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SACE Stage 2 Geography study materials
SACE Stage 2 Geography study resources

SACE Stage 2 Geography practice questions

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Question 1Geography knowledge and understanding

Which term describes the process by which weathered material is removed and transported from its place of origin?

  1. Deposition
  2. Lithification
  3. Erosion Correct answer.
  4. Weathering

Explanation

Erosion is the detachment and removal of weathered material by agents such as water, wind, ice and gravity, and it involves transport away from the source site. Weathering breaks rock down in place without moving it, while deposition is where transported material comes to rest. Lithification is the later compaction and cementation of sediment into rock.

Question 2Geography knowledge and understanding

In a drainage basin, which area of land delivers runoff directly to a given river channel?

  1. The confluence
  2. The catchment Correct answer.
  3. The floodplain
  4. The levee

Explanation

A catchment is the whole area of land whose precipitation drains to a particular river channel or outlet. Its boundaries are defined by the watershed, the ridge of high ground separating adjacent basins. Floodplains, confluences and levees are features within or along a channel, not the contributing land area.

Question 3Geography knowledge and understanding

Which type of plate boundary is associated with the formation of new oceanic crust along mid-ocean ridges?

  1. Passive margin
  2. Transform boundary
  3. Divergent boundary Correct answer.
  4. Convergent boundary

Explanation

At divergent boundaries plates move apart and magma rises to fill the gap, cooling to form new oceanic crust along mid-ocean ridges. Convergent boundaries destroy or compress crust, and transform boundaries involve plates sliding past each other. Passive margins are not plate boundaries at all but stable continental edges.

Question 4Geography knowledge and understanding

Which factor most directly increases the rate of chemical weathering of rock?

  1. Coarser sediment size
  2. Lower temperatures and dry conditions
  3. Greater rock hardness
  4. Higher rainfall and warmer temperatures Correct answer.

Explanation

Chemical weathering depends on water and reaction rates, so abundant rainfall supplies the medium and warm temperatures speed up chemical reactions. Cold, dry conditions slow these reactions, and harder minerals generally resist chemical breakdown. Sediment size is not the controlling factor for chemical attack on bedrock.

Question 5Geography knowledge and understanding

Which term refers to the proportion of a population aged 15 to 64 relative to the dependent age groups?

  1. Natural increase
  2. Fertility rate
  3. Life expectancy
  4. Dependency ratio Correct answer.

Explanation

The dependency ratio compares the number of people in dependent age groups, typically under 15 and over 64, with the working-age population. It is used to assess the economic burden on the workforce. Fertility rate, natural increase and life expectancy are separate demographic measures.

Question 6Geography knowledge and understanding

What is the main cause of the enhanced greenhouse effect?

  1. Volcanic ash in the stratosphere
  2. Variations in solar output
  3. Changes in Earth's orbital tilt
  4. Increased atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases from human activity Correct answer.

Explanation

The enhanced greenhouse effect results from human activities such as burning fossil fuels and clearing forests, which raise concentrations of gases like carbon dioxide and methane. These gases trap more outgoing longwave radiation and warm the lower atmosphere. Solar variation, orbital cycles and volcanic ash cause natural climate fluctuations but not the observed long-term warming trend.

Question 7Geography knowledge and understanding

Which land use is typically found closest to the central business district in a city?

  1. Large industrial estates
  2. Low-density residential suburbs
  3. High-rise commercial and office development Correct answer.
  4. Market gardens and farmland

Explanation

Land near the centre commands the highest rent because of accessibility and competition, so high-rise commercial and office uses that can afford high rent dominate the CBD. Low-density housing and industry occupy cheaper land further out. Market gardens and farmland lie beyond the urban fringe where land values are lowest.

Question 8Geography knowledge and understanding

Which feature forms where a river flows from a steep upland valley onto a flat plain?

  1. A gorge
  2. A delta
  3. An alluvial fan Correct answer.
  4. An oxbow lake

Explanation

When a steep stream loses gradient on reaching a flat plain, its velocity falls and it drops its coarse sediment load in a fan shape, forming an alluvial fan. Deltas form where rivers enter standing water such as a lake or sea. Oxbow lakes and gorges are formed by meander cut-off and rapid incision respectively.

Question 9Geography knowledge and understanding

A town's population grows from 20,000 to 25,000 in one year, with 300 more births than deaths and net migration of 4,700. Which statement best explains the growth?

