Year 10 Paper 2: Hazards and the Living World
This paper covers tectonic hazards, weather hazards and climate change together with UK ecosystems, hot deserts and rainforests, and geographical skills.
Year 10 here means a typical teaching order, not a syllabus rule. No exam board defines what belongs to Year 10, and schools sequence the course differently. Check it against your own scheme of work before using it to decide what a class has covered.
Questions
Question 1 [1 marks]
Weather Hazards
Name the ocean where tropical storms affecting the Caribbean typically form.
Question 2 [3 marks]
Climate Change
State three possible impacts of climate change on human activity.
Question 3 [3 marks]
Tectonic Hazards
State three primary effects of a volcanic eruption.
Question 4 [3 marks]
Development in Extreme Environments
State three reasons why plant nutrients in a tropical rainforest are found mainly in the vegetation rather than in the soil.
Question 5 [3 marks]
Ecosystems and Biomes
State three factors that determine which large-scale global biome, such as tropical rainforest or tundra, is found in a particular part of the world.
Question 6 [3 marks]
Weather Hazards
A storm brought the following rainfall totals to three towns in southwest England over 24 hours:
Combe Hollow: 88mm Fenwick Bay: 61mm Aldercombe: 105mm
Calculate the mean rainfall total for the three towns, giving your answer to 1 decimal place.
Question 7 [4 marks]
Climate Change
The table shows the average global temperature anomaly, the difference from the 1961-1990 average, for four decades.
1980s: +0.18 deg C 1990s: +0.32 deg C 2000s: +0.51 deg C 2010s: +0.72 deg C
Calculate the increase in the temperature anomaly from the 1980s to the 2010s, then calculate this increase as a percentage of the 1980s figure.
Question 8 [5 marks]
Geographical Skills
Explain two limitations of using a questionnaire to collect data on residents' opinions of a proposed urban regeneration scheme.
Question 9 [5 marks]
Development in Extreme Environments
Explain two economic opportunities that tropical rainforest environments can offer for development.
Question 10 [5 marks]
Climate Change
Explain how the enhanced greenhouse effect leads to global warming.
Question 11 [5 marks]
Tectonic Hazards
A city has a population of 850,000. A hazard assessment estimates that 34,000 residents live within the zone most at risk from lahars (volcanic mudflows).
Calculate the percentage of the city's population living within the highest-risk zone, then state whether this is a small or large share of the total population, and give a reason for a hazard planning strategy that follows from this.
Question 12 [5 marks]
Climate Change
Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration was 315 parts per million (ppm) in 1960 and had risen to 415 ppm by 2020.
Calculate the increase in CO2 concentration over this period, then calculate the average rate of increase in ppm per year, and suggest one implication of this rate compared with natural rates of change seen in ice-core records.
Question 13 [5 marks]
Tectonic Hazards
In 2019, earthquakes of a similar magnitude struck the fictional country of Movalia, a lower-income country, and the fictional country of Bregland, a higher-income country.
Movalia recorded 4200 deaths. Bregland recorded 12 deaths.
Explain two reasons why the effects of an earthquake can be far more severe in a lower-income country, such as Movalia, than in a higher-income country, such as Bregland.
Question 14 [6 marks]
Ecosystems and Biomes
An ecological survey recorded the number of plant species in two 100m squared plots of grassland.
Plot A (grazed by sheep): 8 species Plot B (ungrazed for 10 years): 3 species
Calculate Plot A's species count as a percentage of Plot B's species count, then discuss why grazing might result in higher plant species diversity than leaving the land ungrazed.
Question 15 [6 marks]
Geographical Skills
A student wants to test whether pedestrian counts differ between a Saturday and a Tuesday at the same location in a town centre. On the Saturday, hourly counts over 4 hours were: 85, 102, 96, 110. On the Tuesday, hourly counts over the same 4 hours were: 40, 58, 51, 47.
