterdependenceUnequal Flows and Global StabilityWorld Trade Patterns and Market AccessTransnational CorporationsTrade in Food and Manufactured GoodsCase Study: A Transnational CorporationWhat Global Governance MeansScales of GovernanceThe Global CommonsThe Physical Character of AntarcticaThe Southern Ocean and Climate Threats to AntarcticaThreats to Antarctic ResourcesThe Antarctic TreatyUNEP, NGOs and the Limits of Antarctic GovernanceBenefits and Costs of GlobalisationConflict, Environmental Costs and Critiquing Globalisation
Changing Places
Topic overviewWhat Place MeansEndogenous Factors: Location, Physical and Built SettingEndogenous Factors: Demographic and EconomicExogenous Factors, Relationships and ConnectionsContinuity and Change in PlacesLocal and Contrasting Place StudiesDetroit as a contrasting place studyMigration, Investment and Cultural Change in PlacesPolicy as an External Force on PlaceThe Legacy of Past ConnectionsGlobal Networks and Changing Place CharacteristicsInequality and Access between PlacesLived Experience and Shaping Place MeaningsRepresenting Place and Contested MeaningsThe Requirements of a Place StudySources for Place Studies
Contemporary Urban EnvironmentsHuman option
Topic overviewUrbanisation and Its Related ProcessesThe Drivers of UrbanisationDeindustrialisation, Decentralisation and Regeneration PolicyMegacities and World CitiesWhat Shapes Urban FormCultural Diversity and Urban SegregationNew Urban Landscapes and the Post-Modern CityEconomic Inequality within CitiesManaging Urban Inequality and DiversityEmployment Programmes and Top-Down StrategiesThe Urban Heat Island and Urban PrecipitationUrban Winds and Air QualityImpermeable Surfaces and Urban CatchmentsUrban HydrographsSustainable Urban Drainage SystemsRiver Restoration and the Benefits of SUDSWho Delivers River RestorationCheonggyecheon river restoration in SeoulSources and Composition of Urban WasteRecycling, Recovery and Waste DisposalLandfill and Incineration ComparedUrban Air and Water PollutantsDereliction and Pollution in Contrasting CitiesManaging Urban Pollution and DerelictionThe Local Environmental Impact of CitiesDimensions of Urban SustainabilityCompact Form, Mixed Use and LiveabilityContrasting Urban Case Studies
Population and the EnvironmentHuman option
Topic overviewThe Physical Environment and PopulationGlobal Food Production and Agricultural SystemsTropical Wet and Semi-Arid ClimatesZonal Soils: Chernozems and LatosolsSoil Erosion and Its ManagementWaterlogging, Salinisation and Soil StructureThe Dimensions of Food SecurityStudying Climatic Types and Zonal SoilsGlasgow: place and health case studyHealth, Morbidity and the Epidemiological TransitionPhysical Environment and DiseaseMalaria: Distribution, Impacts and ManagementCoronary Heart Disease and Non-Communicable DiseasesGlobal Health Initiatives and Disease StudiesThe Demographic Transition ModelFertility, Population Structure and the Demographic DividendMigrant Types and Causes of MigrationPush and Pull Factors in MigrationThe Components of Population ChangeOptimum Population and Resource DemandEcological Footprint and Population–Resource TheoriesOzone Depletion and Human HealthClimate Change, Heatwaves and Vector-Borne DiseaseClimate Change, Food Supply and NutritionGlobal Population ProjectionsJapan's population decline
Resource SecurityHuman option
Topic overviewStock and Flow Resources and ReservesResource Certainty and Development StagesResource Frontiers, Peaks and Sustainable DevelopmentEnvironmental Impact AssessmentGlobal Production and Consumption of Energy and MineralsThe Geopolitics of Energy, Minerals and WaterWater Sources and DemandWater Supply StrategiesThe Colorado River water supply schemeThe Costs of Supply and Managing DemandWater Conflict and Major Supply SchemesEnergy Types, Mix and Physical Controls on SupplyTNCs, National Interests and Energy ImpactsIncreasing Energy Supply: Unconventional, Nuclear and RenewableReducing Energy DemandEnvironmental Impacts and Sustainability of EnergyThe Alberta oil sands developmentChoosing a Mineral Ore Case StudyDemand for and Occurrence of Mineral OresThe Environmental Cost of Mineral ExtractionThe Bingham Canyon copper mineSustainability in Mineral SupplyAlternative Energy FuturesAlternative Water FuturesMineral Ore FuturesDrivers of Resource TransitionsResource Security and Human Welfare
Hot Desert Systems and Landscapes
- 17 subtopics
- 55 things to know
- Component 1
- Component 1 Section B, one landscape system of three
What Hot Desert Systems and Landscapes covers
Arid landscapes and the wind and water processes that shape them, from thermal fracture and dune movement to wadis and inselbergs, ending with desertification and its human cost. One of three landscape options in Section B of Component 1.
