A Level H1 Geography Map Graph Data Skills Quiz

A-Level Geography H1 Quiz - Map Graph Data Skills: Answer Key and Marking Scheme

Total Marks: 50

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Section A: Map Interpretation and Analysis (Questions 1–5)

1. Describe the relief of the area shown on the map extract. [3 marks]

Answer:

• The relief ranges from sea level along the coast to a maximum elevation of 450 metres inland (1 mark).
• The land rises from the flat coastal plain in the southeast towards higher ground in the northwest (1 mark).
• Steep slopes are indicated by closely spaced contour lines above 200 metres, while the coastal plain has widely spaced contours indicating gentle gradients (1 mark).

Marking Notes:

• Award 1 mark for stating the elevation range with reference to sea level and maximum height.
• Award 1 mark for describing the general direction of slope or change in elevation.
• Award 1 mark for using contour evidence (spacing) to describe steepness/gradient.
• Accept alternative valid descriptions using map evidence.

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2. Using map evidence, explain why Settlement A is located at grid reference 234567. [3 marks]

Answer:

• Settlement A is located on the flat coastal plain, which provides level land suitable for building and agriculture (1 mark).
• The settlement is near the river mouth, providing access to fresh water and possibly a natural harbour for fishing or trade (1 mark).
• The main road connects Settlement A to Settlement B, indicating good accessibility and transport links (1 mark).

Marking Notes:

• Award 1 mark for each valid reason supported by map evidence (relief, water supply, accessibility).
• Answers must refer to specific map features (coastal plain, river, road).
• Accept other valid interpretations if supported by map evidence (e.g., proximity to agricultural land).

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3. With reference to the map extract, compare the site characteristics of Settlement A and Settlement B. [3 marks]

Answer:

• Settlement A is located on a flat coastal plain at low elevation, while Settlement B is located in a valley at higher elevation (1 mark).
• Settlement A is near the coast and river mouth, whereas Settlement B is inland along the river valley (1 mark).
• Both settlements are connected by a main road and are located near the river, but Settlement A has a coastal location advantage while Settlement B is more sheltered within the valley (1 mark).

Marking Notes:

• Award 1 mark for each valid comparative point (relief, location relative to coast/river, accessibility).
• Answers must explicitly compare (using "whereas", "while", "both", "however").
• Do not award marks for describing each settlement separately without comparison.

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4. Describe the spatial distribution of population density shown on the choropleth map. [2 marks]

Answer:

• The highest population density (Very High) is concentrated in the capital city region (1 mark).
• Population density generally decreases from coastal regions (High/Medium) towards inland mountainous regions (Very Low/Low), showing a core-periphery pattern (1 mark).

Marking Notes:

• Award 1 mark for identifying the area of highest density.
• Award 1 mark for describing the general trend or gradient from high to low density areas.
• Accept reference to specific shading categories.

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5. Suggest one limitation of using a choropleth map to represent population density data. [1 mark]

Answer:

• Choropleth maps give the impression of abrupt changes at boundaries, whereas population density often changes gradually across space (1 mark).
• OR: The map uses administrative boundaries which may not reflect actual population distribution; large regions with varied density are represented by a single shading value, masking internal variations (1 mark).

Marking Notes:

• Award 1 mark for any valid limitation.
• Accept: "The map does not show population density variations within each region" or "The shading categories may group areas with quite different densities together."

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Section B: Graph Interpretation and Construction (Questions 6–12)

6. Describe the annual temperature pattern shown in the data for Station X. [2 marks]

Answer:

• Temperatures are consistently high throughout the year, ranging from 26°C to 29°C, showing a small annual temperature range of 3°C (1 mark).
• The highest temperatures occur from April to May (29°C), with a slight decrease towards December and January (26°C) (1 mark).

Marking Notes:

• Award 1 mark for noting the small annual range and consistently high temperatures.
• Award 1 mark for identifying the warmest and coolest periods with months.
• Accept reference to specific temperature values.

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7. Identify the wettest three-month period and the driest three-month period for Station X. [2 marks]

Answer:

• Wettest period: June to August (or July to September) (1 mark)
• Driest period: January to March (or December to February) (1 mark)

Marking Notes:

• Award 1 mark for each correct three-month period.
• Accept any consecutive three-month grouping that correctly identifies the wettest and driest periods based on the data (e.g., wettest: Jun–Aug or Jul–Sep; driest: Jan–Mar or Dec–Feb).