Calculate the mean hourly pedestrian count for each day, then evaluate how reliable a conclusion about weekday versus weekend footfall would be, based on data from only one Saturday and one Tuesday.
Question 16 [6 marks]
Ecosystems and Biomes
For a small-scale UK ecosystem you have studied, evaluate the effectiveness of a specific conservation or management technique used to maintain it.
Question 17 [6 marks]
Geographical Skills
A student carried out a pilot survey of pedestrian counts at 4 sites, recording these totals over 10 minutes at each: Site 1: 18, Site 2: 45, Site 3: 22, Site 4: 61.
Calculate the mean pedestrian count, then evaluate whether the mean is a suitable single measure to summarise this particular data set, referring to the actual values recorded.
Question 18 [6 marks]
Ecosystems and Biomes
A woodland trust manages 240 hectares of ancient woodland. A survey found that 18 hectares had been affected by a plant disease that kills mature trees.
Calculate the percentage of the woodland affected by the disease, then evaluate the wider ecological consequences if the disease continues to spread at the current rate.
Model solutions
| Question 1[1 mark] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| the (tropical) Atlantic Ocean | B1 |
| Question 2[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying a valid impact, e.g. reduced crop yields from changing rainfall or heat | B1 |
| identifying a second valid impact, e.g. increased coastal flood risk from rising sea levels | B1 |
| identifying a third valid impact, e.g. more frequent heatwaves affecting health, or migration of climate refugees | B1 |
| Final answer: Any three of: reduced crop yields from changing rainfall or heat, increased coastal flood risk from rising sea levels, more frequent heatwaves affecting health, spread of disease into new areas, migration of climate refugees | |
| Question 3[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying a valid primary effect, e.g. lava flows destroying buildings and vegetation | B1 |
| identifying a second valid primary effect, e.g. ash fall damaging crops or causing roofs to collapse | B1 |
| identifying a third valid primary effect, e.g. pyroclastic flows destroying property and killing people, or the release of toxic volcanic gases | B1 |
| Final answer: Any three of: lava flows destroying buildings/vegetation, ash fall damaging crops or causing roofs to collapse, pyroclastic flows destroying property and killing people, release of toxic volcanic gases | |
| Question 4[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying a valid reason, e.g. rapid decomposition of leaf litter releases nutrients quickly | B1 |
| identifying a second valid reason, e.g. dense root systems absorb nutrients almost immediately | B1 |
| identifying a third valid reason, e.g. heavy year-round rainfall leaches any remaining nutrients out of the thin topsoil | B1 |
| Final answer: Any three of: rapid decomposition releases nutrients quickly, dense root systems absorb nutrients almost immediately, heavy rainfall leaches remaining nutrients out of the thin topsoil | |
| Question 5[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying a valid factor, e.g. latitude | B1 |
| identifying a second valid factor, e.g. average annual temperature | B1 |
| identifying a third valid factor, e.g. average annual rainfall, or distance from the sea | B1 |
| Final answer: Any three of: latitude, average annual temperature, average annual rainfall, distance from the sea (continentality) | |
| Question 6[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| adding the three totals, 88 + 61 + 105 = 254 | M1 |
| dividing the total by 3 | M1 |
| 84.7mm | A1 |
| Question 7[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| finding the increase, 0.72 - 0.18 = 0.54 | M1 |
| the increase, 0.54 deg C | A1 |
| setting up the percentage calculation, (0.54 / 0.18) x 100 | M1 |
| the percentage increase, 300% | A1 |
| Final answer: An increase of 0.54 deg C, a 300% increase | |
| Question 8[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying that people may not answer honestly, e.g. giving the answer they think the researcher wants to hear | B1 |
| developing this, e.g. this could make the results seem more positive or negative than residents' genuine opinions | B1 |
| identifying that it can be difficult to get a large or representative sample of responses, if some groups are less willing to respond than others | B1 |
