GCSE Tectonics Ans1 - practise with past papers and mark schemes

GCSE TECTONIC ACTIVITY, LANDSCAPE & ROCKS 

ANSWERS TO QUESTION 1 

(a) 

(b)(i) 

(ii) 

(iii) 

1: Rocks 

2: Hot mud 

3: Ash 

The Singapore Airlines flight was forced to land because: 

* poor visibility caused by ash/smoke plume 

* updraughts of hot air cause turbulence 

* airborne ash clogs jet engines 

* volcanic eruptions often cause torrential rain/thunder and lightning 

Any two. 

Dormant = volcano has not erupted in the past 2,000 years, e.g. Santorini, Greece, last erupted 

1500 BC. 

Active = volcano has erupted recently and is likely to do so again, e.g. Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy 

Natural = because it is not caused by people/cannot controlled by people 

Hazard = because it is dangerous to humans/destructive to property/cannot be (easily/accurately) predicted. 

3x1 

2x1 

2x1 

2x1 

(c) 

Lava Flow 

Crater 

Parasitic Cone 

Vent 

(d) 

(e) (i) 

(ii) 

One mark for the shape of the cone, i.e. symmetrical, and five for labels. 

Volcanoes form along a constructive plat boundary because: 

* plates are diverging (moving apart) 

* convection currents cause 

* (molten) magma to rise from mantle 

* through plate boundary/fault 

* to erupt as lava on the surface 

* lava solidifies to form (a layer of) volcano 

* continued upwelling of magma adds layers of lava to volcano - so it grows 

Any five. 

A: Crustal melting 

B: Oceanic plate 

C: Continental plate 

D: Centre for earthquakes 

Accept reverse of boxes A and D. 

Magma 

Chamber 

Converging/destructive plate boundaries are associated with: 

* volcanoes forming/erupting in fold mountains 

* earthquakes which cause tsunamis (not tidal) waves 

* earthquakes which cause landslides/avalanches (snow) 

* volcanoes release poisonous/toxic gases, e.g. sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide etc. 

Any three explained. 

6x1 

5x1 

4x1 

3x2 

Total 30



(a) (i) 

(ii) 

(iii) 

(iv) 

(b)(i) 

(ii) 

Examples of volcanoes on different continents include: 

*Mount Etna, Europe 

*Mount St. Helens, North America 

*Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa 

*Chimborazo, South America 

*Mount Fujiyama, Asia 

The distribution of volcanoes in the world is: 

*widely distributed 

*but not everywhere 

*in long narrow belts (called active zones) 

*mostly on edges of continents 

*also in oceans 

*not in shield areas 

Any four. Accept maximum of two for a list of named areas only, e.g. west coast South America, 

Mediterranean Sea. 

The only volcanoes found in North America are in a 300 kilometre wide chain running down the 

west coast of that continent because: 

*there is a plate boundary between the North American Plate and Pacific Plate 

*it is an active zone - where volcanoes form 

*the rest of North America is a stable continental shield area 

There is an apparent association between volcanoes, earthquake belts and fold mountains because: 

*they all occur along plate boundaries because - 

*plate movement is involved in all their formation 

*volcanoes form where converging plates cause subduction and melting of crust 

*or where diverging plates allow magma to rise through faults/plate boundaries 

*earthquakes occur when plates ‘lock’, tension builds and is then released as plates ‘jump’ 

*fold mountains are formed as destructive margins or collision margins squeeze ocean sediment upwards 

Any five. 

Reasons why people live close to volcanoes include: 

*volcanoes were dormant when settlement occurred 

*volcanic rocks and ash weathers to form fertile soil 

*volcanoes provide employment through tourism 

*volcanoes provide geothermal heat and power 

*volcanic liquids and gases solidify to form industrial minerals, precious metals and gemstones 

*volcanoes form islands amidst vast oceans = landfalls 

*scientists/vulcanologists/seismologists live close to/study volcanoes 

*tourist attractions so people earn a living from tourist facilities 

Any four. 

