AQA · A-Level · Geography
Course version: 7037 · Version from Sept 2018
Impacts: primary/secondary, environmental, social, economic, political.…
Full specification wording
Volcanic hazards: Impacts: primary/secondary, environmental, social, economic, political. Short and long-term responses: risk management designed to reduce the impacts of the hazard through preparedness, mitigation, prevention and adaptation.
Volcanic eruptions generate primary impacts, like deaths from pyroclastic flows, and secondary impacts, such as famine or economic recession.
Checked against the AQA 7037 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 2 of 2
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Volcanic eruptions generate primary impacts, like deaths from pyroclastic flows, and secondary impacts, such as famine or economic recession. These span environmental (habitat destruction), social (displacement), economic (infrastructure loss), and political (government instability) spheres. Responses are categorised into short-term emergency relief and long-term recovery. Risk management aims to reduce impacts through preparedness (evacuation drills), mitigation (land-use zoning to limit damage), prevention (though preventing eruptions is impossible, preventing secondary impacts like lahars using channel dams is feasible), and adaptation (modifying agricultural practices in ash-prone areas).
What earns the marks
- Categorise volcanic impacts into primary (immediate damage from lava/ash) and secondary (subsequent issues like disease or economic decline).
- Differentiate between environmental, social, economic, and political impacts using specific case study examples.
- Distinguish between short-term responses (search and rescue, temporary shelter) and long-term responses (rebuilding infrastructure, economic recovery).
- Evaluate risk management strategies, including preparedness (early warning systems) and mitigation (diverting lava flows).
- Explain the concepts of prevention and adaptation in a volcanic context, noting that while the hazard cannot be prevented, human vulnerability can be adapted.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Stating that volcanic eruptions can be prevented.
Put it right: Clarify that the hazard itself cannot be prevented, but the impacts or secondary hazards (like mudflows) can be managed.
Mixing up mitigation and adaptation.
Put it right: Define mitigation as reducing the severity of the impact (e.g., reinforcing roofs against ash), and adaptation as adjusting lifestyles to live with the risk.
Failing to include political impacts.
Put it right: Ensure you discuss political consequences, such as government criticism for poor response or changes in regional policies.
Exam tips
- Create a matrix for your case studies categorising impacts by type (social, economic, environmental, political) and timeframe (primary, secondary).
- Use the hazard management cycle to structure essays on short-term and long-term responses to volcanic hazards.
- Explicitly use the terms preparedness, mitigation, prevention, and adaptation when evaluating risk management strategies.
Try the lesson
The start of the Volcanic hazards: Impacts: primary/secondary, environmental, social, economic, political. Short and long-term responses: risk management designed to reduce the impacts of the hazard through preparedness, mitigation, prevention and adaptation. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Following a major volcanic eruption, which of the following is classified as a secondary environmental impact?
Listen
Volcanic eruptions generate primary impacts, like deaths from pyroclastic flows, and secondary impacts, such as famine or economic recession. These span environmental (habitat destruction), social (displacement), economic (infrastructure loss), and political (government instability) spheres. Responses are categorised into short-term emergency relief and long-term recovery. Risk management aims to reduce impacts through preparedness (evacuation drills), mitigation (land-use zoning to limit damage), prevention (though preventing eruptions is impossible, preventing secondary impacts like lahars using channel dams is feasible), and adaptation (modifying agricultural practices in ash-prone areas). A strong answer earns marks for these points. Categorise volcanic impacts into primary (immediate damage from lava/ash) and secondary (subsequent issues like disease or economic decline). Differentiate between environmental, social, economic, and political impacts using specific case study examples. Distinguish between short-term responses (search and rescue, temporary shelter) and long-term responses (rebuilding infrastructure, economic recovery). Evaluate risk management strategies, including preparedness (early warning systems) and mitigation (diverting lava flows). A common slip: Stating that volcanic eruptions can be prevented. Instead, clarify that the hazard itself cannot be prevented, but the impacts or secondary hazards (like mudflows) can be managed. Exam tip: Create a matrix for your case studies categorising impacts by type (social, economic, environmental, political) and timeframe (primary, secondary).
See it
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Hazard impacts
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Risk management
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Mitigation
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Adaptation
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
See every definition
- Hazard impacts
- Primary and secondary, environmental, social, economic and political effects of a hazard.
- Risk management
- Designed to reduce the impacts of the hazard through preparedness, mitigation, prevention and adaptation.
- Mitigation
- Reducing the severity of the impact, such as reinforcing roofs against ash.
- Adaptation
- Adjusting lifestyles to live with the risk, such as modifying agricultural practices in ash-prone areas.
Label the diagram
Some boxes have lost their names. Pick the right name for each number.
1Box 1
2Box 2
3Box 3
There is more to this lesson
The full lesson goes on to check your understanding and help you earn the marks. Create a free account to carry on, with your progress saved.
A week of Premium from your first lesson · Then the free plan continues · No card, no charge
Test your understanding of Volcanic hazards: Impacts: primary/secondary, environmental, social, economic, political. Short and long-term responses: risk management designed to reduce the impacts of the hazard through preparedness, mitigation, prevention and adaptation.
Active recall beats re-reading. Take an instant quiz now to test what you’ve learned and lock it into long-term memory.
A week of Premium from your first lesson · Then the free plan continues · No card, no charge