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
Resource Security
- 27 subtopics
- 79 things to know
- Component 2
- Component 2 Section C, one option of three
What Resource Security covers
How resources are classified, evaluated and exhausted, worked through water, energy and mineral ores in turn, and what the alternatives might be as demand grows. One of three Section C options in Component 2.
The 27 subtopics
Each one has its own page.
- Stock and Flow Resources and ReservesRecall questions on what a resource is, the distinction between stock resources such as fossil fuels and flow resources, with examples of each, and on measured and indicated reserves and how they differ.Open →
- Resource Certainty and Development StagesRecall questions on inferred and possible resources and the hierarchy of stock resource evaluation from most to least certain, and on the exploration, exploitation and development stages of natural resource development and the order in which they occur.Open →
- Resource Frontiers, Peaks and Sustainable DevelopmentRecall questions on resource frontiers and why rising commodity prices shift them, on resource peak and rising extraction costs after it, and on sustainable resource development and balancing economic, environmental and social factors.Open →
- Environmental Impact AssessmentRecall questions on Environmental Impact Assessment and its stages of screening, scoping, baseline studies, impact prediction and evaluation, mitigation measures, public consultation, and decision-making and monitoring, and on its contribution to sustainable development.Open →
- Global Production and Consumption of Energy and MineralsRecall questions on the major fossil fuel producing regions, the largest energy-consuming countries and why their demand is high, the direction of energy trade, and the leading producers and consumers of iron ore, copper, rare earth elements and bauxite and how ores are transported.Open →
- The Geopolitics of Energy, Minerals and WaterRecall questions on the geopolitics of energy, transit chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz, OPEC, energy security and how nations pursue it, strategic minerals, rare earth elements and resource nationalism, tensions over transboundary rivers such as the Nile and Mekong, virtual water trade, the resource curse and international resource organisations.Open →
- Water Sources and DemandRecall questions on why water availability varies around the world, physical and economic water scarcity, agriculture's share of withdrawals and the other drivers of demand, the most water-stressed regions, surface water, groundwater and precipitation as sources, domestic, agricultural, industrial and energy uses, water stress, and how climate, geology, aquifers, catchments and drainage affect supply and quality.Open →
- Water Supply StrategiesRecall questions on catchment management, diversion, storage and transfers as ways of increasing supply.Open →
- The Colorado River water supply schemeThe Colorado River water supply scheme as a case study of water resource development, covering Hoover Dam, the aqueducts that carry water to desert cities, the environmental costs downstream, and why the river is over-allocated.Open →
- The Costs of Supply and Managing DemandRecall questions on the environmental effects of distribution networks, sediment trapped behind dams, and metering and pricing as demand tools.Open →
- Water Conflict and Major Supply SchemesRecall questions on sustainability in water management, local, national and international water conflicts over quantity, quality and timing, and on the elements of a major water supply scheme and the environmental impacts of its dams, barrages and distribution networks.Open →
- Energy Types, Mix and Physical Controls on SupplyRecall questions on primary and secondary energy sources, domestic, industrial, transport and commercial demand, the energy mix and why it varies, and how solar radiation, wind, precipitation, sedimentary basins, tectonics, rock formations, rivers and water availability control supply, with energy volume and quality.Open →
- TNCs, National Interests and Energy ImpactsRecall questions on globalisation and competition for energy, TNC control of production, processing and distribution, national interests in domestic supply, export revenues, transit routes and energy independence, and the environmental impacts of extraction, processing, pipelines, tanker spills and transmission lines.Open →
- Increasing Energy Supply: Unconventional, Nuclear and RenewableRecall questions on seismic surveying, deep-water drilling, hydraulic fracturing and unconventional reserves, on nuclear power and its advantages, and on solar photovoltaic, wind, hydroelectric, tidal barrage, wave, biomass and geothermal energy.Open →
- Reducing Energy DemandRecall questions on insulation, appliance efficiency standards, public transport and carbon taxation.Open →
- Environmental Impacts and Sustainability of EnergyRecall questions on acid rain and its effects on forests, lakes and buildings, the enhanced greenhouse effect, nuclear waste disposal, the transport emissions, dependency and price volatility of energy trade, and the environmental impacts of oil, coal and gas field developments and their distribution networks.Open →
- The Alberta oil sands developmentThe Alberta oil sands as a case study of energy resource development, covering how bitumen is extracted, the effects on land, water, wildlife and nearby communities, the greenhouse gas emissions, and the pipelines that carry the oil to market.Open →
- Choosing a Mineral Ore Case StudyRecall questions on which ores may be chosen for a mineral security case study and why iron ore qualifies, the sources of ore supply, mineral reserves and resources and their uneven distribution, and the end uses of iron ore, copper, tin and manganese.Open →
- Demand for and Occurrence of Mineral OresRecall questions on industrial growth, technology, population, urbanisation and infrastructure as drivers of ore demand, on commodity markets, stockpiling, trade flows and supply chain dependencies, and on how rock type, tectonic setting, mineralisation, depth, accessibility, transport and climate affect ore occurrence and working.Open →