Case study example: Mount Fujiyama, Honshu Island, Japan 

Benefits brought to people by Mount Fujiyama’s volcanic activity include: 

*tourist attraction and winter snow skiing 

*people bathe in hot ashes to ease rheumatism 

*drink mineralised water for health reasons 

*fertile slopes are farmed = rice terraces 

*runs a geothermal power station 

*tin, silver, gold and rubies mined 

Any three or four. F = one mark for named example + 3 = 4, H = one mark for named example + 4 = 5 

4x1 

4x1 

3x1 

5x1 

4x1 

5x1

(b)(iii) Problems suffered by people living in a volcanic area: 

*lava flow destroys buildings/engulfs property/farmlamd 

*volcanoes trigger landslides/avalanches of snow 

*volcanoes release poisonous/toxic gases, e.g. sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxide and carbon 

monoxide 

Any two. 

2x1 

(c) 

Ways in which people can be protected from the damaging effects of volcanic activity include: 

*volcano watchers/scientists employed in many Asian countries to warn of/predict eruptions, e.g. 

Tambora, Indonesia 

*digging channels/culverts to lead lava flows away from towns, e.g. Mt. Etna, Sicily, Italy 

*hose/douse hot lava flows with sea water to cool - solidify - stop/halt, e.g. Haiemey, Iceland 

*Italian Air Force bombed lava flows to redirect lava flow away from towns, e.g. Mt. Etna, 

Sicily, Italy 

*pre-arranged/organised/practised evacuation procedures, e.g. Montserrat, Caribbean Sea 

*build dams/walls near settlements to redirect mud flows (lahars), e.g. Nevado del Ruiz, 

Columbia 

F = Any 3 x 2, H = any 4 x 2. 

8x1 

Total 35



(a) (i) 

(ii) 

(iii) 

(iv) 

(v) 

(b)(i) 

(ii) 

(iii) 

(c) (i) 

(ii) 

Osaka or Kyoto (not Tarumi, Wakayama or Nara) 

40km 

The destructive effects of an earthquake are normally greatest near(est) to epicentre/in dense urban areas. 

Earthquake zones are hazardous places to live because: 

* buildings collapse/become unstable 

* bridges, tunnels and viaducts can collapse 

* gas/oil pipes fracture = explosions/fire 

* people can be hit by falling objects/debris 

* submarine earthquakes cause tsunamis (not tidal waves) 

Any two. 

Groups of people who might have been reluctant to leave Kobe despite earthquake warnings include: 

* Armed forces/emergency services (police, ambulance, doctors etc): sense of duty/orders from superiors 

* Shopkeepers/house owners: wish to protect business/property from damage/looting 

* Elderly/infirm: mobility difficulties 

* Sceptics: they have experienced minor/less intense earthquakes before 

Any 2 x 2 

A tectonic plate is a large piece of the Earth’s crust, which ‘floats’ on the mantle beneath. 

Pacific Plate moves west/left but the Eurasian Plate moves east/right. 

Pacific sinks/subducted but Eurasian Plate is buoyant/floats. 

Award mark only if comparison made, i.e. mentions both plates per statement. 

* Eurasian continental plate and oceanic Pacific Plate converge 

* heavier Pacific (oceanic) Plate subducted and ‘locks’ with continental plate 

* tension builds as crustal movement prevented 

* eventually extreme tension causes plates to ‘jump’ - the ‘flicking back’ of the lighter continental plate 

* point of earthquake inside crust is called focus 

* seismic waves/tremors spread out from epicentre (point on surface above focus) 

* earthquake was so devastating because (i) focus was ‘shallow’ and (ii) epicentre was close to Kobe 

H = any 5, F = any 4. 

An earthquake may cause more damage in an urban area than in a rural area because: 

* urban areas are more enclosed by tall/composite structures (more liable to collapse) than countryside 

* densely built city centres/CBDs have little/no open space to escape to 

* ‘domino’ effect = one tall/multi-storey building may fall on to another, which falls on to another 

and so on - effect of earthquake spreads 

* falling debris/masonry is more of a danger in urban areas 

* urban areas have gas/oil pipes which may fracture/leak and explode/start fires 

* urban areas have more overhead electricity cables = can electrocute if brought down. 