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8. Explain the relationship between temperature and rainfall patterns shown in the data, with reference to the tropical monsoon climate. [3 marks]

Answer:

• The data shows that the highest rainfall occurs during the months when temperatures are slightly lower (June to August: 28°C, 320–350 mm), while the driest months (January to March) have similar or slightly lower temperatures (26–28°C) (1 mark).
• This pattern reflects the tropical monsoon climate, where seasonal wind reversal brings heavy rainfall during the monsoon season, while the dry season is influenced by offshore winds (1 mark).
• The small temperature variation throughout the year is characteristic of tropical locations, where temperature is consistently high regardless of rainfall seasonality (1 mark).

Marking Notes:

• Award 1 mark for describing the relationship using data.
• Award 1 mark for explaining the monsoon mechanism (seasonal wind reversal).
• Award 1 mark for linking the small temperature range to tropical location.
• Accept alternative explanations using tropical monsoon climate characteristics.

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9. Plot the data from Resource 4 as a scatter graph on the grid below. Label both axes clearly with appropriate scales and units. [4 marks]

Answer:

• X-axis labelled "Distance from city centre (km)" with appropriate scale (e.g., 0–20 km) (1 mark).
• Y-axis labelled "Average household income (SGD)" with appropriate scale (e.g., 0–9,000 SGD) (1 mark).
• All 10 data points plotted accurately (1 mark).
• Graph has a title (e.g., "Relationship between distance from city centre and average household income") (1 mark).

Marking Notes:

• Award 1 mark for each criterion.
• Allow minor plotting errors (±1 mm) if the overall pattern is correct.
• Deduct 1 mark if axes are not labelled or lack units.
• Deduct 1 mark if scale is inappropriate (e.g., does not use most of the grid space).

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10. Describe the relationship shown by the scatter graph and suggest one reason for this pattern. [3 marks]

Answer:

• There is a negative correlation: as distance from the city centre increases, average household income decreases (1 mark).
• The relationship is strong, with most points closely following the downward trend, though there is a slight anomaly at 12 km where income is slightly higher than at 10 km (1 mark).
• This pattern may be because higher-income households prefer to live closer to the city centre for better access to employment, amenities, and services, while lower-income households are pushed to the outskirts where housing is more affordable (1 mark).

Marking Notes:

• Award 1 mark for identifying the negative correlation.
• Award 1 mark for describing the strength of the relationship or noting the anomaly.
• Award 1 mark for a valid reason (e.g., bid-rent theory, accessibility, housing costs).
• Accept alternative valid explanations.

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11. Using the data, calculate the percentage point change in the share of coal in Country P's electricity generation between 2000 and 2020. [1 mark]

Answer:

• 55% – 30% = 25 percentage points decrease (1 mark)

Marking Notes:

• Award 1 mark for the correct answer: 25 percentage points.
• Do not accept 45.5% (which is the percentage decrease, not percentage point change).
• Accept "decrease of 25 percentage points" or "–25 percentage points".

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12. Describe two changes in the energy mix of Country P between 2000 and 2020, and suggest one reason for these changes. [3 marks]

Answer:

• Change 1: The share of coal decreased significantly from 55% to 30% (1 mark).
• Change 2: Renewable energy sources (solar and wind) were introduced, accounting for 20% combined in 2020, while they were absent in 2000 (1 mark).
• Reason: These changes may be due to government policies promoting renewable energy to reduce carbon emissions and meet climate change commitments, or due to falling costs of solar and wind technology making them more economically viable (1 mark).

Marking Notes:

• Award 1 mark for each valid change described with data.
• Award 1 mark for a valid reason.
• Accept other changes (e.g., increase in natural gas, decrease in oil) and other valid reasons (e.g., energy security concerns, international agreements).

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Section C: Data Presentation, Analysis and Fieldwork Skills (Questions 13–20)

13. Calculate the mean infiltration time for Site 2 (Grassland) and Site 4 (Urban). Show your working. [3 marks]

Answer:

• Site 2 (Grassland): (65 + 70 + 60) ÷ 3 = 195 ÷ 3 = 65 seconds (1.5 marks)
• Site 4 (Urban): (300 + 320 + 310) ÷ 3 = 930 ÷ 3 = 310 seconds (1.5 marks)

Marking Notes:

• Award 1 mark for correct working and 0.5 marks for correct answer for each site.
• Accept minor rounding if working is shown.
• If no working is shown but answers are correct, award full marks.

