Edexcel A-level Geography Year 13 revision

Topic 5: The water cycle and water insecurity

The water cycle and water insecurity explores how water moves around the planet, and why many people lack enough of it.

We will study the water cycle as a system, how it changes, and case studies of the Amazon and the Arctic.

Then we examine water insecurity, its causes, conflicts over shared rivers, and strategies for sustainable water supply.

1. 5.1The water cycle as a system: drainage basin and global stores, flows and the water balanceFree 25 questions
2. 5.2Changes in the water cycle: natural variability (ENSO), land use, urbanisation and extraction75 questions
3. 5.3Water cycle case studies: Amazon rainforest and Arctic cryosphere, plus hydrograph and water budget analysis67 questions
4. 5.4Water insecurity: physical and economic scarcity, water stress and water poverty29 questions
5. 5.5Causes of water insecurity: population growth, climate, pollution and demand67 questions
6. 5.6Water conflicts and transboundary rivers: players and geopolitics65 questions
7. 5.7Sustainable water supply strategies: dams, desalination, groundwater, transfers and conservation40 questions
8. 5.8Water management case study: large-scale versus community-based solutions60 questions

Topic 6: The carbon cycle and energy security

There are 9 parts: we start with the carbon cycle, and finish with renewables, nuclear and energy transition.

1. 6.1The carbon cycle: stores, flows, fluxes and the global carbon budgetFree 36 questions
2. 6.2Human disturbance of the carbon cycle: fossil fuels, land-use change, ocean acidification75 questions
3. 6.3Carbon cycle, climate and water links: feedbacks, permafrost, methane and tipping points76 questions
4. 6.4Managing the carbon cycle: sequestration, carbon capture, forest management and REDD+32 questions
5. 6.5Resource security14 questions
6. 6.6Global energy supply and demand: energy mix, consumption patterns and players34 questions
7. 6.7Energy security and geopolitics: pathways, risks and national strategies35 questions
8. 6.8Unconventional fossil fuels: tar sands, shale gas and deepwater oil29 questions
9. 6.9Renewables, nuclear and energy transition: sustainable energy futures38 questions

Topic 7: Climate change futures

Climate change futures looks at how the climate has changed in the past, and how it might change in the future.

We will study natural climate change, the evidence for it, and the human causes of recent warming.

Then we examine the impacts of climate change, future projections, and how the world can mitigate and adapt.

1. 7.1Natural climate change: Quaternary and Holocene variations, orbital, solar and volcanic forcingFree 77 questions
2. 7.2Evidence for climate change: ice cores, sediments, tree rings and instrumental records66 questions
3. 7.3Human causes: enhanced greenhouse effect, radiative forcing and climate feedbacks70 questions
4. 7.4Impacts of climate change on ecosystems, sea level, water, food and human health79 questions
5. 7.5Climate projections: models, IPCC scenarios, uncertainty and risk66 questions
6. 7.6Mitigation: emissions reduction, carbon trading, renewables and geoengineering34 questions
7. 7.7Adaptation and international agreements: UNFCCC, Paris Agreement and resilience30 questions

Topic 8: Superpowers

It builds on what you learned at AS in Globalisation, and takes it further.

There are 9 parts: we start with defining superpowers, and finish with future global power.

1. 8.1Defining superpowers: characteristics, hard and soft power and spheres of influenceFree 40 questions
2. 8.2Changing superpower hierarchy: historical rise and decline, USA, China and emerging powers23 questions
3. 8.3Factors in superpower emergence: economy, population, resources, technology and geography68 questions
4. 8.4Superpowers, trade and investment: TNCs, Belt and Road, aid and cultural influence28 questions
5. 8.5Superpowers and global governance: hegemony, IGO influence and geopolitical strategy44 questions
6. 8.6Global governance institutions: UN, WTO, IMF, World Bank, G7/G20 and NGOs34 questions
7. 8.7Superpowers and conflict: Cold War legacy, proxy conflicts and flashpoints such as the South China Sea36 questions
8. 8.8Environmental and development impacts of superpowers: resource use, emissions and inequality67 questions
9. 8.9Future global power: multipolar world, trajectories and uncertainty36 questions

Topic 9A: Global development and connections: health, human rights and intervention

It builds on what you learned at AS in Globalisation, and takes it further.

There are 5 parts: we start with measuring development and global inequality, and finish with intervention.

1. 9A.1Measuring development and global inequality: HDI, GNI, Gini and development gaps69 questions
2. 9A.2Trade and development: fair trade, aid, debt and trade-led growth70 questions
3. 9A.3Health, development and global health inequalities: healthcare access, WHO and global health goals72 questions
4. 9A.4Human rights: Universal Declaration, categories of rights, abuses and enforcement27 questions
5. 9A.5Intervention: military action, sanctions, aid, NGOs and the responsibility to protect26 questions

Topic 9B: Global development and connections: migration, identity and sovereignty

It builds on what you learned at AS in Globalisation, and takes it further.

There are 6 parts: we start with global migration patterns and flows, and finish with sovereignty, borders and contested boundaries.

1. 9B.1Global migration patterns and flows: voluntary, forced, internal and internationalFree 32 questions
2. 9B.2Causes of migration: push and pull factors, barriers and migration theory24 questions
3. 9B.3Impacts of migration on origin and destination areas: remittances, demography, economy and society30 questions
4. 9B.4Managing migration: national policies, international agreements and a refugee/migration corridor case study23 questions
5. 9B.5Identity, nationalism and cultural change: diaspora, multiculturalism and sense of place38 questions
6. 9B.6Sovereignty, borders and contested boundaries: state power, geopolitical disputes and bordering25 questions

Topic NEA: Independent investigation

It builds on what you learned at AS in Geographical skills and fieldwork, and takes it further.

There are 8 parts: we start with choosing a title and aims, and finish with writing up the independent investigation.

1. NEA.1Choosing a title and aims: linking to the specification and forming research questions and hypothesesFree 27 questions
2. NEA.2Fieldwork planning: sampling strategies, risk assessment, ethics and pilot studies70 questions
3. NEA.3Primary data collection: quantitative and qualitative methods in physical and human geography75 questions
4. NEA.4Secondary data and GIS: sourcing, evaluating and using data72 questions
5. NEA.5Data presentation: graphs, maps and cartographic and ICT techniques59 questions
6. NEA.6Statistical analysis: Spearman's rank, chi-squared, t-test, Mann-Whitney U, central tendency and dispersion65 questions
7. NEA.7Analysis, conclusions and evaluation: reliability, validity and limitations38 questions
8. NEA.8Writing up the independent investigation: structure, word limit, referencing and reflection33 questions

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