  1. The growth is entirely due to natural increase
  2. Net migration accounts for most of the growth Correct answer.
  3. Natural increase accounts for most of the growth
  4. The growth is entirely due to a falling death rate

Explanation

Total growth is 5,000 people. Natural increase contributes only 300, while net migration contributes 4,700, so migration is by far the dominant component. The figures therefore show that in-migration rather than births drove the change.

Question 10Geography knowledge and understanding

A coastal area experiences prevailing onshore winds and a large supply of sand. Which landform is most likely to develop?

  1. A stack
  2. A sand dune Correct answer.
  3. A sea cave
  4. A blowhole

Explanation

Onshore winds transport dry sand inland from the beach, and where sand supply is plentiful it accumulates around obstacles to build dunes. Dunes require a sediment supply, wind energy and a suitable surface for deposition. Caves, stacks and blowholes are erosional forms produced by wave action on cliffs.

Question 11Geography knowledge and understanding

Two places lie at similar latitude, but one has a much smaller annual temperature range because it is close to the ocean. Which concept explains this?

  1. Maritime influence Correct answer.
  2. Altitude
  3. Continentality
  4. Aspect

Explanation

Water heats and cools more slowly than land, so coastal locations have moderated temperatures and a smaller annual range, a maritime influence. Continentality describes the opposite effect, where inland sites far from the sea have extreme ranges. Altitude and aspect affect temperature but do not explain the coastal moderation at equal latitude.

Question 12Geography knowledge and understanding

A river's discharge rises sharply two days after heavy rain in a basin with steep slopes, thin soils and little vegetation. Which interpretation is most reasonable?

  1. The basin has a long lag time and low peak discharge
  2. The basin has permeable geology that absorbs most rainfall
  3. The basin stores rainfall for many weeks
  4. The basin has a short lag time and high peak discharge Correct answer.

Explanation

Steep slopes, thin soils and sparse vegetation reduce infiltration and storage, so water reaches the channel quickly, producing a short lag time and a high, flashy peak. Permeable geology or dense vegetation would slow runoff and lengthen the lag. The rapid response shows little long-term storage.

Question 13Geography knowledge and understanding

Which sequence correctly describes the demographic transition from Stage 1 to Stage 4?

  1. High birth rates throughout, with death rates falling to zero
  2. Low birth and death rates, then rising birth rates, then falling birth rates, then high death rates
  3. High birth and death rates, then falling death rates, then falling birth rates, then low birth and death rates Correct answer.
  4. Falling birth rates first, followed by rising death rates and then rising birth rates

Explanation

The demographic transition model begins with high, fluctuating birth and death rates, then death rates fall while birth rates remain high, causing rapid growth. Birth rates subsequently decline, and in Stage 4 both rates are low and population is stable. The other sequences reverse the order or misrepresent the model.

Question 14Geography knowledge and understanding

A steep cliff of hard, jointed rock retreats slowly, while a nearby cliff of soft, unjointed rock retreats quickly. Which explanation best fits this pattern?

  1. Jointing has no effect on erosion
  2. Soft unjointed rock is more resistant to wave erosion
  3. Cliff retreat is unrelated to rock type
  4. Hard jointed rock is more resistant to wave erosion Correct answer.

Explanation

Hard rock resists wave attack, and jointing can allow some water access, but overall hard rock erodes more slowly than soft rock. Soft, unjointed rock offers less resistance and retreats faster. Rock hardness and structure are key controls on coastal erosion rates.

Question 15Geography knowledge and understanding

Which of the following best describes a push factor in migration?

  1. A condition at the origin that encourages people to leave Correct answer.
  2. A government policy admitting skilled migrants
  3. A well-paid job in a destination city
  4. A remittance sent home by a migrant

Explanation

Push factors are negative conditions at the place of origin, such as conflict, unemployment or drought, that encourage people to move away. Pull factors attract migrants to destinations, and remittances and migration policies relate to destinations or outcomes rather than reasons for leaving.

Question 16Geography knowledge and understanding

Which process is primarily responsible for the formation of soil horizons?

  1. Wave erosion
  2. Downward movement of water and materials through the profile Correct answer.
  3. Glacial retreat
  4. Plate subduction

Explanation

Soil horizons develop as water moves downward through the profile, carrying clay, iron and organic matter and depositing them in lower layers, a process known as translocation. This creates distinct bands such as the organic A horizon and the accumulated B horizon. Subduction, glaciation and wave erosion are unrelated geological processes.