- The Environmental Cost of Mineral ExtractionRecall questions on habitat destruction, landscape scarring, soil erosion and biodiversity loss from mineral extraction, acid mine drainage, heavy metal contamination, sedimentation and air pollution, and on the wider damage caused by distribution networks, tailings dam failure, railways, roads and shipping.Open →
- The Bingham Canyon copper mineRecall questions on the Bingham Canyon mine as a major mineral extraction scheme, its landscape impacts, the event of 10 April 2013, its effects on groundwater, how processing waste is stored, how its ore reaches markets and why part of it is treated as a contaminated site.Open →
- Sustainability in Mineral SupplyRecall questions on finite reserves, energy-intensive mining, land rehabilitation, trade and price instability, the energy use, waste, smelting pollution and water use of ore processing, and recycling, substitution, extraction efficiency and circular economy approaches.Open →
- Alternative Energy FuturesRecall questions on the technological, economic, environmental and political developments shaping alternative energy futures, including smart grids, the relative costs of renewables and fossil fuels, ecosystem degradation from fossil fuel extraction and government subsidies.Open →
- Alternative Water FuturesRecall questions on the technological, economic, environmental and political developments shaping alternative water futures, including precision irrigation, water pricing, aquifer depletion and transboundary water agreements.Open →
- Mineral Ore FuturesRecall questions on the technological, economic, environmental and political developments shaping mineral ore futures, including substitute materials, deep-sea and asteroid mining, rehabilitation requirements and resource nationalism.Open →
- Drivers of Resource TransitionsRecall questions on how technology increases resource availability, efficiency and alternatives, how markets, investment and economic growth shape resource development and demand, and how environmental limits, climate change, sustainability concerns, governance, international relations and policy drive resource transitions.Open →
- Resource Security and Human WelfareRecall questions on what a global or regional case study should illustrate and on how human welfare depends on secure resources.Open →
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
Your recallNot started
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What are flow resources?
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Name four examples of flow resources.
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What are inferred resources?
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List the hierarchy of stock resource evaluation from most to least certain.
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What occurs during the exploitation stage of resource development?
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What is a resource frontier?
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What three considerations must be balanced to achieve sustainable resource development?
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Why are baseline studies conducted during an EIA?
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Name five of the world's largest energy-consuming countries.
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Which countries mine the most copper?
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Which country is the largest consumer of iron ore, copper, and rare earth elements?
Numbers
What sector accounts for the largest share of global water withdrawals, and approximately what proportion does it represent?
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Give four examples of energy transit chokepoints.
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Why do ore minerals have geopolitical significance?
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Name three types of surface water sources.
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Give examples of industrial water use.
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Why is rock permeability important for groundwater supply?
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Define catchment management.
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Define water storage as a supply strategy.
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Define desalination.
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What is the Colorado River Aqueduct?
Process
Why is water lost from reservoirs in the Colorado River scheme?
Process
How many people depend on water from the Colorado River?
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State two impacts of water distribution networks on the environment.
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Why is leakage reduction important in water management?
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What does groundwater management involve?
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What causes national water conflicts?
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How can water quality become a source of international conflict?
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Why is it important to assess the environmental impacts of a dam within a water supply scheme?
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Give three examples of primary energy sources derived from fossil fuels.
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What energy needs does the commercial sector have?
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How do precipitation levels influence energy supply?
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How has globalisation affected competition for energy resources?
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Why is controlling strategic transit routes a competing national interest?
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How does pipeline construction disrupt ecosystems?
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How does nuclear power generate electricity?
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How do wind turbines contribute to renewable energy supply?
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How is wave energy harnessed for electricity generation?
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How does improving building insulation reduce energy demand?
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What is time-of-use pricing and how does it manage consumption?
