Unit 9: Option C — Extreme Environments
Topic 9.1: The characteristics of extreme environments Questions
Practice 20 exam-style questions for IB Geography SL Topic 9.1. Review the question stems below, then unlock the full Question Bank to access markschemes, model answers, and AI grading.
1Estimate3 marks
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The table gives the surface and base height of an ice sheet along a west-east cross-section.
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Unlock Question2Estimate3 marks
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The table shows how the world's ice loss between 1994 and 2017 (about 28 trillion tonnes) was shared between parts of the cryosphere.
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Unlock Question3Describe2 marks
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The map below predicts where permafrost will have thawed across a high-latitude landmass by 2080. Describe where the thawing permafrost is found.
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The map data below show where research stations are located across a polar continent.
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Outline how a glacial environment differs from a periglacial environment.
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Suggest two ways people can reduce the problems caused by thawing permafrost in a cold environment.
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Permafrost is ground that has stayed frozen for…
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Explain why some hot, arid countries rely heavily on desalination.
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On a map, the accepted way to describe where a feature lies is by…
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The table summarises the area covered by named deserts in each state of a large arid country.
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On a permafrost map, one inland area is still frozen while the coast has thawed. Outline one reason this area has stayed frozen, and develop how that keeps the ground frozen.
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The map below shows desalinated water produced by selected hot, arid countries, in thousands of cubic metres per day.
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A world map shows most hot deserts lying in two belts at about 20 to 30 degrees north and south of the equator. Suggest one reason for this pattern.
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Distinguish between a hot desert and a semi-arid environment.
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Which factor makes very high-latitude polar regions hard to live in?
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Sinking air at about 20 to 30 degrees latitude keeps deserts dry because it…
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One reason a semi-arid area still counts as an extreme environment is that its rainfall is…
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The data below come from a radial diagram showing the mean altitude of corries by the direction they face in a glaciated mountain area.
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Explain how a warming climate is changing cold and glacial environments.
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A semi-arid environment typically receives an annual rainfall of about…
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