Question 17Geography knowledge and understanding

A city's inner suburbs have ageing infrastructure and declining population while outer areas expand. Which term describes this pattern?

  1. Counter-urbanisation
  2. Gentrification
  3. Urban sprawl Correct answer.
  4. Urban consolidation

Explanation

Urban sprawl is the outward expansion of a city into surrounding land, often with low-density development and declining inner areas. Urban consolidation is the opposite policy of increasing density in existing areas. Counter-urbanisation is movement away from cities to rural areas, and gentrification is the renewal of inner areas by wealthier residents.

Question 18Geography knowledge and understanding

Which factor most increases a community's vulnerability to a natural hazard?

  1. High income and strong building codes
  2. Access to early warning systems
  3. Diverse sources of income
  4. Living in a densely populated area on unstable slopes Correct answer.

Explanation

Vulnerability rises when people are exposed to the hazard and lack the capacity to cope, such as dense settlement on unstable slopes where landslides are likely. High income, strong building codes, early warning and diverse livelihoods all increase resilience and reduce vulnerability.

Question 19Geography knowledge and understanding

Which statement best explains why equatorial regions receive more solar radiation per year than high latitudes?

  1. The equator has more hours of darkness
  2. The Sun's rays strike the equator more directly, concentrating energy Correct answer.
  3. The equator is closer to the Sun in distance
  4. The atmosphere is thicker at the equator

Explanation

Near the equator the Sun's rays strike the surface at a high angle, so the same energy is concentrated over a smaller area and passes through less atmosphere. At high latitudes the rays arrive at a low angle and are spread over a larger area. Distance from the Sun and atmospheric thickness do not explain the difference.

Question 20Geography knowledge and understanding

Which combination of processes produces a U-shaped valley?

  1. Wind deposition of sand
  2. River meandering and deposition
  3. Glacial erosion by abrasion and plucking Correct answer.
  4. Wave undercutting of a cliff

Explanation

Glaciers erode bedrock by abrasion, where rock fragments grind the floor and sides, and by plucking, where meltwater freezes and pulls away blocks. This widens and deepens a valley into a characteristic U-shaped cross-section. Rivers tend to cut narrow V-shaped valleys, and wind and wave processes form different landforms.

Question 21Geography knowledge and understanding

A river's long profile shows a steep gradient in its upper course and a gentle gradient downstream. Which change in channel characteristics is most consistent with this?

  1. Discharge decreases downstream while sediment size increases
  2. Channel width decreases downstream while velocity rises
  3. Discharge increases downstream while bedload calibre generally decreases Correct answer.
  4. Sediment load becomes uniformly coarse along the whole course

Explanation

As tributaries join, discharge and channel size generally increase downstream while the gradient and velocity fall, so the river can carry finer material and bedload calibre decreases. Coarse material is deposited upstream where energy is higher. The other options contradict the normal downstream trends.

Question 22Geography knowledge and understanding

A coastal management scheme uses groynes on one beach. Which outcome is most likely?

  1. Sediment is removed from the up-drift side and deposited down-drift
  2. Erosion increases on both sides equally
  3. Wave energy is eliminated along the whole coast
  4. Sediment builds up on the up-drift side and erosion increases on the down-drift side Correct answer.

Explanation

Groynes trap sediment moving along the shore by longshore drift, so material accumulates on the up-drift side while the down-drift coast is starved of sediment and erodes faster. This creates a knock-on impact on neighbouring beaches. Groynes do not remove wave energy along the entire coast.

Question 23Geography knowledge and understanding

Two regions share the same rainfall, but one has much higher runoff and lower evapotranspiration. Which explanation is most plausible?

  1. The region with higher runoff has a flatter topography
  2. The region with higher runoff has thinner vegetation and steeper slopes Correct answer.
  3. The region with higher runoff has denser vegetation
  4. The region with higher runoff has more permeable soils

Explanation

Runoff increases where infiltration and evapotranspiration are limited, so sparse vegetation and steep slopes promote rapid overland flow. Denser vegetation and permeable soils would increase interception and infiltration, reducing runoff. Flatter topography would slow water and encourage storage rather than rapid runoff.

Question 24Geography knowledge and understanding

A country's population pyramid has a broad base and narrow top. Which conclusion is best supported?

  1. The population has reached replacement-level fertility
  2. The population is ageing rapidly with few children
  3. The population has high life expectancy and low birth rates
  4. The population has high birth rates and a youthful structure Correct answer.