Where it is assessed
Component 1
Section B, one landscape option of three.
Check the AQA specification ↗The 17 subtopics
Each one has its own page.
- Deserts as Systems: Inputs, Stores, Flows and FeedbackRecall questions on the components of a physical system, its inputs, outputs, energy, stores, flows and feedback, applied to desert systems with examples, on positive and negative feedback, and on the difference between a landform and a landscape.Open →
- Desert Climate, Soils and VegetationRecall questions on the location and causes of mid- and low-latitude deserts, the precipitation thresholds for arid and semi-arid environments, hot desert temperatures, rainfall, evaporation and solar radiation, desert soils and vegetation adaptations, and water balance.Open →
- The Aridity IndexRecall questions on the formula, what precipitation and potential evapotranspiration contribute to it, and how a value is calculated.Open →
- Energy, Sediment and Geomorphic Processes in DesertsRecall questions on insolation, wind and episodic runoff as energy sources in hot deserts, on sediment sources, sediment cells and sediment budgets, and on weathering, mass movement, erosion, transportation and deposition.Open →
- Thermal Fracture and Rock BreakdownRecall questions on what heating and nocturnal cooling do to rock surfaces and on how differential stress weakens rock over repeated cycles.Open →
- Deflation, Abrasion and Aeolian TransportRecall questions on deflation and wind abrasion, and on suspension, saltation and surface creep as modes of transport.Open →
- Desert Water Sources and Ephemeral StreamsRecall questions on exogenous water, endoreic drainage and what becomes of water in a closed basin, and on ephemeral streams.Open →
- Deflation Hollows, Yardangs and ZeugenRecall questions on how deflation strips fine sediment to form deflation hollows and desert pavements, on ventifacts, and on the differential erosion of softer and harder rock that shapes yardangs and undercuts zeugen beneath their cap rock.Open →
- Barchan and Seif DunesRecall questions on the shape of a barchan dune, why its horns advance faster and how sand moves up, over and down it, and on seif dunes, the two-directional wind regime that forms them and the direction in which they elongate.Open →
- Wadis, Bahadas and PedimentsRecall questions on wadis and the rainfall and rapid runoff that cut them, on bahadas formed as alluvial fans merge at a mountain front, and on pediments, slope retreat and the transport of debris across them.Open →
- Playas, Inselbergs and Landscape DevelopmentRecall questions on playas in endorheic basins with their temporary lakes and salts, on inselbergs and parallel slope retreat, and on how weathering, aeolian and fluvial processes, time and relict landforms shape desert landscapes.Open →
- Observation, Measurement and Mapping in DesertsRecall questions on observing, measuring and mapping hot desert landscapes, on data handling and statistical analysis of field measurements from aeolian environments, and on the field indicators, variables and geospatial and statistical skills used to study desertification.Open →
- Death Valley hot desert case studyDeath Valley in California's Mojave Desert as a hot desert case study: why it is so arid, its record heat, Badwater Basin, alluvial fans, playas and dunes, the 2022 flash flood, and how extreme conditions are managed for visitors.Open →
- The Causes and Definition of DesertificationRecall questions on how desert extent has shifted over 10,000 years, the formal definition, and the rainfall changes that drive it.Open →
- Environmental Impacts of DesertificationRecall questions on how desertification causes biodiversity, vegetation and habitat loss, soil degradation and disrupted nutrient cycles, accelerated erosion, dune migration, topsoil loss and surface crusting, altered drainage, and falling agricultural productivity, food insecurity and water scarcity.Open →
- Human Impacts and Responses to DesertificationRecall questions on displacement, poverty and resource conflict, the predicted effects of climate change and possible futures, resilience, mitigation through reforestation, soil conservation, grazing and irrigation, and adaptation through drought-resistant crops, water harvesting, diversification and migration.Open →
- Desertification on the Yatenga plateau, Burkina FasoDesertification on the Yatenga plateau of Burkina Faso, covering its physical and human causes, the impact on farming families, and how zaï pits, stone lines and farmer-managed regeneration have restored land and built resilience to drought.Open →
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
Your recallNot started
Key term
Define what outputs are in a physical geography system.
Key term
What are stores or components in a physical geography system?
Key term
What are the main outputs from a desert system?
Numbers
Where are mid-latitude deserts located, and what causes their aridity?
Key term
What is meant by a large diurnal temperature range in hot deserts?
Key term
State the formula for calculating the aridity index.
Key term
What does PET represent in the aridity index formula?
Key term
Explain how subtropical high pressure systems cause aridity.
Key term
What is the primary source of energy in hot desert environments that drives thermal processes?
Key term
Why is runoff described as episodic rather than continuous in hot deserts?
