Case studies — AQA A-Level Geography

A local river catchment case study, such as the River Exe, provides a concrete framework to analyse water cycle dynamics. By engaging with primary field data like infiltration rates (measured in mm h⁻¹) or secondary hydrograph data (discharge in m³ s⁻¹), students can evaluate how precipitation characteristics directly impact drainage basin stores (e.g. soil moisture) and transfers (e.g. surface runoff). For instance, intense rainfall on impermeable geology rapidly increases overland flow, reducing groundwater recharge. This analysis must extend to human implications, evaluating how these physical processes influence flood risk management and the long-term sustainability of local water supplies under changing precipitation patterns.

A case study of a specific hot desert environment, such as the Mojave, is required to illustrate key themes like aeolian processes and landform evolution. You must analyse how wind and water shape this setting over time. Because accessing a true hot desert is difficult, you can engage with field data gathered from accessible proxy environments. Coastal sand dunes serve as excellent mid-latitude analogues for low-latitude deserts, allowing you to measure aeolian processes directly. By recording wind velocity profiles, sand transport rates in g m⁻² s⁻¹, and dune morphology in these coastal settings, you can analyse real field data to understand aeolian transport and dune migration in your primary hot desert case study.

A local-scale case study must focus on a named village, settlement, valley or restoration-project site within a wider dryland region, rather than treating an entire region such as the Sahel or Jordanian Badia as local. For the specific site taught on the course, analyse the interplay of natural causes such as prolonged drought with human drivers such as overgrazing, fuelwood removal or cultivation pressure. Trace environmental and social impacts, including soil degradation, reduced agricultural productivity, food insecurity and income loss, then link them to sustainable development. Evaluate named responses at that site by distinguishing resilience, mitigation that limits further degradation, and adaptation to changed conditions, and judge effectiveness using site-specific evidence.

A local-scale coastal case study, such as the Holderness Coast or Pevensey Bay, provides a real-world context to analyse fundamental coastal processes like longshore drift and marine erosion. Students must examine how these processes create specific landscape outcomes, such as retreating cliff lines or expanding spits. Crucially, this study must integrate primary or secondary field data, such as erosion rates measured in metres per year (m yr⁻¹), to quantify these changes. Finally, students must evaluate the challenges of sustainable management in this local environment, assessing how strategies like beach nourishment or managed retreat balance economic pressures, environmental conservation, and the needs of local stakeholders.

A non-UK coastal landscape, such as the Sundarbans in Bangladesh, provides a vital case study of human-environment interactions. You must analyse the opportunities it offers for occupation and development, such as fertile agricultural land, rich fishing grounds, and ecotourism potential. Conversely, you must evaluate the severe risks presented, including coastal flooding, cyclones, and rapid erosion. Crucially, the study requires evaluating human responses. This includes resilience (building community capacity to withstand shocks), mitigation (actions to reduce the severity of hazards, like planting mangrove buffers or constructing cyclone shelters), and adaptation (adjusting lifestyles, such as cultivating salt-tolerant rice varieties).

Focus on a local scale glaciated environment (e.g., Easedale Tarn in the Lake District or Cwm Idwal in Snowdonia). Teach how fundamental glacial processes (erosion like plucking and abrasion, entrainment, transport, and deposition) have shaped the landscape. Analyse the resulting landforms (corries, arêtes, glacial troughs, moraines). Crucially, integrate field data to support this analysis. For example, use till fabric analysis data (clast orientation and dip) to determine the direction of ice movement, or use measurements of clast roundness (Cailleux index) to distinguish between glacial and fluvioglacial deposits. This connects theoretical processes and landscape outcomes with empirical evidence gathered in the field.

Select a contrasting glaciated landscape outside the UK, such as Svalbard or the Swiss Alps, to explore human interactions with extreme environments. Analyse the specific challenges for occupation and development, such as extreme cold, permafrost melting, avalanches, and inaccessibility. Contrast these with opportunities like mineral extraction, hydroelectric power generation, and tourism. Evaluate how human populations respond through resilience (building robust infrastructure to withstand extreme weather), mitigation (reducing greenhouse gas emissions to slow glacial retreat), and adaptation (utilising utilidors for pipes to prevent permafrost thaw or shifting from winter skiing to summer hiking tourism).

A multi-hazardous environment experiences multiple interacting geophysical and hydro-meteorological hazards. Using a case study beyond the UK, such as the Philippines, students must analyse the nature of these hazards, including typhoons, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes. The study must evaluate the social (displacement, mortality), economic (infrastructure damage, agricultural loss), and environmental (landslides, habitat destruction) risks. Crucially, students must explain why people continue to occupy these high-risk areas. This requires assessing human qualities like community resilience and specific responses, including adaptation (stilted housing), mitigation (sea walls), and management (evacuation protocols and zoning).

