Database results:
examBoard: Cambridge
examType: IGCSE
lessonTitle: Physical Geography Review
Physical geography explores the natural processes that shape our planet's surface and the patterns they create. For Paper 1 of your Cambridge iGCSE Geography exam, you'll need to understand these processes and how they affect both landscapes and human activities.
Key Definitions:
Rivers are powerful agents of erosion, transportation and deposition that shape landscapes over time.
Erosion: The wearing away of the landscape by physical and chemical processes.
Types of erosion:
Rivers transport material in four main ways:
A river changes as it flows from its source to its mouth, creating different landforms along its course.
Features: V-shaped valleys, waterfalls, rapids, interlocking spurs
Energy: High potential energy, vertical erosion dominant
Features: Meanders, wider valleys, floodplains beginning to form
Energy: Balance of erosion and deposition, lateral erosion increases
Features: Wide floodplains, oxbow lakes, levees, deltas
Energy: Low energy, deposition dominant
The Mississippi River is North America's largest river system. Its lower course features extensive meanders, oxbow lakes and a massive delta. In 2011, severe flooding affected over 21,000 square kilometres and caused $3.2 billion in damages, demonstrating the power of river processes and the challenges of living in floodplain areas.
Coasts are dynamic environments where land meets sea, shaped by waves, tides and human activities.
The coast is constantly changing due to the action of waves, which can be constructive (building up beaches) or destructive (eroding the coastline).
Constructive waves:
Destructive waves:
Erosional features:
Depositional features:
The Jurassic Coast in Dorset showcases classic coastal landforms including Durdle Door (a limestone arch), Lulworth Cove (a sheltered bay) and Chesil Beach (a large shingle beach). The area demonstrates how different rock types respond to coastal processes, with resistant limestone forming headlands while less resistant clay forms bays.
Weather refers to day-to-day atmospheric conditions, while climate describes the average weather patterns over a longer period.
Global climate is influenced by several key factors:
Tropical storms (hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones) are intense low-pressure weather systems that form over warm tropical oceans.
Primary effects: Strong winds, heavy rainfall, storm surges
Secondary effects: Flooding, landslides, infrastructure damage
Responses:
Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast of the USA in August 2005. It caused over 1,800 deaths and $125 billion in damage. New Orleans was particularly affected when levees failed, flooding 80% of the city. The disaster highlighted issues with preparation, evacuation plans and infrastructure resilience. Long-term responses included strengthening levees and improving evacuation procedures.
Ecosystems are communities of plants and animals that interact with each other and their physical environment.
Tropical rainforests are found near the equator and are characterized by high biodiversity, dense vegetation and distinct layers.
Threats:
Sustainable management:
The Amazon Rainforest spans nine countries in South America, with 60% in Brazil. It contains 10% of all known species and produces 20% of Earth's oxygen. Deforestation rates have fluctuated, with recent increases due to agricultural expansion, particularly for cattle ranching and soy production. Conservation efforts include protected areas, indigenous reserves and international funding initiatives like the Amazon Fund.
Remember that Paper 1 will test your knowledge of physical geography through a combination of short-answer questions, data response questions and extended writing. Make sure you can apply your knowledge to unfamiliar situations and interpret geographical information from maps, graphs and photographs.
Log in to track your progress and mark lessons as complete!
Login NowDon't have an account? Sign up here.