§-Earth and Environmental Science Q&A
NSW · NESA← Earth and Environmental Science
Earth and Environmental Science Q&A by dot point
A short Q&A bank for every NSW Earth and Environmental Science syllabus dot point. Each question and answer is drawn directly from our worked dot-point page, so you can scan key concepts before opening the long-form answer.
Module 5: Earth's Processes
Investigate how internal and external sources of energy drive the movement of matter through Earth's interacting spheres, including but not limited to radiogenic heat, solar radiation and convection in the Australian context
Investigate the processes that concentrate metals and minerals into economic ore deposits, including but not limited to magmatic, hydrothermal, sedimentary and weathering processes that operate in the Australian geological setting
Analyse how relative and absolute dating methods, and the fossil record, are used to construct the geological time scale and to interpret past environments, including Australian examples such as the Ediacaran fauna and the Riversleigh deposits
Investigate how minerals form by crystallisation and how their physical and chemical properties, including crystal structure, hardness, cleavage and composition, are used to identify them in the Australian context
Analyse the lines of evidence for continental drift and sea-floor spreading that led to the theory of plate tectonics, including but not limited to palaeomagnetism, fossil and rock matches and the Australian geological record
Investigate the rock cycle, including but not limited to the formation of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks and the processes that transform one rock type into another in the Australian context
Investigate the physical, chemical and biological processes of weathering and erosion, and how they interact with climate and organisms to form soils, in the Australian context
Module 6: Hazards
Investigate how plate boundary processes produce earthquakes, including but not limited to the mechanisms of seismic waves, the measurement of magnitude and intensity, and the assessment of earthquake hazard in the Australian context
Evaluate the methods used to monitor, predict and manage natural hazards, including but not limited to risk assessment, early warning systems and mitigation strategies in the Australian context
Investigate the causes, behaviour and impacts of meteorological hazards, including but not limited to tropical cyclones, droughts, floods and bushfires in the Australian context
Investigate the generation, propagation and coastal impact of tsunamis, including but not limited to their causes, wave behaviour and warning systems relevant to the Australian region
Analyse how the type of volcanic eruption relates to magma composition and plate setting, the range of hazards produced, and the methods used to monitor and mitigate volcanic risk, including reference to the Australian region
Module 7: Climate Science
Explain how the carbon cycle and the enhanced greenhouse effect regulate global temperature, including but not limited to the role of carbon reservoirs, fluxes, feedback mechanisms and the impact of anthropogenic emissions in the Australian context
Evaluate how climate models are constructed and used to project future climate change, including but not limited to emissions scenarios, model validation and projected impacts in the Australian context
Investigate the Earth's energy budget and the natural drivers of long-term climate change, including but not limited to solar variation, Milankovitch cycles, volcanism and changes in atmospheric composition
Analyse the proxy and direct evidence used to reconstruct past climates and to identify current climate change, including but not limited to ice cores, isotopes, tree rings, sediment cores and the instrumental temperature record
Investigate the role of the oceans in regulating climate, including but not limited to ocean currents, thermohaline circulation, carbon and heat uptake, and the El Nino-Southern Oscillation in the Australian context
Module 8: Resource Management
Evaluate the formation, use and environmental impact of renewable and non-renewable energy resources, including but not limited to fossil fuels, solar, wind and hydro, and the transition to lower-emission energy in the Australian context
Analyse the environmental impacts of mining and waste disposal and the methods used to manage and rehabilitate them, including but not limited to acid mine drainage, tailings, land degradation and site rehabilitation in the Australian context
Evaluate models of sustainable resource use, including but not limited to ecological footprint, life cycle assessment, the circular economy and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land-management practices in the Australian context
Evaluate the environmental impacts and sustainability of resource extraction, including but not limited to mining methods, rehabilitation, life cycle assessment and the management of renewable and non-renewable resources in the Australian context
Analyse the strategies used to manage water resources sustainably, including but not limited to catchment management, allocation, water quality and the balancing of human and environmental demands in the Australian context