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Date November 2021 Marks available 2 Reference code 21N.1.bp.1
Level SL and HL Paper 1 Time zone
Command term Outline Question number 1 Adapted from N/A

Question

The satellite image shows part of the Red Rock River in Montana, USA.

[Source: U.S. Geological Survey, n.d. Site map for Montana. [online] Available at: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/mt/nwis/
nwismap/?site_no=06011500&agency_cd=USGS [Accessed 1 October 2020]. Source adapted.]

State the direction from point A to point B.

[1]
a.i.

Estimate the percentage of the satellite image that is covered by dense vegetation.

[1]
a.ii.

Outline the relationship between river discharge and hydraulic radius.

[2]
b.

Suggest two landform changes that could be caused by river processes in an environment such as this.

[6]
c.

Markscheme

South-east

a.i.

About 20 % (accept 10–30 %)

a.ii.

Award [1] for the basic relationship and [1] for further development (either explanation or other outlined development, e.g. mention of Bradshaw model).

For example: The relationship is positive [1] / they both increase with distance downstream [1] as the river’s size and energy increases [1].

Do not award marks for definitions.

b.

In each case, award [1] for a valid landform change resulting from fluvial processes, and up to [2] for development / explanation / exemplification.

For example: a meander develops into an ox-bow lake [1] when river erosion cuts through the neck of the meander [1] and deposition continues to isolate the lake [1].

Other possibilities which are appropriate for the lowland fluvial environment shown in the photograph include:

c.

Examiners report

These caused no problems.

a.i.

These caused no problems.

a.ii.

Most could identify a positive relationship but lacked development; often just defining the terms instead of explaining the relationship.

b.

The key word in the question was "changes" which was often ignored; many just described the formation of a landform. The main landforms used were meanders, oxbow lakes and levees. A few candidates tried to use waterfalls, which are unlikely to be found in a floodplain landscape such as the one depicted in the image.

c.

Syllabus sections

Option A: Freshwater » A.1. Drainage basin hydrology and geomorphology » A.1.2. River discharge and its relationship to stream flow, channel characteristics and hydraulic radius
Option A: Freshwater » A.1. Drainage basin hydrology and geomorphology
Option A: Freshwater

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