Cambridge AS & A Level Geography

Hydrology, river processes and hazards

• 1.1 The drainage basin system
• 1.2 River channel processes and landforms
• 1.3 River flood hazards and impacts

Atmospheric processes and global climate change

Candidates need an outline understanding of the vertical structure and composition of the atmosphere.

• 2.1 Energy budgets
• 2.2 Weather processes and phenomena
• 2.3 Global warming and climate change

Earth processes and mass movements

Candidates need an outline understanding of the structure of the Earth.

• 3.1 Plate tectonics
• 3.2 Tectonic processes and landforms
• 3.3 Mass movement hazards and impacts

Population and migration

• 4.1 Global population
• 4.2 Population structure
• 4.3 Migration

Water resources and management

Candidates need the drainage basin system from Topic 1.

• 5.1 Global water resources
• 5.2 Factors influencing water resources at the regional/national scale
• 5.3 Management of water resources at the regional/national scale

Urban areas and management

• 6.1 Urban growth
• 6.2 Urban structure and change
• 6.3 Sustainable urban development

Tropical environmentsOptional

Paper 3 option (choose two of topics 7-10).

• 7.1 Tropical climates
• 7.2 Processes and landforms in tropical environments
• 7.3 Vegetation, soils and ecosystems in tropical environments
• 7.4 Changes and challenges in tropical environments

Coastal environmentsOptional

Paper 3 option (choose two of topics 7-10).

• 8.1 Coastal processes
• 8.2 Characteristics and formation of coastal landforms
• 8.3 Coral reefs
• 8.4 Physical and human challenges to the coastal environment

Hazardous environmentsOptional

Paper 3 option (choose two of topics 7-10).

• 9.1 Earthquake and volcanic hazards and impacts
• 9.2 Tropical cyclone hazards and impacts
• 9.3 Wildfire hazards and impacts
• 9.4 Challenges in multi-hazard environments

Arid environmentsOptional

Paper 3 option (choose two of topics 7-10).

• 10.1 Arid climates
• 10.2 Processes and landforms in arid environments
• 10.3 Vegetation and soils in arid environments
• 10.4 Changes and challenges in arid environments

Climate change impacts and governanceOptional

Paper 4 option (choose two of topics 11-14). Topic 2.3 is assumed knowledge. Candidates need only an outline knowledge of the IPCC; details of RCPs and SSPs…

• 11.1 Our future global climate
• 11.2 Socio-economic impacts of climate change
• 11.3 Governance of climate change

Environmental issues and managementOptional

Paper 4 option (choose two of topics 11-14).

• 12.1 Energy supplies
• 12.2 Pollution and environmental degradation in rural areas
• 12.3 Pollution and environmental degradation in urban areas

Trade, aid and tourismOptional

Paper 4 option (choose two of topics 11-14).

• 13.1 Global trade patterns and change
• 13.2 International organisations involved in trade and aid
• 13.3 International tourism

Disease and geographyOptional

Paper 4 option (choose two of topics 11-14). The focus is on the environmental, social, economic and political aspects of disease, not the medical and…

• 14.1 Distribution of diseases
• 14.2 Pathogenic diseases, their spread and impacts
• 14.3 Monitoring and response to pathogenic diseases

Geographical skills, resources and evaluation

• S1 Resource skills
• S2 Fieldwork and geographical investigations
• S3 Argument, evaluation and command words