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14. Describe the trend in infiltration times along the transect from Site 1 to Site 4. [2 marks]

Answer:

• Infiltration times increase consistently from Site 1 (Forest) to Site 4 (Urban) (1 mark).
• The increase is gradual from Forest (45 seconds) to Grassland (65 seconds), but becomes more rapid from Parkland (120 seconds) to Urban (310 seconds), showing that urban surfaces have significantly slower infiltration (1 mark).

Marking Notes:

• Award 1 mark for identifying the overall increasing trend.
• Award 1 mark for describing the rate of change or using data to illustrate the trend.

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15. Explain how land use affects infiltration rates, using evidence from the data table. [3 marks]

Answer:

• Forest (Site 1) has the fastest infiltration (45 seconds) because vegetation and leaf litter protect the soil surface, and tree roots create channels that allow water to penetrate easily (1 mark).
• Grassland (Site 2) has slightly slower infiltration (65 seconds) as grass roots also create pathways, but the soil may be more compacted than forest soil (1 mark).
• Urban paved surfaces (Site 4) have the slowest infiltration (310 seconds) because impermeable surfaces like concrete and tarmac prevent water from infiltrating, causing surface runoff instead (1 mark).

Marking Notes:

• Award 1 mark for each valid explanation linked to land use type and supported by data.
• Answers must explain the process (how land use affects infiltration) not just describe the data.
• Accept reference to soil compaction in Parkland (Site 3) as an intermediate case.

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16. Identify one advantage of using a proportional symbol map to display this data. [1 mark]

Answer:

• Proportional symbol maps allow the viewer to quickly compare the relative magnitudes of emissions between countries, as larger symbols immediately indicate larger values (1 mark).
• OR: The map shows the spatial distribution of emissions, allowing patterns (e.g., concentration in East Asia and North America) to be identified at a glance (1 mark).

Marking Notes:

• Award 1 mark for any valid advantage.
• Accept: "It shows both the location and the quantity of emissions simultaneously" or "It is visually intuitive and easy to interpret."

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17. Explain why the proportional symbol map might be misleading when comparing emissions between countries with very different population sizes. [2 marks]

Answer:

• The map shows total national emissions, not per capita emissions, so countries with large populations (e.g., China, India) will naturally have higher total emissions even if their per capita emissions are relatively low (1 mark).
• This can create a misleading impression that large-population countries are disproportionately responsible for emissions, when in reality, smaller countries with high per capita consumption may have a greater impact per person (1 mark).

Marking Notes:

• Award 1 mark for identifying the issue of total vs. per capita data.
• Award 1 mark for explaining why this is misleading.
• Accept reference to specific countries from the resource.

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18. Calculate the percentage increase in total water consumption in City Z between 2010 and 2020. Show your working. [2 marks]

Answer:

• Increase = 650 – 500 = 150 million m³ (1 mark)
• Percentage increase = (150 ÷ 500) × 100 = 30% (1 mark)

Marking Notes:

• Award 1 mark for correct calculation of the increase.
• Award 1 mark for correct percentage calculation.
• If no working is shown but answer is correct, award full marks.

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19. Using the data, describe how the structure of water consumption in City Z changed between 2010 and 2020. [2 marks]

Answer:

• Domestic water consumption increased from 200 to 280 million m³, and its share of total consumption increased from 40% to approximately 43% (1 mark).
• Agricultural water consumption decreased from 80 to 60 million m³, and its share fell from 16% to approximately 9%, while commercial consumption more than doubled from 40 to 90 million m³ (1 mark).

Marking Notes:

• Award 1 mark for each valid change described with data.
• Accept reference to absolute changes or percentage share changes.
• Answers must describe structural change (composition), not just total increase.

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20. Suggest two possible reasons for the changes in water consumption patterns shown in the data. [2 marks]

Answer:

• Reason 1: Population growth and rising living standards may have increased domestic water demand as more households use water-intensive appliances (1 mark).
• Reason 2: Economic restructuring from agriculture towards services and commerce may explain the decline in agricultural water use and the increase in commercial water consumption (1 mark).

Marking Notes:

• Award 1 mark for each valid reason.
• Accept alternative reasons: urbanisation, industrial growth, water pricing policies, technological improvements in agricultural irrigation, expansion of the service sector.
• Reasons must be plausible and linked to the data patterns.

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END OF ANSWER KEY