Exam structure
1.Multiple choice- 30 marks( everything)
2.Map questions- 25 marks(map skills, Relief forms)
3.GeoPhysical- 15 marks( rock types, rock cycle, denudation,
volcanoes, mountains.)
4.Rivers- 20 marks
5.Economic activity- 10 marks
Total: 100 marks
Solar system
TYPES OF PLANETS
▪ Terrestrial: These are made up of mostly silicate rocks or metals. Earth, Mars, Venus
and Mercury are terrestrial planets.
▪ Jovian: These are the four giant outer planets, which are made up of mostly gas.
Uranus and Neptune are so far from the sun that their cores are made of ice.
MOTIONS OF THE EARTH
Revolution- Moving in an elliptical orbit around the sun. It takes 365 1/4 days to
complete one
revolution. This is why there is a leap year every 4 years, to account for the 1/4 days.
Elliptical Orbit-This happens when an object moves around another object in an
oval-shaped path.
Perihelion is the point of the Earth’s orbit where it is closest to the sun, and Aphelion is
the point of the Earth’s orbit where it is furthest away from the sun.
Rotation- Spinning around on its axis at different angles (between 22.1 and 24.5
degrees). It rotates eastward (counterclockwise if viewed from the North Star)
SEASONS
The earth is tilted at an angle of 66 ½ degrees to the plane of its orbit around the sun.
The time of year when the sun is at its most northerly or southerly latitude is called the
solstice. It is the longest or shortest day of the year.
All summer solstice in the northern hemisphere the sun is directly overhead the tropic
of cancer 23 ½ degrees.
Equinox is the time of year when the sun is directly over the equator that is 21st march
and 21 september. During that time days and nights are equal all over the world.
All this variation is caused by the tilt of the earths Axis.
Plate Tectonics
STRUCTURES OF THE EARTH
The core- the centre of the Earth. It
consists of an inner core and
outer core, and is extremely hot.
The mantle- Found between the outer core
and the crust. This layer is also
extremely hot and mostly
consists of a very thick liquid
called magma. When magma
rises to the surface of the Earth,
it is called lava, which then
hardens to form rocks.
The crust- The outermost layer of the Earth. It is relatively thin compared to the other
layers, and
contains several large cracks, which form
“plates”. These plates tend to move,
though very slowly, as the liquid in the
mantle moves.
Lithosphere and Asthenosphere
The combination of the Earth’s Crust and upper
part of the mantle is called the Lithosphere.
The upper layer of the mantle, below the lithosphere, is called the Asthenosphere.
2 types of crust:
Oceanic Crust:-
• makes up the bottom of the oceans, seas and continents,
• is composed mainly of basalt,
• is generally 5-12 km thick and
• is denser and younger than continental crust.
Continental crust: -
• makes up the continents,
• is mainly composed of granite,
• is about 35 km thick and
• is lighter and older than oceanic crust.
2 Types of Material make up the Crust:
Sima(oceanic crust) :-
• A dense material
• Rich in silica and magnesium
• Forms the oceanic crust and the lower part of continental crust.
Sial(continental crust) :-
• A lighter rock
• Rich in silica and aluminum
• Forms the upper part of continental crust
• Floats on the denser material below (ie sima)
Types of plate boundaries:
DIVERGENT
Plates move away from one another
Results in magma rising between the
two plates, which may harden to form
a strip of new crust.
Also called ‘constructive plate
Boundaries’
E.g. The boundary between the
Antarctic plate and the Pacific plate
CONVERGENT
Plates move toward one another. They converge at the [Link] form close to
the edge of an ocean
Result in earthquakes, volcanoes and ocean trenches
May result in a “subduction zone”, where one plate
is drawn downward, beneath another plate. This is
also known as a “destructive plate margin” because
the submerged crust melts into the magma as it
enters the mantle. When continental crust lies near
the subduction zone, fold mountains may form
E.g. The boundary between the Eurasian plate and
the Pacific plate