Geography GCSE
Over-abstraction
What Over-abstraction means in Geography GCSE, as defined for Pearson Edexcel.
Definitions of Over-abstraction
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
When water is being used or extracted from an aquifer or river faster than it can be naturally replenished.
When water is taken from aquifers, groundwater, or rivers faster than it can be naturally replenished.
When water is pumped from underground aquifers faster than it can be naturally recharged by rainfall.
Topics that use Over-abstraction
- Meeting the demands for water resources could involve technology and interventions by different interest groups (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
- The causes of drought are complex with some locations more vulnerable than others (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
- The supply of fresh water supply varies globally (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
Related terms
- Water Stress
- Aquifer
- Economic Water Scarcity
- Meteorological Drought
- Physical Water Scarcity
- Transpiration
- Water Deficit
- Desalination
Using Over-abstraction in the exam
Definition questions usually carry one or two marks, and examiners look for the precise wording. Write the definition from memory, check it against the version above, and then use the term in a longer answer on the same topic so it sticks.
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