A local-scale case study requires examining a specific community, such as the town of Grindavik in Iceland or the village of Boscastle in the UK, rather than an entire country. You must detail the physical nature of the hazard, including its magnitude, frequency, and spatial extent. The core analysis focuses on how the community's character is shaped by this risk. Economically, this might involve reliance on hazard-adapted industries or high insurance premiums. Socially, it reflects demographic changes, community resilience, or cultural acceptance of the risk. Politically, it involves local governance, zoning laws, and emergency planning. You must evaluate how these three characteristics dictate both the vulnerability to the hazard's impacts and the effectiveness of the community's mitigation and response strategies.

A comprehensive case study of a specific region, such as the Arctic or the Sahel, is essential to analyse ecological change. You must explore the nature of this change, like desertification or permafrost melting, and its underlying natural and anthropogenic reasons. The region's economic, social, and political character is deeply intertwined with its ecological setting; for instance, indigenous Arctic communities rely on sea ice for traditional hunting and face political challenges regarding land rights. Finally, you must examine how the community responds to these changes through adaptation strategies, mitigation efforts, or policy shifts to ensure future resilience.

A local scale ecosystem case study, such as Epping Forest or a specific sand dune system, requires detailed analysis of its unique nature and properties, including its biotic and abiotic components, nutrient cycling, and energy flows. You must evaluate direct and indirect human impacts, such as recreation, pollution, or conservation efforts, which alter its natural equilibrium. The study must critically assess the challenges of managing these impacts against the opportunities for sustainable development, such as ecotourism or sustainable forestry. Understanding how stakeholders balance ecological health with economic and social needs is vital for evaluating the long-term viability of the chosen local ecosystem.

To master this topic, you must analyse two contrasting urban areas, such as London (a HIC post-industrial city) and Mumbai (an NEE rapidly industrialising city). You need to evaluate spatial patterns of economic and social well-being, such as income inequality and access to healthcare. Assess the nature and impact of physical environmental conditions, like air quality, waste management, or flood risk, and how these affect daily life. Crucially, link these factors to environmental sustainability, examining how each city manages its ecological footprint. Finally, explore how these elements shape the unique character of each study area and influence the lived experience and diverse attitudes of their populations towards their urban environment.

A case study must explore a country experiencing population increase (e.g., Uganda) or decline (e.g., Japan). You must analyse the character, scale, and spatial patterns of this change using specific demographic data like birth rates or net migration. The analysis requires evaluating socio-economic factors driving the change, such as female emancipation or economic stagnation, alongside environmental factors like climate-induced migration or resource availability. Finally, you must assess the implications for the society, including economic burdens like rising pension costs in an ageing population, or environmental pressures such as deforestation and water scarcity in a rapidly growing nation.

A local area case study allows students to analyse the complex relationship between place and health. Health outcomes are shaped by the physical environment, such as air quality, green space access, and climate. Socio-economic character, including income levels, housing quality, and employment types, heavily influences morbidity and mortality rates. Furthermore, the lived experience and attitudes of local populations affect health behaviours, such as diet, exercise, and engagement with healthcare services. For example, an inner-city ward might experience poorer respiratory health due to traffic pollution (physical), exacerbated by low-income housing (socio-economic) and cultural barriers to accessing preventative care (attitudes).

A detailed case study of one resource, such as water in the Colorado River Basin or global energy, is essential to analyse resource issues. You must explore the implications of resource insecurity for the chosen setting, specifically how it impacts human welfare through economic instability, health crises, or conflict. For example, water scarcity directly reduces agricultural yields, threatening food security and livelihoods. The case study must also evaluate attempts to manage the resource, such as international treaties, quotas, or technological interventions like water recycling. Assessing the success of these management strategies in improving both resource security and human welfare is crucial for high-level analysis.

A case study of a specified place must analyse how its physical environment dictates resource dynamics. For example, Iceland's location on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge provides abundant geothermal potential. This physical aspect directly increases the availability of renewable energy while significantly lowering its domestic cost per kWh. Consequently, this abundance influences how energy is used, shifting consumption towards energy-intensive industries like aluminium smelting. Students must explicitly link specific physical factors—such as tectonic setting, climate, or topography—to the resulting availability, economic cost, and ultimate usage patterns of their chosen resource, whether that is water, energy, or a mineral ore.