AQA · A-Level · Geography
Course version: 7037 · Version from Sept 2018
Systems in physical geography: systems concepts and their application to…
Full specification wording
Glaciers as natural systems: Systems in physical geography: systems concepts and their application to the development of glaciated landscapes – inputs, outputs, energy, stores/components, flows/transfers, positive/ negative feedback, dynamic equilibrium. The concepts of landform and landscape and how related landforms combine to form characteristic landscapes.
Glaciated environments operate as open systems driven by energy from climate and gravity.
Checked against the AQA 7037 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Glaciated environments operate as open systems driven by energy from climate and gravity. You must apply systems concepts to these landscapes: inputs (precipitation, avalanches), stores (ice mass), flows (basal sliding, internal deformation), and outputs (meltwater, sublimation). Understand how positive feedback amplifies changes (e.g., reduced albedo increasing melting) and negative feedback dampens them, striving for dynamic equilibrium where accumulation equals ablation. Furthermore, distinguish between individual landforms (like corries or drumlins) and the broader landscape. You must explain how related landforms combine spatially and temporally to create characteristic landscapes, such as a classic upland glacial trough system.
What earns the marks
- Defines the glacier as an open system, correctly identifying specific inputs, outputs, stores, and flows of mass and energy.
- Explains the role of thermal and gravitational energy in driving glacial flows and transfers.
- Applies the concepts of positive and negative feedback loops to glacial mass balance and dynamic equilibrium.
- Distinguishes between individual glacial landforms and the broader characteristic landscapes they combine to create.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Treating landforms and landscapes as interchangeable terms.
Put it right: A landform is an individual feature, whereas a landscape is a broader area comprising multiple related landforms.
Misidentifying the type of feedback.
Put it right: Incorrectly stating that ice melt leading to further ice melt is negative feedback, when it is actually a positive feedback loop amplifying the change.
Forgetting to include energy as a key driver of the system, focusing only on the physical mass of ice and water.
Exam tips
- Use a systems diagram in your revision to visually map out the inputs, stores, flows, and outputs of a glacier.
- When discussing dynamic equilibrium, always link it to the glacier's mass balance and how it responds to short-term climatic fluctuations.
- Prepare specific examples of how individual landforms, such as a corrie, arête, and pyramidal peak, spatially combine to form an upland glaciated landscape.
Try the lesson
The start of the Glaciers as natural systems: Systems in physical geography: systems concepts and their application to the development of glaciated landscapes – inputs, outputs, energy, stores/components, flows/transfers, positive/ negative feedback, dynamic equilibrium. The concepts of landform and landscape and how related landforms combine to form characteristic landscapes. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
In the context of a glacier viewed as an open system, which of the following correctly identifies a primary input and a primary output?
Listen
Glaciated environments operate as open systems driven by energy from climate and gravity. You must apply systems concepts to these landscapes: inputs (precipitation, avalanches), stores (ice mass), flows (basal sliding, internal deformation), and outputs (meltwater, sublimation). Understand how positive feedback amplifies changes (e.g., reduced albedo increasing melting) and negative feedback dampens them, striving for dynamic equilibrium where accumulation equals ablation. Furthermore, distinguish between individual landforms (like corries or drumlins) and the broader landscape. You must explain how related landforms combine spatially and temporally to create characteristic landscapes, such as a classic upland glacial trough system. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Defines the glacier as an open system, correctly identifying specific inputs, outputs, stores, and flows of mass and energy. Explains the role of thermal and gravitational energy in driving glacial flows and transfers. Applies the concepts of positive and negative feedback loops to glacial mass balance and dynamic equilibrium. Distinguishes between individual glacial landforms and the broader characteristic landscapes they combine to create. Exam tip: Use a systems diagram in your revision to visually map out the inputs, stores, flows, and outputs of a glacier.
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Systems concepts
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Dynamic equilibrium
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Landform
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Landscape
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See every definition
- Systems concepts
- Ideas applied to glaciated landscapes covering inputs, outputs, energy, stores or components, flows or transfers, positive and negative feedback, and dynamic equilibrium.
- Dynamic equilibrium
- A state where accumulation equals ablation, which the system strives for as feedback dampens or amplifies changes.
- Landform
- An individual feature, such as a corrie or drumlin, which is distinguished from the broader landscape.
- Landscape
- A broader area comprising multiple related landforms that combine spatially and temporally to create characteristic landscapes.
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