3.
1 Paper 1 Core Physical Geography
Candidates must study the following three topics.
Where appropriate, candidates should study examples drawn from a variety of environments.
For further
information on the use of examples and case studies see 2.6.
1. Hydrology and fluvial geomorphology
1.1 The drainage basin system
Outputs: evaporation, evapotranspiration and river discharge.
Stores: interception, soil water, surface water, ground water, and channel storage.
Flows: above ground – throughfall, stemflow, overland flow, and channel flow.
below ground – infiltration, percolation, throughflow, groundwater, and baseflow.
Underground water: water tables, ground water, recharge, and springs.
1.2 Discharge relationships within drainage basins
Components of hydrographs (storm and annual).
Influences on hydrographs.
Climate: precipitation type and intensity, temperature, evaporation, transpiration,
evapotranspiration, and
antecedent moisture.
Drainage basin characteristics: size and shape, drainage density, porosity and permeability
of soils, rock
type, slopes, vegetation type, and land use.
1.3 River channel processes and landforms
Channel processes
Erosion: abrasion/corrasion, solution, cavitation, and hydraulic action.
Load transport: traction, saltation, suspension, and solution.
Deposition and sedimentation: the Hjulström curve.
River flow: velocity and discharge, patterns of flow (laminar, turbulent and helicoidal), and
thalweg.
Channel types: straight, braided, and meandering.
Landforms: meander (river cliffs, point bars, oxbow lakes), riffle and pool sequences,
waterfalls, gorges,
bluffs, floodplains, levées, and deltas.
please me give me very detailed notes for everything for preparation for AS level geography
9696 exams
Here are very detailed notes for AS Level Geography 9696 Paper 1 Core Physical Geography on
Hydrology and Fluvial Geomorphology:
The Drainage Basin System
A drainage basin is an open system for water flow: inputs, stores, flows, and outputs.
Outputs: evaporation, evapotranspiration, and river discharge.
Stores:
Interception: water caught by vegetation.
Soil water: moisture held in soil.
Surface water: ponds, lakes.
Groundwater: underground water stores.
Channel storage: water stored in river channels.
Flows:
Above ground: throughfall (water dripping from leaves), stemflow (water down stems),
overland flow (water flowing on surface), channel flow (river flow).
Below ground: infiltration (water soaking in soil), percolation (water through soil layers),
throughflow (water moving sideways in soil), groundwater flow (through rock), baseflow
(water feeding river from groundwater).
Underground water concepts: water table (top of groundwater), recharge (water entering
groundwater), springs (water emerging from groundwater).
Discharge Relationships in Drainage Basins
Hydrographs show discharge through time.
Storm hydrograph components: rising limb (discharge increases), peak discharge,
falling limb (discharge decreases), lag time (delay between rain and peak).
Influences on hydrographs:
Climate: precipitation type (snow, rain), intensity, temperature, evaporation,
transpiration, evapotranspiration, antecedent moisture (soil wetness before rain).
Drainage basin characteristics: size (large basins have delayed hydrographs), shape
(circular basins have quick, peaked hydrographs vs elongated basins), drainage
density (more channels increase runoff), soil porosity and permeability (affects
infiltration), rock type (impermeable increases runoff), slopes (steeper slopes increase
runoff velocity), vegetation type (dense vegetation increases interception and
infiltration), land use (urbanisation increases runoff).
River Channel Processes and Landforms
Erosion processes:
Abrasion/corrasion: sediment wears away bed and banks.
Solution: water dissolves soluble minerals.
Cavitation: bubbles in turbulent water collapse causing erosion.
Hydraulic action: water pressure breaks rock.
Load transport mechanisms:
Traction: large particles rolled along bed.
Saltation: particles bounced along bed.
Suspension: fine particles carried in water.
Solution: dissolved load.
Deposition and sedimentation:
Hjulström curve shows relationship between sediment size and erosion/deposition.
River flow factors:
Velocity and discharge (volume of water passing a point).
Patterns of flow: laminar (smooth), turbulent (chaotic), helicoidal (corkscrew in
meanders).
Thalweg: fastest flow path.
Channel types:
Straight: rare, short distances in steep land.
Braided: multiple channels with sediment bars.
Meandering: single sinuous channel.
Key landforms:
Meanders: river cliffs (outer bends erosion), point bars (inner bends deposition), oxbow
lakes (abandoned meanders).
Riffle and pool sequences: shallow fast-flowing and deep slow-flowing pools.
Waterfalls and gorges: steep vertical drops and valleys formed by erosion.
Bluffs: steep banks.
Floodplains: flat areas prone to flooding.
Levées: natural embankments formed by deposition.
Deltas: sediment deposition at river mouths forming landforms.
These detailed notes cover the core physical geography topic for AS Level Geography 9696 as
requested, helping preparation for the exams with key processes, features, and relationships in
hydrology and fluvial geomorphology. [1] [2] [3]
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1. https://www.studocu.com/en-gb/document/windsor-forest-colleges-group/btec-business/597415-2023
-2024-syllabus/83777484
2. https://www.geographyalltheway.com/ib_geography/ib-freshwater-2019/01-drainage-basin.htm
3. https://pmt.physicsandmathstutor.com/download/Geography/A-level/Notes/CAIE/Paper-1/Detailed/1.
Hydrology and Fluvial Geomorphology.pdf
4. https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/cambridge-geography-as-hydrology-and-fluvial-geomorphology
-11-drainage-basin-systems/57862353
5. https://www.cienotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/9696_w19_ms_11.pdf
6. https://www.cienotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/9696_s19_ms_12.pdf
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drainage_basin
8. https://pastpapers.co/cie/A-Level/Geography-9696/2023-May-June/9696_s23_qp_12.pdf
9. https://pastpapers.papacambridge.com/directories/CAIE/CAIE-pastpapers/upload/9696_s24_ms_12.pdf
10. https://www.geo41.com/freshwater-drainage-basins