| developing this, e.g. this could mean the results overrepresent the opinions of the groups who did respond, rather than the whole community | B1 |
| a valid concluding link, e.g. both limitations mean questionnaire results should be interpreted with some caution rather than treated as fully representative | B1 |
| Final answer: Respondents may not answer honestly, e.g. giving an answer they think is expected, skewing the apparent balance of opinion; and it can be hard to get a large or representative sample if some groups are less willing to respond, overrepresenting those who did, so results should be interpreted with some caution | |
| Question 9[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying an opportunity, e.g. mineral extraction, such as gold or iron ore mining | B1 |
| developing it, e.g. this generates export income and creates jobs in the mining industry | B1 |
| identifying a second opportunity, e.g. commercial agriculture, such as growing soya or rearing cattle | B1 |
| developing it, e.g. this earns foreign currency by supplying global food and animal feed markets | B1 |
| a valid concluding point, e.g. both opportunities can fund wider national development, such as infrastructure and services | B1 |
| Final answer: Two developed opportunities, e.g. mineral extraction generating export income and jobs; commercial agriculture earning foreign currency, both able to fund wider national development | |
| Question 10[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying that short-wave solar radiation passes through the atmosphere and warms the Earth's surface | B1 |
| identifying that the Earth re-radiates this energy as long-wave (infrared) radiation | B1 |
| explaining that greenhouse gases absorb and re-emit this long-wave radiation rather than letting it escape to space | B1 |
| linking increased greenhouse gas concentrations to more radiation being trapped | B1 |
| concluding that this additional trapped energy raises the average global temperature | B1 |
| Final answer: Solar radiation warms the Earth's surface, which re-radiates long-wave radiation; greenhouse gases absorb and re-emit this instead of letting it escape, and rising greenhouse gas concentrations trap more of it, raising global temperature | |
| Question 11[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| setting up the percentage calculation, (34,000 / 850,000) x 100 | M1 |
| 4% | A1 |
| stating this is a small proportion of the total population | B1 |
| a valid reason, e.g. although the number at risk is large in absolute terms, it is a small fraction of the whole city | B1 |
| a valid planning implication, e.g. hazard mitigation resources should be targeted at the highest-risk zone rather than spread across the whole city | B1 |
| Final answer: 4%; a small proportion of the total population, so hazard mitigation resources should be targeted at the highest-risk zone rather than spread across the whole city | |
| Question 12[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| finding the increase, 415 - 315 = 100 | M1 |
| 100 ppm | A1 |
| dividing the increase by the number of years, 100 / 60 | M1 |
| 1.7 ppm per year (accept 1.6-1.7) | A1 |
| a valid implication, e.g. this rate is far faster than natural CO2 changes seen in ice-core records over past millennia, suggesting a human rather than a purely natural cause | B1 |
| Final answer: An increase of 100 ppm; an average rate of about 1.7 ppm per year, far faster than natural historical rates of change, suggesting a human rather than a purely natural cause | |
| Question 13[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying a valid reason, e.g. building regulations are less strict or poorly enforced | B1 |
| developing that reason, e.g. so buildings are more likely to collapse and trap people inside | B1 |
| identifying a second valid reason, e.g. emergency services have fewer resources or specialist equipment | B1 |
| developing the second reason, e.g. so rescue and medical treatment are slower, increasing the death toll | B1 |
| a valid concluding point that links level of development directly to the difference in impact shown by the data | B1 |
| Final answer: Two developed reasons, e.g. weaker building regulations increase collapse risk; under-resourced emergency services slow rescue and treatment, with a concluding link to the death toll gap | |
| Question 14[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| setting up the percentage calculation, (8 / 3) x 100 | M1 |
| 266.7% (accept 266-267%) | A1 |
| correctly stating Plot A has more than two and a half times as many species as Plot B | B1 |
