VJC Prelim H2 GEO P1 Mark Scheme

VJC H2 Paper 1 Prelims 1 Section A – Tropical Environments 1 (a) Explain the factors influencing aeolian processes in the arid tropics. [12] Indicative content Responses should consider the wind (e.g. velocity) and surface characteristics (e.g. nature of sediments, vegetation cover) that influence the various aeolian processes (i.e. erosion, transportation and deposition). Higher level responses will have a good coverage of both wind and surface characteristics as well as the different aeolian processes. (b) Discuss the factors influencing mass movement in the tropics. [20] Indicative content Responses can consider how natural and human factors contribute to mass movement through their influence on shear stress and shear strength. Higher level responses may discuss the relative importance of natural factors such as heavy rainfall and tectonic hazards in contributing to mass movements through a consideration of their role as trigger mechanisms. The relative significance of human and natural trigger mechanisms can also be considered. The role of natural and human contributing factors can also be discussed in relation to relevant examples. 2 (a) Explain how channel morphology varies in the tropics. [12] Indicative content Higher level response will be those that are able to show variation explicitly: • Spatial variation across climates: humid (meanders tend to be found at areas with steady discharge e.g. tropical rainforest climate) vs. semi arid or arid (braided channels tend to be form in areas with an unstable flow regime e.g. monsoon/savanna climate) • Spatial variation along length of channel: upper course vs. lower course • E.g. as we move downstream: form ratio gets higher, hydraulic radius gets larger, etc. • Temporal variation: wet vs. dry season (e.g. Auranga River: wet season meander and dry season braided) (b) To what extent do aeolian processes play the most important role in the formation of arid landscapes? [20] Indicative content

2 Responses can discuss the role of aeolian and fluvial processes in the formation of various arid landscapes such as yardangs, dunes, loess and rills and gullies. Higher level responses will explicitly weigh the relative importance of aeolian and fluvial processes in the formation of the various arid landscapes. There is also a strong awareness of the conditions in the arid tropics that impacts the relative significance of aeolian and fluvial processes (e.g. the lack of precipitation; the rare but intense precipitation; the lack of vegetation cover). Strongest responses may even consider how the relative importance of aeolian and fluvial processes may have changed over time (e.g. as climates have changed).

3 Section B – Development, Economy and Environment 3 (a) Explain the relevance of the arguments made by Malthus and Harvey to resource scarcity in countries at different levels of development. [12] Indicative content Responses should explain the specific arguments proposed in both Malthus’ theory on food scarcity (AP Food vs Population GP, positive – negative checks) as well as Harvey’s theories on relative scarcity (capitalism, labour, nature as capital) with an emphasis on relevance to a variety of context in countries at different levels of development. The strongest responses will be well supported with relevant examples. (b) Discuss the challenges that states may face in governing the global economy. [20] Indicative Content Responses should evaluate the ability of the state to govern (control and influence flows of goods/capital and other stakeholders – especially TNCS). The roles of the state that can be explored include: regulator of the economy, provider of public goods and services and business owner/ investor. Stronger responses will be able to discuss specific conditions/factors e.g newly elected governments, competition for TNC FDI etc that limit (challenge) the ability of the state to govern at the global scale. The strongest responses will be well supported with relevant examples. 4 (a) Explain how the arguments in dependency theory and core-periphery model can help to account for the development gap at different scales. [12] Indicative Content Dependency theory • The development of cities and countries has depended on the accumulation of surplus value that occurs via a process of unequal exchange that extends from within countries to between countries at different levels of development. • Unequal exchange between the core and the periphery. Unequal exchange as the core buys the materials (primary resources) from the periphery for cheap, after value adding (through manufacturing), the product they produce is more expensive than the materials used to make it. They then sell the finished goods to the periphery at a much higher cost. • For the periphery, their exports earn a lot less than what they spend from the imports from the core, so it leads to trade imbalance earnings— allowing the core and periphery to continue to be rich and poor respectively.

4 • Therefore, the condition of less developed rural areas and/or countries at lower levels of development is not the outcome of inertia, misfortune, chance, climatic conditions, etc. but rather a reflection of the manner of their incorporation into the capitalist syst em where they are integrated at the bottom of the hierarchy of dependence. • Hence the development gap can exist at different scales, within countries, and between countries at different levels of development. Core-periphery model • At various scales, sharp territorial contrasts exist in wealth, economic advancement, and growth between economic heartlands and outlying subordinate zones—the growth and prosperity of core regions is at the expense of exploited peripheral zones. • Within country: wealthy urban cores and depressed rural peripheries or prospering high-tech concentrations and declining manufacturing belts in many developed countries. • Between countries: core-periphery contrasts are discerned between Western Europe, Japan and the United States as prosperous cores and the countries at the lowest levels of development as underdeveloped peripheries. • Idea that development gap should and will continue to exist in order to drive the growth of core regions, where eventually peripheral regions will benefit through the trickle-down effect. However, without intervention, trickle-down effect is usually minimal or non-existent—leading to the persistence of the development gap between core and peripheral regions. (b) ‘There are too many people on Earth relative to resources’. To what extent do you agree? [20] Indicative content Responses could consider the dynamics of the population-resource relationship as proposed by the theories of Malthus, Boserup and Harvey. Evaluations of the statement should consider the complexities of scarcity (absolute vs relative) especially given a variety of possible res ources (natural vs manmade, finite vs infinite). Strong responses will be able to discuss specific contexts and conditions where the statement may hold true/false e.g. food supply in countries at higher levels of development vs lower levels of development. The strongest responses may consider even more variations e.g. rural vs urban areas in countries at lower levels of development and arguments will be well supported with relevant examples.

5 Section C – Sustainable Development 5 (a) Explain the limitations of replacing fossil fuels with alternative energy sources in countries at low levels of development. [12] Indicative Content Responses should explain the limitations of various alternative energies (hydropower and nuclear energy) e.g. technical expertise, setup costs etc. as well as the reasons for