Alevel geography hazard 20 marker

Hello, I have my end of topic test for geography on Monday and haven’t been doing so well so I was hoping that I could get some help in the structure of this 20 marker and what some A* points may be:
How are wildfires and storms increasing frequency and intensity over time and how may this be a threat to humans?
We have studied hurricane Katrina, typhoon haiyan and the Australian wildfires
Thanks :smile:

Reply 1

sarahjanesmith

what exam board do you do?
If Edexcel - is this an assess or evaluate question?

Reply 2

tinyperson

Make notes. Tell us more

Reply 3

Luna151

Original post by sarahjanesmith

what exam board do you do?
If Edexcel - is this an assess or evaluate question?

The exam board is AQA and this is all I have been given to prepare :smile:

Reply 4

Luna151

Original post by tinyperson

Make notes. Tell us more

I have case study sheets for Katrina and haiyan if you would like to see those

Reply 5

sarahjanesmith

Original post by evelambert05

The exam board is AQA and this is all I have been given to prepare :smile:

Maybe do
intro - restate the questions. Basic info
1st para - typhoon
2nd para - hurricane
3rd para - wildfires
conclusion - summarise it briefly. don't add any new points

what to include in the paragraphs
- what/when happened - magnitude etc
- how/why is there an increasing frequency etc and how may this be a threat - talk about land in terms of, is it worse for those in low lying areas, discordant/concordant coastline, temperature - maybe link to climate change if necessary and maybe talk about long term/short term impacts and how the gov or locals tried to go back to 'normal'

This is maybe how I would approach it

Reply 6

Luna151

Wildfires are uncontrolled fires that destroy forests, grasslands and other areas of vegetation. A tropical storm is a low pressure weather system that has strong winds and heavy rainfall. Since 2000 wildfires in the US alone have caused $1 billion worth of damage. And severe effects storms can cost up to $2.3 billion per event.

Climate change has been a key factor in the increasing intensity of wildfires and tropical storms. Wildfires can be escalated by factors like dry vegetation and strong winds. Research suggests that changes in climate create warmer drier conditions. Increased drought and a longer fire season help to boost the destruction of wildfires. It is predicted that there will be a 30% increase in the amount of lightning ignited wildfires by 2060 in America. Storms may also become more intense due to a warmer climate and stronger winds. Lower lying areas like New Orleans are likely to be devastated from hurricane eg hurricane Katrina. Over the past decade there has been an increase in the intensity of natural disasters like wildfires and tropical storms, this shows the impact that climate change has on the natural order.

The number of disasters has increased by a factor of five over a 50 year period. Places with dry seasons tend to experience more wildfires this is due to the vegetation easily igniting. In 2025 of the six largest fires on record burned in California and Oregon saw historic levels of wildfires spread and damage. Climate change is also affecting the frequency of hazards like storms and wildfires a tropical storm forms over waters of 35°C as the sea temperature begins to increase we have seen an increase in the amount of tropical storms that have occurred. Many large category three storms have occurred in the last century for example hurricane Katrina.

Natural disasters such as wildfires and tropical storms can have a huge threat on humans.

Many people can be killed and injured during the storm on fire homes can be destroyed with many ETA left homeless. Disasters like that you can also impact a country‘s development they could slow down a developing country destroying businesses are leading to loss of job and income. Not only are the impacts devastating but fighting fires and storms can be extremely expensive for example the overall economic impact estimated from typhoon Haiyan was $5.8 billion. With the number of natural disasters increasing many people can be forced to leave their homes and seek refuge elsewhere this can put immense amounts of pressure on areas where the refugees attempt to flee to. For example during hurricane Katrina many people tried to seek refuge in neighbouring states however many of the states became overwhelmed due to the amount of people they took in. Wildfires also pose as a threat to humans not only can they destroy peoples livelihood they can also have emotional damage for example the house that you grew up in may have burned down in front of your eyes.

Overall the number of hazards is increasing and this is becoming more of a risk as they are more intense this can impact many countries both socially and economically. They can also threaten populations despite attempts to manage the hazard.

This is my first attempt please don’t be nice really rip it apart and if you have any suggestions in all ears! 😀😀

Reply 7

karlamaria

its fab babes

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 8

Curious_Bilawi

Original post by Luna151

There are a few key points that you can include in your essay on the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires and storms over time, and how this may be a threat to humans. Some potential A* points to consider might include:

1) The role of climate change in increasing the frequency and intensity of wildfires and storms: There is a growing body of evidence that suggests that climate change is contributing to an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as hurricanes, typhoons, and wildfires. As global temperatures rise, there is more energy available in the atmosphere, which can lead to more powerful storms and more intense wildfires.

2) The impact of wildfires and storms on human communities: Both wildfires and storms can have devastating impacts on human communities. Wildfires can destroy homes, businesses, and infrastructure, and can also lead to air pollution and respiratory problems for those living in the affected area. Storms can cause flooding, landslides, and damage to homes and infrastructure, and can also lead to power outages and other disruptions.

3) Potential strategies for mitigating the impact of wildfires and storms: There are a number of strategies that can be used to mitigate the impact of wildfires and storms on human communities. These might include things like improved building codes to make homes and other structures more resistant to damage, improved emergency preparedness and response systems, and better land use planning to minimize the risk of fires and floods.

4) The need for international cooperation to address the threat of wildfires and storms: Finally, it is important to recognize that the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires and storms is a global problem that requires international cooperation to address. This might include things like increased funding for research and development of new technologies to better predict and track storms, and more efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change.