H =any 3, F = any 2 

An earthquake may cause more damage in an LEDC than in an MEDC because: 

* denser buildings less well constructed/made from flimsier materials = collapse/fires spread more 

easily, e.g. in shanty towns 

* badly built/inadequate access roads (e.g. in shanty towns) cause difficulties for emergency services 

* settlements in LEDCs built on steep/unsuitable slopes 

* LEDCs do not have sophisticated seismic equipment/satellites to detect/predict earthquakes 

* earthquake-prone MEDCs build earthquake-proof buildings and roads 

* MEDCs have disaster plans/practise evacuation procedures and stockpile emergency provisions 

1 

1 

1 

2x1 

2x2 

2x1 

2x1 

5x1 

3x1 

Place 

Los Angeles 

India 

Year 

1994 

1993 

Time 

05.00hrs 

05.00hrs 

Richter Scale 

6.6 

6.4 

Deaths 

57 

22,000 

4x1 

Total 25



(a) (i) 

(ii) 

(b)(i) 

(ii) 

(iii) 

(iv) 

(v) 

Igneous 

Sedimentary rocks are changed into metamorphic rocks by: 

* igneous activity, e.g. sedimentary rocks melt as magma rises through them 

* then cool - solidify - reform as different rocks, e.g. limestone/chalk - marble 

* (tectonic) plate collision causes folding/faulting of sedimentary rocks 

* intense pressure restructures minerals so rocks alter/reform 

* e.g. shale - slate - schist - gneiss (increasing pressure) 

Sedimentary 

The map shows that sandstone is the least resistant rock to erosion because: 

* mean height above sea level is only 30 metres 

* compared to 70 - 80 - 115 - 360 - 380 - 460 metres above sea level 

* must have been eroded/denuded/lowered the most 

* so less resistant than limestones, coal measures and millstone grit/others 

Any two. 

The term permeable means that it allows water to pass through (reject any reference to porous/porosity) 

Carboniferous limestone is permeable because it has bedding planes, fractures (faults) and joints 

(vertical and horizontal). 

Reservoirs are only found in the millstone grit area because: 

* millstone grit is impermeable = it does not let water pass through 

* all other rocks on the map are permeable or porous 

1 

6x1 

1 

2x1 

1 

2x1 

2x1 

(vi) 

new red sandstone 

Rock Type 

building material 

Economic Use 

coal 

fuel 

limestones (carboniferous or magnesium) 

cement, roadstone, flux, agricultural lime 

Any three. 

millstone grit 

metal sharpener, wheat milling, 

ornamental cladding 

3x1 

(c) (i) 

Economic uses for igneous rocks include: 

* building stone (Aberdeen known as ‘the granite city’) 

* decorative cladding (for outside of buildings, e.g. banks, fireplaces) 

* chemically weathers to china clay/kaolin - pottery and paper glaze 

* bedding for railway tracks 

* sea defences, harbour walls etc 

* sites for reservoirs 

* grouse moors 

* tourism - Dartmoor National Park 

Properties: 

* impermeable 

* very resistant/hard 

* chemically stable 

* colourful/pretty minerals 

H = Any 3 uses and any 3 properties = 6, F = 3 + 2 = 5 

6x1

(c) (ii) 

There is little agriculture in areas of igneous and metamorphic rock because: 

* igneous/metamorphic rocks are very resistant so weathers very slowly so produce very thin soils 

* minerals in igneous/metamorphic rocks, e.g. quartz, weather to form acidic soils/low pH 

* often weather to form sandy/porous/dry/’hungry’ soils 

* because they are very resistant they form uplands = steep slopes, cold, wet, marshy 

* so agriculture is very limited, e.g. sheep/pasture/hill farming 

There is quarrying in areas of igneous and metamorphic rock because: 

* igneous/metamorphic rocks have many commercial uses - for igneous uses see answer to (c)(iv) 

* metamorphic uses = slate - roofing material 

* schist/gneiss = sea defences, ballast 

Maximum marks only if a balanced answer, i.e. candidate addresses all three parts of answer = why 

so little agriculture, what agriculture, why quarrying, max F3/H5 if not. F = 4, H = 6. 

6x1 

Total 30



(a) (i) 

(ii) 

(b)(i) 

(ii) 

(iii) 

(c) 

(d) 

1. Limestone 

2. Swallow hole 

3. Resurgent stream (spring) 

4. Scar 

5. Gorge 

There is little surface water in limestone areas because: 

* limestone contains bedding planes, fractures (faults) and joints (vertical and horizontal) 

* so it is pervious 

* i.e. allows water to pass through it 

Reject any reference to porosity/limestone being porous. 

Underground features commonly found in limestone areas include: 

* cavern 

* stalactite 

* stalagmite 

* limestone pillar 

* swallow hole or sink 

* underground/subterranean stream 

Any two. 