Explanation

A broad base indicates a large proportion of young children, reflecting high birth rates, while the narrow top shows relatively few elderly people, consistent with lower life expectancy. This is typical of a youthful population in an earlier stage of demographic transition. Ageing populations show the opposite shape.

Question 25Geography knowledge and understanding

A hazard event of the same magnitude causes far more deaths in one country than another. Which factor best explains this difference?

  1. The event occurred at a slightly different time of day
  2. The two countries are at identical latitudes
  3. The event lasted a few minutes longer
  4. Differences in building standards, preparedness and emergency response Correct answer.

Explanation

Disaster impacts depend not only on hazard magnitude but on vulnerability and capacity to cope, including building codes, land-use planning, early warning and emergency response. Where these are weak, the same physical event causes more casualties. Timing, latitude and small duration differences cannot explain such a large disparity.

Question 26Geography knowledge and understanding

Which term describes the layer of the atmosphere where most weather systems and clouds develop?

  1. Troposphere Correct answer.
  2. Stratosphere
  3. Thermosphere
  4. Mesosphere

Explanation

Almost all water vapour is held in the troposphere, the lowest layer, where temperature falls with height and air is unstable enough to form clouds and storms. The layers above are far drier and do not support the same convective weather processes.

Question 27Geography knowledge and understanding

Which process transfers heat through the bulk movement of a fluid such as air or water?

  1. Radiation
  2. Convection Correct answer.
  3. Reflection
  4. Conduction

Explanation

Convection moves heat by the physical circulation of a fluid: warmed air or water becomes less dense, rises, and carries energy with it. The other mechanisms either transfer energy without bulk movement or return energy without absorbing it.

Question 28Geography knowledge and understanding

What is the main reason tropical rainforests have high net primary productivity?

  1. Soils are deep and nutrient-rich
  2. Warm temperatures and abundant moisture year-round Correct answer.
  3. Low rainfall limits competition between species
  4. Long dark winters reduce plant respiration

Explanation

Productivity depends on light, warmth and water, all of which are available continuously in humid tropical climates, allowing photosynthesis to continue all year. The soils are actually often nutrient-poor because decay and uptake are rapid.

Question 29Geography knowledge and understanding

Which term describes the variety of species and genetic differences within a defined ecosystem?

  1. Ecological succession
  2. Carrying capacity
  3. Biodiversity Correct answer.
  4. Biomass

Explanation

Biodiversity refers to the range of living variation, including species richness and genetic variety within populations. The other terms describe quantity of living material, population limits, or change over time.

Question 30Geography knowledge and understanding

Which type of plate boundary is associated with the formation of new oceanic crust?

  1. Convergent boundary between two continental plates
  2. Transform fault within a continent
  3. Divergent boundary Correct answer.
  4. Conservative boundary

Explanation

At divergent boundaries, plates move apart and magma rises to fill the gap, cooling to form new oceanic crust along mid-ocean ridges. The other boundaries either slide past each other or destroy crust.

Question 31Geography knowledge and understanding

Which factor most directly determines the size of a river's load of dissolved material?

  1. The chemistry of the rocks and soils drained Correct answer.
  2. The velocity of the current
  3. The width of the floodplain
  4. The number of meanders in the lower course

Explanation

Dissolved load comes from chemical weathering and solution, so it depends mainly on the solubility and chemistry of the material the water passes through. Velocity and channel shape mainly affect the transport of solid particles.

Question 32Geography knowledge and understanding

Which measure best summarises the total number of deaths relative to population size in a country in one year?

  1. Total fertility rate
  2. Infant mortality rate
  3. Life expectancy
  4. Crude death rate Correct answer.

Explanation

The crude death rate expresses deaths per 1,000 people in a population per year, giving a size-relative measure of mortality. The other indicators refer to infant deaths, average lifespan, or births per woman.

Question 33Geography knowledge and understanding

What does the term 'urban sprawl' describe?

  1. The redevelopment of abandoned inner-city land
  2. The outward spread of low-density development at a city's edge Correct answer.
  3. The concentration of offices in the central business district
  4. The decline of rural villages far from cities

Explanation

Urban sprawl refers to the decentralised, low-density expansion of built-up areas into surrounding land, usually driven by car-based development. It is distinct from inner-city redevelopment or central concentration.

