AQA A Level Geography
Revision checklist for Weather and climate and associated hazards
Tick off when revised:
Major climate controls: What
controls climate? In this section you
will need to know the structure of
the atmosphere and the circulation
of energy within the different layers.
The structure of the atmosphere
You will know about the pattern of
surface winds and how they are
generated.
Planetary surface winds.
The atmospheric heat budget.
The general atmospheric circulation.
Latitude, oceanic circulation and altitude.
You will understand how the
circulation of the oceans is linked to
climate.
The climate of the British Isles
Air masses affecting the British
Isles.
Basic climatic characteristics: temperature, precipitation and wind.
You understand how the weather and
climate of the British Isles is
determined by its location and the
influence of five major air masses.
Weather changes associated with the passage of a depression.
You know how frontal systems
interact with low and high pressure
systems to create changeable
weather patterns.
Origin and nature of depressions.
Origin and nature of anticyclones.
Associated weather conditions in winter and summer.
Storm events: their occurrence, their impact and responses to them.
One case study from within the last 30 years should be undertaken.
You can compare and contrast the
causes and effects of storm events.
The climate of one tropical region
(case study dependent).
You can give the characteristics of
your tropical region and explain them.
You know 2 case studies of tropical
revolving storms (one from rich part of
the world and one from poor). You
can compare and contrast them
looking at impact and management.
Climate on a local scale: urban
climates.
You understand how the growth of
cities has affected the nature of the
atmosphere and how these changes
impact upon everyday life.
Basic climatic characteristics: temperature, precipitation and wind.
The role of sub-tropical anticyclones and the intertropical
convergence zone.
Tropical revolving storms.Their occurrence, their impact,
management of the hazard and responses to the event. Two case
studies of recent (within the last 30 years) tropical revolving storms
should be undertaken from contrasting areas of the world.
Temperatures: the urban heat island effect.
Precipitation: frequency and intensity, fogs, thunderstorms, and their
relationship to urban form and processes.
Air quality: particulate pollution, photochemical smog and pollution
reduction policies.
Winds: the effects of urban structures and layout on variations in wind
speed, direction and frequency.
Global climate change.
Evidence for climatic change over the last 20 000 years.
You will understand why global
warming is considered to be the
major environmental threat to life on
the planet.
Global warming – possible causes. Possible effects: on a global
scale, on the chosen tropical region (above) and on the British
Isles.
Responses to global warming: international, national and local.
You will know how governments and
people act locally, nationally and
internationally to reduce the
negative impacts climate change
may have.
Use the checklist on page 82 of the AQA Geography text by Smith and Knill. This list gives a
good overview of the chapter.
You are expected to spend at least 200mins a week independent study on this subject. To
reach top grades you will need to read around the subject. Ensure you read and make notes
from other text books, webpages and other sources of information from the library.
Exam questions:
You will have the choice in the exam to answer a structured question or essay question on the
Weather topic. You cannot answer both.
For example a structured question may look like this.
June 2013
As you can see the exam paper is different to the AS one. You will write your answers in a
booklet provided with the exam paper. Questions are of higher value and there are no low
value mark questions. There is always a figure in the structured question, which they will ask
you about.
The essay style question may look something like this.
June 2013
Again you will answer in the booklet provided and select your essay question from all the topics
you have studied.
There will be a generic mark scheme for all essay answers and a subject specific one for
marking. Ensure you have a copy of the generic mark scheme from your teacher. Subject
mark schemes can be used to practice essay questions before you are confident to try by
yourself.