(i) State which of these photographs shows an advancing coast.

(ii) Identify one landform in the photograph you have chosen that shows it is an advancing coast.

(iii) Define the term advancing coast.

Distinguish between the climatic conditions experienced on the east coast and the west coast of the Pacific Ocean during an El Niño event.

Using examples, examine the geographic consequences of the pollution of oceans.

(i) Photograph B

(ii) Raised beach or abandoned/relict cliff

(iii) Advancing coasts are coasts that are growing [1 mark] as a consequence of deposition/sediment deposit and/or the infill of coastal marshes [1 mark] or due to a sea level fall (or uplift of land) [1 mark].

During El Niño events there is low pressure [1 mark] off the west coast of South America, rising air, and therefore rain (and floods) [1 mark].

Whereas off the east coast of Australia there is high pressure [1 mark], descending air and drought [1 mark].

Award the remaining [2 marks] for further development, eg, upper level winds blow westwards, surface level winds blow eastwards, or the use of a diagram/diagrams.

Award up to [2 marks] for an answer that correctly links pressure and weather but confuses east and west.

The consequences are varied and could include environmental (eg, oil spills affecting coastal ecosystems), social (shrimp fishermen affected by death of shrimps and their food supply), economic (falling revenues) and political (who pays, cleans up, etc). Implications could be divided into short-term and long-term implications for people (health, employment, potential for tourism, etc). There may be other valid approaches.

Good answers may do more than list consequences for a single place; they may show how geographic consequences are interrelated (eg pollution in one local area has consequences for other global areas also, due to oceanic circulation; oil pollution in Gulf of Mexico brought a temporary halt to deep oil exploration in other countries; transmission of toxic chemicals through marine food chains/webs may result in worst consequences being experienced at a distance to the actual pollution point source).

For band D, responses should describe at least two consequences related to pollution.

At band E expect either a greater range of consequences or some examination of how consequences for different places/scales are interrelated. At band F, expect both.

Marks should be allocated according to the markbands.

Most candidates correctly identified photograph B. The term advancing coast was not understood by many candidates, and hence parts (ii) and (iii) were poorly answered. Most candidates did not recognize the raised beach or abandoned cliff line on the photograph.

There were some very good answers but many candidates confused east and west. Many wrote a lot about the change in ocean currents/temperature/fishing industry, but not about the climatic conditions. A simple, annotated diagram to show the operation and impact of El Niño would gain credit.

There were some very good answers, with appropriate case studies relating to the consequences of ocean pollution. The weakest answers were largely descriptive, and not focusing on consequences of pollution.