Question 34Geography knowledge and understanding

A city with a strong radial road and rail network experiences rapid growth of suburbs along those corridors. Which term best describes the resulting pattern?

  1. Urban consolidation
  2. Counter-urbanisation
  3. Gentrification
  4. Ribbon development Correct answer.

Explanation

When growth follows transport lines outward from the centre, built-up strips extend along the corridors, a pattern called ribbon development. The other terms describe social change, population movement out of cities, or densification.

Question 35Geography knowledge and understanding

A coastal area has strong longshore drift moving sediment from west to east. A groyne is built at right angles to the shore. Which change is most likely on the eastern side of the groyne?

  1. Increased erosion of the beach
  2. Rapid landward retreat of the shoreline
  3. Increased deposition of sediment on the beach Correct answer.
  4. Formation of a new river delta

Explanation

A groyne traps sediment moving along the shore, so material accumulates on the up-drift side and is starved on the down-drift side. With drift from west to east, the eastern side is down-drift and therefore experiences erosion, while deposition occurs on the western side.

Question 36Geography knowledge and understanding

A hillslope is cleared of vegetation and converted to bare cropland. Which change to the water balance is most likely?

  1. Evapotranspiration increases and runoff decreases
  2. Groundwater recharge increases and runoff decreases
  3. Infiltration decreases and surface runoff increases Correct answer.
  4. Infiltration increases and surface runoff decreases

Explanation

Vegetation slows water and improves soil structure, so removing it reduces the rate at which water enters the soil. More rainfall therefore travels over the surface, raising runoff and reducing infiltration and recharge.

Question 37Geography knowledge and understanding

Two cities lie at the same latitude, but one is on a west coast beside a cold ocean current and the other is inland. Which difference is most likely?

  1. The inland city has cooler summers and warmer winters
  2. The inland city has higher rainfall from the cold current
  3. The coastal city has higher humidity and smaller temperature range Correct answer.
  4. The coastal city has lower humidity and larger temperature range

Explanation

A cold current cools the air above it, reducing its capacity to hold moisture and producing stable, humid, often foggy conditions, while the ocean moderates temperature. Inland sites are more continental, with greater seasonal extremes and lower humidity.

Question 38Geography knowledge and understanding

Which statement best explains why a soil in a hot, wet climate is often nutrient-poor despite rapid plant growth?

  1. Low temperatures slow the breakdown of organic matter
  2. Heavy rainfall leaches soluble nutrients from the profile Correct answer.
  3. The parent rock contains no minerals at all
  4. Plants absorb nutrients but never return them to the soil

Explanation

High rainfall drives strong leaching, washing soluble bases and nutrients below the root zone, while rapid decay means little organic matter accumulates. Nutrients are therefore held mainly in the living biomass rather than the soil.

Question 39Geography knowledge and understanding

A government wants to reduce the total fertility rate in a rapidly growing population. Which measure is most directly aimed at this goal?

  1. Reducing access to contraception
  2. Expanding education and employment opportunities for women Correct answer.
  3. Increasing child subsidies for large families
  4. Encouraging early marriage

Explanation

Fertility tends to fall when women have more education, paid work and control over decisions about childbearing. Policies that raise the cost of children or restrict contraception act in the opposite direction.

Question 40Geography knowledge and understanding

A country has a high proportion of its population aged over 65. Which pressure on services is most likely?

  1. Rapid growth in primary school enrolments
  2. A shortage of university places for school leavers
  3. Rising demand for aged care and health services Correct answer.
  4. Increased demand for childcare places

Explanation

An ageing population raises demand for health care, aged care and pensions, while the working-age share that funds these services shrinks. Demand for schools and childcare falls when the number of children is small.

Question 41Geography knowledge and understanding

Which set of conditions is most likely to produce a severe bushfire danger day?

  1. Low temperature, high humidity and calm air
  2. High temperature, low humidity and strong wind Correct answer.
  3. Cool nights and frequent dew
  4. Heavy recent rainfall and light winds

Explanation

Fire danger rises when fuels are dry (low humidity and high temperature) and wind supplies oxygen and spreads embers rapidly. Moisture and calm conditions suppress ignition and spread.

Question 42Geography knowledge and understanding

A community builds early-warning systems, enforces building codes and runs regular evacuation drills. Which term best describes these actions?

  1. Vulnerability increase
  2. Hazard magnification
  3. Exposure expansion
  4. Hazard mitigation and preparedness Correct answer.