Key term
What distinguishes weathering from erosion?
Key term
In thermal fracture, what happens to rock surfaces during intense daytime heating?
Key term
Why do repeated heating and cooling cycles progressively weaken rock through thermal fracture?
Key term
Why are chemical weathering rates limited in hot desert environments?
Key term
Define deflation.
Key term
What happens when wind lifts a sand grain from the surface during saltation?
Key term
What happens when a saltating grain impacts the desert surface?
Key term
What are exogenous water sources in a desert context?
Key term
What condition initiates sheet flooding?
Key term
Where does water concentrate during channel flash flooding?
Key term
What process removes loose, fine-grained sediment from the desert surface to form deflation hollows?
Key term
What is a desert pavement?
Key term
What role does harder rock play in yardang development?
Key term
Define a barchan dune.
Key term
How does sand move down the leeward side of a barchan dune?
Key term
In which direction does a seif dune elongate relative to wind patterns?
Key term
What type of erosion cuts the channel of a wadi?
Key term
What happens when sediment-laden water exits a confined channel onto a bahada?
Key term
What transports debris across the pediment surface?
Key term
What happens to dissolved salts as playa water evaporates?
Key term
What processes maintain the steep sides of an inselberg?
Key term
Under what conditions do aeolian processes dominate in desert environments?
Key term
What mapping approach can be used to investigate spatial patterns in desert landscapes?
Key term
To which type of environment are the observation, measurement and mapping skills of the desert topic applied?
Key term
In what type of environment might field measurements requiring statistical analysis be collected?
Process
How were the Mesquite Flat sand dunes in Death Valley formed?
Key term
What is Badwater Basin in Death Valley?
Process
What does Devil's Golf Course in Death Valley show about desert processes?
Key term
How has the extent and distribution of hot deserts changed over the last 10,000 years?
Key term
What role do prolonged droughts play in causing desertification?
Key term
Name the major global regions at risk of desertification.
Key term
How does desertification accelerate soil erosion?
Key term
What causes topsoil loss during desertification?
Key term
Why does desertification alter drainage patterns?
Key term
Why does desertification lead to population displacement?
Key term
How does reforestation and afforestation mitigate desertification?
Key term
How can migration function as an adaptation response to desertification?
Process
What physical causes contributed to desertification in Yatenga?
Process
What were the impacts of desertification on people in Yatenga?
Process
What does the Yatenga case study show about sustainable development in dryland areas?
Process
Define inputs, energy and flows in a desert system.
Process
Explain how thermal fracture and exfoliation break down desert rock.
Process
Describe endoreic drainage, ephemeral streams and sheet flow deposition.
Process
Explain how sand moves across a barchan dune.
Take Hot Desert Systems and Landscapes further
The same content, four other ways.
Commonly confused
Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.
Weathering vs Erosion
Weathering: breakdown of rock in place. Erosion: removal and transport of weathered material.
Barchan dune vs Seif dune
Barchan dune: crescent dune formed with limited sand supply. Seif dune: long narrow dune aligned with prevailing wind.
Desertification vs Drought
Desertification: land degradation in drylands. Drought: prolonged period of unusually low precipitation.
Questions from this topic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
What are the six main components that make up a system in physical geography?
Model answer
Inputs, outputs, energy, stores/components, flows/transfers, and feedback mechanisms.
- 2
Define what inputs are in a physical geography system.
Model answer
Inputs are additions of energy or matter entering the system from outside.
- 3
Define what outputs are in a physical geography system.
Model answer
Outputs are losses of energy or matter leaving the system.
- 4
What role does energy play in a physical geography system?
Model answer
Energy drives the processes and transfers within the system, enabling work to be done.
- 5
What are stores or components in a physical geography system?
Model answer
Stores or components are places where energy or matter is held within the system.
- 6
Define flows or transfers in the context of a physical geography system.
Model answer
Flows or transfers are movements of energy or matter between stores within the system.
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material.
Hot Desert Systems and Landscapes revision questions
- What does Hot Desert Systems and Landscapes cover in AQA A-Level Geography?
- 17 subtopics: deserts as systems: inputs, stores, flows and feedback, desert climate, soils and vegetation, the aridity index, energy, sediment and geomorphic processes in deserts, thermal fracture and rock breakdown, deflation, abrasion and aeolian transport, desert water sources and ephemeral streams, deflation hollows, yardangs and zeugen, barchan and seif dunes, wadis, bahadas and pediments, playas, inselbergs and landscape development, observation, measurement and mapping in deserts, death valley hot desert case study, the causes and definition of desertification, environmental impacts of desertification, human impacts and responses to desertification and desertification on the yatenga plateau, burkina faso. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
- How is Hot Desert Systems and Landscapes organised?
- By the AQA 7037 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.
Every question in Hot Desert Systems and Landscapes, on a schedule.
Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.
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