| a valid reason grazing can increase diversity, e.g. grazing prevents a small number of vigorous, fast-growing species from dominating and shading out others | B1 |
| a linked point, e.g. this allows a wider range of smaller or slower-growing plant species to survive alongside the dominant ones | B1 |
| a valid limitation or counterpoint, e.g. very heavy grazing can instead reduce diversity by removing too many species entirely | B1 |
| Final answer: 266.7%, so Plot A has over two and a half times as many species as Plot B; moderate grazing can prevent dominant species from shading out others, though overgrazing can reduce diversity instead | |
| Question 15[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| the Saturday mean, (85 + 102 + 96 + 110) / 4 | M1 |
| 98.25 pedestrians per hour | A1 |
| the Tuesday mean, (40 + 58 + 51 + 47) / 4 | M1 |
| 49 pedestrians per hour | A1 |
| a valid point on reliability, e.g. data from just one Saturday and one Tuesday could be affected by unusual one-off events, such as weather or a local event, rather than showing a typical pattern | B1 |
| a valid improvement, e.g. repeating the survey on several different Saturdays and Tuesdays would give a more reliable, typical picture | B1 |
| Final answer: Saturday mean = 98.25 pedestrians per hour; Tuesday mean = 49 pedestrians per hour; a conclusion from just one of each day is not very reliable, since one-off factors like weather or a local event could distort the result, so repeating the survey on several different Saturdays and Tuesdays would give a more reliable picture | |
| Question 16[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| Names and locates the small-scale UK ecosystem and the technique studied, e.g. coppicing in a woodland or grazing management on a heathland (1 mark) | 1 |
| Explains what the technique involves (1 mark) | 1 |
| Explains how the technique benefits the ecosystem, e.g. coppicing lets light reach the woodland floor, allowing a greater variety of plants to grow (1 mark) | 1 |
| Evaluates a limitation or cost of the technique, e.g. it requires ongoing labour and funding to repeat regularly (1 mark) | 1 |
| Considers what might happen to the ecosystem if the technique were stopped (1 mark) | 1 |
| Reaches a supported overall judgement on how effective the technique has been (1 mark) | 1 |
| Final answer: A named ecosystem and technique with an explained benefit, an evaluated limitation, a consideration of stopping it and a supported judgement on effectiveness | |
| Question 17[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| adding the four totals, 18 + 45 + 22 + 61 = 146 | M1 |
| dividing by 4 | M1 |
| the mean, 36.5 pedestrians | A1 |
| a valid point that the mean may not be fully suitable, e.g. the values are quite spread out, ranging from 18 to 61, so no single site is actually close to the mean | B1 |
| a valid alternative or further consideration, e.g. the median or the individual site values give a better sense of how footfall actually varies across the town than the mean alone | B1 |
| a supported overall judgement on whether the mean is a suitable summary for this specific data set | B1 |
| Final answer: Mean = 36.5 pedestrians; this may not be a fully suitable summary since the values are widely spread (18 to 61) and no individual site is actually close to 36.5, so the median or the individual values may better represent how footfall really varies between sites | |
| Question 18[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| setting up the percentage calculation, (18 / 240) x 100 | M1 |
| 7.5% | A1 |
| a valid ecological consequence, e.g. losing mature trees removes habitat and food sources for species that depend on them, such as nesting birds or specific insects | B1 |
| a second valid consequence, e.g. gaps in the canopy change the woodland's light and moisture conditions, potentially favouring different, sometimes invasive, plant species | B1 |
| a valid point about how the impact could worsen, e.g. if the disease continues to spread, an increasing proportion of the woodland's canopy and structure would be affected | B1 |
| a supported overall judgement on how serious the consequences are likely to be | B1 |
| Final answer: 7.5% of the woodland is affected; if the disease continues to spread, the ongoing loss of mature trees would keep removing habitat for dependent species and could let different, sometimes invasive, plants dominate as the canopy structure changes, making the long-term consequences potentially serious | |