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What effect does acid rain have on lakes?
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How do carbon emissions from transportation create sustainability issues in energy trade?
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How does price volatility in energy trade affect development?
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What environmental concerns are associated with coal field development?
Process
How does oil sands development affect the Athabasca River?
Process
How does in situ oil sands extraction affect wildlife in Alberta?
Process
What happened to ducks at Syncrude's Aurora tailings pond in 2008?
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Which types of ore can be selected as a case study for mineral security?
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State four major end uses of iron ore.
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State three end uses of manganese.
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Why does urbanisation increase demand for mineral ores?
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What is meant by supply chain dependencies in the context of mineral ores?
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How does the depth of a mineral deposit affect decisions about ore working?
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How does mineral extraction cause habitat destruction?
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What forms of air pollution result from mineral extraction?
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What challenges are associated with land rehabilitation after mining?
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Why is water usage a sustainability concern in ore processing?
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What is meant by substitution as a strategy for mineral sustainability?
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How can improved extraction efficiency enhance mineral sustainability?
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Name three types of technological development that shape alternative energy futures.
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What environmental developments affect alternative energy futures?
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Name three technological developments that influence alternative water futures.
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Name three technological developments that shape alternative mineral ore futures.
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What economic developments influence alternative mineral ore futures?
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Identify four political developments that shape alternative mineral ore futures.
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What types of resource issues should a global or regional case study illustrate?
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What aspects of resource management should a case study illustrate?
Key term
How does the physical environment affect resource availability?
Process
Define stock and flow resources, and give examples of flow resources.
Process
Explain why transboundary water disputes arise over quantity and over dam operation.
Process
Explain how efficiency standards, public transport and carbon taxation reduce energy demand.
Process
Describe landscape scarring, soil erosion and biodiversity loss from mineral extraction.
Process
What happened at the Bingham Canyon mine on 10 April 2013?
Process
How has the Bingham Canyon mine affected groundwater?
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How is waste from ore processing at Bingham Canyon stored?
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How do market forces affect resource allocation?
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How does economic growth influence resource demand?
Process
What environmental constraints limit resource extraction?
Take Resource Security further
The same content, four other ways.
Commonly confused
Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.
Resource security vs Resource scarcity
Resource security: reliable access to sufficient affordable resources. Resource scarcity: shortfall between resource availability and demand.
Physical scarcity vs Economic scarcity
Physical scarcity: insufficient natural resources to meet demand. Economic scarcity: inadequate access caused by limited infrastructure or investment.
Renewable resource vs Non-renewable resource
Renewable resource: resource replenished on a human timescale. Non-renewable resource: finite resource not replenished on a human timescale.
Questions from this topic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
What is a resource in geographical terms?
Model answer
Any aspect of the natural environment that can be used to meet human needs or wants.
- 2
Define stock resources.
Model answer
Finite, non-renewable resources that exist in fixed quantities and are not replenished on a human timescale.
- 3
Why are fossil fuels classified as stock resources rather than flow resources?
Model answer
Because they exist in fixed quantities and are not replenished on a human timescale, unlike flow resources which are naturally renewed.
- 4
What are flow resources?
Model answer
Renewable resources that are naturally replenished over time and can be used indefinitely if managed sustainably.
- 5
Give two examples of stock resources.
Model answer
Fossil fuels and mineral ores.
- 6
Name four examples of flow resources.
Model answer
Solar energy, wind, water and timber.
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material.
Resource Security revision questions
- What does Resource Security cover in AQA A-Level Geography?
- 27 subtopics: stock and flow resources and reserves, resource certainty and development stages, resource frontiers, peaks and sustainable development, environmental impact assessment, global production and consumption of energy and minerals, the geopolitics of energy, minerals and water, water sources and demand, water supply strategies, the colorado river water supply scheme, the costs of supply and managing demand, water conflict and major supply schemes, energy types, mix and physical controls on supply, tncs, national interests and energy impacts, increasing energy supply: unconventional, nuclear and renewable, reducing energy demand, environmental impacts and sustainability of energy, the alberta oil sands development, choosing a mineral ore case study, demand for and occurrence of mineral ores, the environmental cost of mineral extraction, the bingham canyon copper mine, sustainability in mineral supply, alternative energy futures, alternative water futures, mineral ore futures, drivers of resource transitions and resource security and human welfare. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
- How is Resource Security organised?
- By the AQA 7037 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.
Every question in Resource Security, 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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