Outline the global distribution of oceans.

Explain two ways in which wind action helps different coastal landforms to develop.

“Geopolitical conflicts over oceans, including their resources, will only get worse in the future.” Discuss this statement.

Award [1] for each valid point.

Possibilities include:

• oceans cover about 70% of the Earth’s surface [1]
• however, their distribution is uneven. There is more ocean in the southern hemisphere than the northern hemisphere [1]; valid quantification, eg up to 90% of the southern hemisphere is ocean [1]
• there are seasonal variations in the amount of open water, especially in the Northern Hemisphere (Arctic) [1]
• names at least three oceans in context with distribution [1].

Credit other valid distributional comments.

If only a list of oceans is provided, award no more than [1].

Award [1] for each wind action that is described, eg prevailing winds, and a further [1] for explaining how this helps an identified landform [1] to develop.

Wind action could be discussed in terms of: strength (strong onshore winds); direction; destructive/constructive waves; length and direction of fetch.

Possible coastal landforms include: shingle beaches and ridges (berm), sand beaches, sand dunes, cusps, cuspate foreland, barrier beaches, caves, stumps, wave-cut notch, wave-cut platform. The role of wind must be made clear for full marks if a landform approach is taken (see third example below).

For example:

• wind action transports sand onshore [1] and explains how this gets trapped by vegetation, eg marram grass [1] to form sand dunes [1]
• prevailing winds influence longshore drift (along with ocean currents) [1] and explains the movements of swash and backwash [1] that helps form spits, bars or tombolos [1]
• wind action influences wave energy [1] and therefore erosion such as hydraulic action or abrasion [1] and this helps form erosional features such as cliffs and stacks [1].

Conflicts over resources are likely to increase – partly due to population growth and partly due to economic growth/rising living standards. This is driving up demand for resources such as oil, gas and fish. As land-based resources decline, pressure to develop ocean-based resources will increase. Examples are likely to include oil and gas in the Arctic, ocean fisheries (a “common resource”).

However, it may be possible to manage resources eg Common Fisheries Policy, Marine Stewardship Council, etc. The severity of future resource shortages is also unknown and is contingent on many factors.

Good answers may show greater understanding of the term “geopolitical conflicts” and may discuss the extent to which tension or actual conflict is the result. Another approach might be to examine the geographical scale of the different players who are in conflict: these might range from nation states to individuals (eg piracy).

For band D, expect some description of one or more conflicts clearly linked to oceans and/or their resources.

At band E expect either more detailed explanation of one or more conflicts or some structured discussion of the degree to which they are likely to worsen, or be resolved, in the future.

At band F expect both of these elements.

Marks should be allocated according to the markbands.

Many candidates experienced some difficulty in describing the global distribution of oceans, although this is in the syllabus. Nearly all were able to name three oceans and the majority commented on how much of the planet was covered in water. However few made comments on distribution between hemispheres and hardly any discussed seasonal variations. Many tried to link distribution to ocean currents and the conveyor belt system. There were some good location maps drawn showing the oceans relative to the named continents but this was only worth 1 mark.

Stronger candidates were able to discuss the formation of different coastal landforms, although not all were able to fully explain the influence of wind. This was particularly the case when making the connection between wind, wave strength and erosional processes. Candidates were much stronger on longshore drift and associated landforms, and the development of sand dunes. There were some good, labeled diagrams of the formation of a spit but also some very poor ones, without labels or arrows in the correct direction.

Candidates were generally strong on the reasons for conflicts over oceanic resources but use of case study examples was sometimes weak. Most were able to refer to an oceanic resource other than fishing, such as oil and discussed the issues regarding sovereignty rights and EEZs. Most candidates focused on the Arctic Ocean and South China Sea as examples but details were often lacking and in some cases inaccurate.