Explanation

Measures that reduce the impact of a hazard before it occurs, through warning, standards and readiness, are mitigation and preparedness. They lower vulnerability rather than increasing exposure.

Question 43Geography knowledge and understanding

An industry that uses bulky, low-value raw materials and loses most of its weight during processing is best located where?

  1. At a port far from the mine
  2. Near the final consumer market
  3. In a city centre with high rents
  4. Near the source of the raw material Correct answer.

Explanation

Weight-losing industries save transport costs by processing material close to the source, because the finished product weighs far less than the inputs. Locating near the market or a distant port adds unnecessary transport of heavy raw material.

Question 44Geography knowledge and understanding

Which process is the main way that water moves from the land surface into the atmosphere in a forested catchment?

  1. Transpiration from plants combined with evaporation Correct answer.
  2. Surface runoff into streams
  3. Infiltration into deep groundwater
  4. Throughflow within the soil

Explanation

In vegetated catchments most water returns to the atmosphere through transpiration from leaves plus evaporation from surfaces and soil, together called evapotranspiration. The other processes move water downward or laterally, not into the air.

Question 45Geography knowledge and understanding

A city experiences rising temperatures in its centre compared with surrounding rural land. Which factor contributes most to this urban heat island?

  1. Higher wind speeds in dense streets
  2. Lower building density in the centre
  3. Greater vegetation cover in the centre
  4. Dark, low-albedo surfaces absorbing and storing heat Correct answer.

Explanation

Concrete, asphalt and dark roofs absorb solar radiation and release it slowly, while reduced vegetation limits cooling by transpiration. Dense buildings also trap heat and reduce ventilation.

Question 46Geography knowledge and understanding

Which statement best explains why a place on the leeward side of a mountain range is drier than the windward side?

  1. Air loses moisture rising on the windward side and warms as it descends the leeward side Correct answer.
  2. Leeward slopes have higher atmospheric pressure at all heights
  3. Windward slopes receive less solar radiation
  4. Air gains moisture as it descends and cools on the leeward side

Explanation

Air forced to rise over the range cools, condenses and drops rain on the windward side, then descends drier and warms adiabatically on the leeward side. The warming increases its capacity to hold moisture, creating a rain shadow.

Question 47Geography knowledge and understanding

A river basin is urbanised with roofs, roads and drains. Which change to the storm hydrograph is most likely?

  1. A steady baseflow with no storm response
  2. A longer lag time and gentler rising limb
  3. A lower and later peak discharge
  4. A higher and earlier peak discharge Correct answer.

Explanation

Impermeable surfaces and drains deliver rainfall to channels quickly, shortening the lag time and raising the peak. Less infiltration also reduces baseflow between storms.

Question 48Geography knowledge and understanding

A country moves from Stage 3 to Stage 4 of the demographic transition. Which change in its population pyramid is most likely?

  1. The base widens and the top becomes narrower
  2. The base narrows and the proportion of elderly people grows Correct answer.
  3. Birth rates rise sharply while death rates stay high
  4. Both birth and death rates rise together

Explanation

In Stage 4 birth rates fall to low levels and life expectancy rises, so fewer children are born and more people survive into old age. The pyramid therefore becomes narrower at the base and broader at the top.

Question 49Geography knowledge and understanding

Two neighbouring countries experience the same earthquake magnitude, yet one suffers far greater economic loss. Which explanation is most consistent with the concept of vulnerability?

  1. The wealthier country has weaker building codes
  2. The wealthier country has more valuable infrastructure exposed in the affected area Correct answer.
  3. The poorer country experiences stronger ground shaking at the same magnitude
  4. The poorer country has a lower population density everywhere

Explanation

Economic loss reflects the value of assets exposed, so a wealthier country can lose more money even with better construction and fewer deaths. Vulnerability and exposure are separate from hazard magnitude.

Question 50Geography knowledge and understanding

A stretch of coast has a large sediment supply, moderate wave energy and a gently shelving offshore profile. Which landform sequence is most likely to develop over time?

  1. A sandy beach grading into a spit where the coast changes direction Correct answer.
  2. A coral reef built on a muddy delta
  3. A fjord cut by glacial ice
  4. A sheer cliff with a deep plunge pool at its base

Explanation

Abundant sand, moderate waves and shallow offshore gradients favour depositional sandy shores, and longshore drift can extend sediment into a spit where the coastline turns. Cliffs and fjords require erosion of resistant rock or glacial action, not sediment accumulation.