OCR GCSE (9-1) Geography A: Geographical Themes (J383) · Spec 1.3.1, 1.3.2 and 1.3.3
UK weather, floods and changing the environment
Read the notes, then try the questions. Each one is marked the moment you press Check, and shows the right answer and why.
Key ideas
- UK weather depends on air masses. Tropical Maritime air is warm and moist from the south-west. Polar Maritime air is cool and moist from the north-west. Polar Continental air comes from the east and is very cold in winter.
- The North Atlantic Drift is a warm ocean current. It keeps western coasts milder in winter than other places at the same latitude.
- Places far from the sea have a bigger yearly temperature range. This is continentality.
- A wind rose shows the direction the wind blows from. The longest petal is the most common direction.
- Flood causes: heavy or long rain, plus other factors such as saturated ground, steep slopes, impermeable rock and built-up surfaces. Effects hit people and the environment.
- Flood management works at different scales. Hard engineering includes embankments and flood relief channels. Soft engineering includes flood warnings, floodplain zoning and planting trees.
- People modify the environment for food, energy and water. Reservoirs flood valleys. Water transfer schemes move water from the wetter north and west to the drier south-east. Wind farms give low-carbon power but affect views and birds.
Key terms
- Air mass
- A large body of air with similar temperature and moisture.
- Wind rose
- A diagram showing how often the wind blows from each direction.
- Impermeable
- Not letting water soak in, so water runs off the surface.
- Run-off
- Water flowing over the ground surface into rivers.
- Hydrograph
- A graph of river discharge over time. The rising limb shows it increasing and the falling limb shows it decreasing.
- Water transfer scheme
- A scheme that moves water from an area of surplus to an area of shortage.
Common mistakes
- Reading a wind rose as where the wind is going. The petal shows where it comes from.
- Leaving heavy rain out of a flood causes answer. Rainfall must be explained, then weighed against the other causes.
- Saying the government pays for all repairs after a flood. Insurers pay for much of the damage.
- Listing 'wind farms destroy habitats' with no explanation. Say how, for example bird migration routes are disturbed.
Exam tip
Your flood case study must be one UK flood event caused by extreme weather. Name it and give the date. Cover causes, effects on people and the environment, and management at different scales. On a 'biggest cause' question, weigh rainfall against the others and reach a judgement. The Paper 1 12-marker has been on a flood event in some series.
Free practice questions
7 questions, 12 marks. Answer, then press Check. The marking guide explains how the marks are worked out. Nothing is saved.
- Question 1 · Choose more than one[2 marks]
Which TWO are weather hazards that affect the UK?
Choose 2.
- Question 2 · Multiple choice[1 mark]
A wind rose for a weather station on the UK west coast has its longest petal pointing to the south-west. What does the longest petal show?
- Question 3 · Choose more than one[2 marks]
Which TWO are physical factors that raise flood risk?
Choose 2.
- Question 4 · Multiple choice[1 mark]
How do trees reduce flood risk?
- Question 5 · Fill the gaps[2 marks]
On a hydrograph the ___ limb shows discharge increasing and the ___ limb shows it decreasing.
Word bank: base · falling · rising
- Question 6 · Multiple choice[1 mark]
What is a water transfer scheme?
- Question 7 · Matching[3 marks]
Match each flood strategy to how it works.