Limestone solution is: 

* the name of the weathering process of limestone/karst scenery/landscapes 

* dissolved calcium bicarbonate in (rain) water 

Underground features are the result of limestone solution and chemical weathering because: 

* process of chemical weathering which attacks/dissolves limestone - is called carbonation/solution 

* rain water absorbs carbon dioxide as it passes through atmosphere/soaks into soil 

* to become a weak/dilute carbonic acid (carbon dioxide now in solution) 

* carbonic acid reacts with/dissolves calcium carbonate - the main mineral in Carboniferous Limestone 

* to make calcium bicarbonate, which is transported in solution 

* so the bedding planes, faults (fractures) and joints in the limestone are widened 

* rock is dissolved at a rate of approx 4 centimetres per year 

H = any 6, F = any four 

Reasons for the course of of the stream shown in the field sketch include: 

* source is/flows over impermeable rock 

* then disappears down swallow hole in permeable limestone 

* flows as a subterranean/underground stream through caverns 

* reaches impermeable bedrock/strata below permeable limestone 

* so emerges as a resurgent stream/Vauclusian spring 

Any four. 

Economic activities which make use of limestone areas include: 

* tourism - caving, hiking etc. 

* quarrying - roadstone. agricultural lime 

* hill farming 

* bottling spring/mineral water 

Any two. 

5x1 

3x1 

2x1 

2x1 

6x1 

4x1 

2x1 

(e) 

Limestone landscapes produced by weathering processes attract many visitors because: 

* limestone/karst scenery is spectacular - limestone pavements, scars, caverns and gorges attract sightseers 

* limestone scenery form national parks, e.g. Yorkshire Dales and Peak District are popular day trip venues 

* limestone (pavements) habitats are rare so home to rare wildflowers and birds - which attract 

botanists and ornothologists 

* limestone landscapes provide a wide variety of recreational activities, e.g. caving, canyoning, 6x1 

rock climbing, hang-gliding etc. 

H any 3 x 2, F = any 2 x 2. 

Total 30



(a) (i) 

(ii) 

(iii) 

(iv) 

(b)(i) 

(ii) 

(c) (i) 

(ii) 

(iii) 

(d)(i) 

(ii) 

A: Scarp 

B: Dip 

Escarpment or cuesta 

Water table 

Clay or alluvium 

1. A spring may occur: 

* at the junction of the porous chalk and impermeable clay 

* or where the water table outcrops/reaches the surface 

2. How this may affect settlements: 

* spring-line settlements/villages occur along the foot of the scarp 

* for water supply, i.e. wet-point sites (chalk is dry, clay flood-liable) 

3. The best site for the village: 

* along the spring-line/scarp foot (= water supply and shelter) 

A spring appears because: 

* porous (water-bearing) chalk lies over 

* non-porous/impermeable clay 

* (rain) water percolates down through chalk 

* but cannot pass through clay so emerges as a spring 

Any three. 

A dry valley is a river (eroded/formed) valley without (or which rarely has) a river/stream flowing 

through it. 

Dry valleys occur because: 

* formed during ice ages when chalk was permanently frozen 

* so behaved like an impermeable rock 

* rivers flowed during (brief) arctic summer and eroded/formed valleys 

* river soaked away/absorbed when ice age ended 

Alternative theory = prolonged saturation of chalk during a wetter climate 

There is little surface water on chalk uplands because: 

* chalk is porous (not permeable) 

* so water soaks into/absorbed into pore/air spaces in rock 

* so water is underground/contained in aquifers 

People who would favour the new chalk quarry include: 

* local builders 

* cement companies 

* local unemployed 

* farmer selling mineral/quarry rights 

Any one. 

People who would be against the development of the chalk quarry include: 

* nearby residents 

* nearby quarry owner 

* conservation groups, e.g. R.S.P.B, 

* Ramblers Association 

* local farmer 

Any one. 

2x1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

2x1 

1 

3x1 

1 

4x1 

3x1 

1 

1

(d)(ii) 

(iii) 

FOR the chalk quarry: 

* provide employment for locals 

* profits for landowner/local builders 

* can afford to take some farmland out of production 

* land will have other/more uses, e.g. landfill with domestic refuse 

* land can be reclaimed/restored afterwards 

Any four. 

AGAINST the chalk quarry: 

* unsightly/eyesore 

* extra lorry traffic = congestion, air pollution, vibration 

* noise and dust from quarry 

* loss of farmland 

* habitat/landscape destruction 

* local house prices fall 

Any four. 

4x1 

4x1 

Total 30

GCSE Tectonics Ans1 - practise with past papers and mark schemes

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