← Env Man

IGCSE Environmental Management Paper 1 — Topic 1 Natural resources — Challenge

Principles of Environmental Management — Topic 1 Challenge
45 minutes
40
7
45:00
0680
This paper covers the whole of Topic 1. The questions are not in syllabus order and they are not one question per sub-topic. Material from 1.1 to 1.6 is mixed across every question, exactly as Cambridge mixes it, so do not expect Question 1 to be about 1.1 only.

Instructions

Question Navigation

Question 1 — Rocks, the rock cycle and permeability
Total: 6 marks
(a)[1]
Define the term permeability.
Model Answer — (a)
the ability of water to pass through the pore spaces of rock and soil
the syllabus gives this wording at 1.1.3 and the mark is for that idea, stated in full
"lets water through" is accepted only if the pore spaces or the passage through the rock is clear
⚠ If you missed marks here: this is a one-mark definition, so it is marked for one exact idea and there is no second chance at it. Two things get dropped. The first is through: permeability is about water passing through the rock, not about water sitting in it. The second is where it passes — the pore spaces. An answer about how much water a rock can hold is describing how porous it is, which is a different property. A rock can have plenty of pore spaces and still be impermeable if those spaces are not connected, which is exactly what shale is.
(b)[2]
The rock cycle is an ordered chain of named processes. Name the process in which:
(i) fragments of rock are carried away from where they were broken off, by a river, by the wind or by ice;
(ii) dissolved minerals are deposited between the grains of a sediment and glue them together into a solid rock.
Model Answer — (b)
(i) transportation
(ii) cementation
do not accept erosion for (i): erosion is the wearing away and removal of rock at the source. Transportation is the carrying of the fragments after that
do not accept compaction for (ii): compaction is the squeezing of the sediment by the weight of the layers above. Cementation is the gluing
⚠ If you missed marks here: the rock cycle is marked as a chain of named steps, and the two pairs that get swapped are weathering with erosion and compaction with cementation. Weathering breaks the rock up where it stands; erosion removes it; transportation carries it; deposition and sedimentation drop it; compaction squeezes it; cementation glues it. Learn them as a sequence rather than as a list, because a sequence tells you which one comes next and a list does not.
(c)[2]
Four rocks are listed below.
limestone  ·  shale  ·  sandstone  ·  marble
Classify each rock as permeable or impermeable.
Model Answer — (c)
permeable: limestone and sandstone   1 mark for both
impermeable: shale and marble   1 mark for both
the syllabus rule at 1.1.4 is that most sedimentary rocks are permeable, with shale as the named exception, and that igneous and metamorphic rocks are impermeable
each mark needs both rocks in that group correct. One right and one wrong scores nothing for that mark
⚠ If you missed marks here: shale is the trap and it is deliberate. It is sedimentary, so the general rule would put it with limestone and sandstone, but the syllabus names it as impermeable because its clay particles are so fine and flat that they leave almost no connected pore spaces. Marble is the other one worth checking: it is metamorphosed limestone, so it feels as though it should behave like limestone, but the metamorphism recrystallises it and closes the pores. Remember shale as the reason fracking exists at all — the gas cannot flow out of it, which is why the rock has to be broken.
(d)[1]
Granite and basalt are both igneous rocks with the same origin, but the crystals in granite are large enough to see with the naked eye while those in basalt are not. Explain why.
Model Answer — (d)
granite cools slowly, deep underground, so there is time for large crystals to grow, whereas basalt cools quickly at the surface after an eruption, so the crystals are frozen while they are still tiny
the mark needs the comparison of rate of cooling, not just the depth
⚠ If you missed marks here: the mark is for rate of cooling, and it is easy to write only half of it. Saying "granite forms underground and basalt forms at the surface" is true but it is a location, not a reason. Add the word slowly or quickly and the answer scores. The rule is worth carrying into any igneous question: slow cooling gives time, time gives big crystals.
Question 2 — Ores and how they are extracted
Total: 6 marks
(a)[1]
Define an ore.
Model Answer — (a)
rock containing minerals and metals
that is the whole of 1.2.1 and the mark scheme will not ask for more
⚠ If you missed marks here: the commonest wrong answer here is the one people have read somewhere else: "rock from which a metal can be extracted profitably". That sentence is not wrong as geology, but it is not the 0680 definition, and the profitability idea belongs one objective further on, at 1.2.3, where cost and profit appear as a factor in the decision to extract. Keep the two apart: the definition is about what the rock contains, the decision is about whether it is worth digging up.
(b)[3]
Describe how phytomining is used to extract a metal.
Model Answer — (b)
plants are grown on soil or on low grade ore that contains the metal, and the plants take up metal ions as they grow, concentrating the metal in their tissues
the plants are then harvested and burnt
the ash contains a much higher concentration of the metal compound than the original ore, and the metal is then extracted from that ash
1 mark for each of the three stages, in that order
⚠ If you missed marks here: phytomining is a three-stage process and it is marked as three stages, so an answer that says "plants are used to get the metal out" scores one at most. The other thing to keep straight is that phytomining and bioleaching are two different methods and the syllabus lists them separately. Phytomining uses plants, which are grown, harvested and burnt. Bioleaching uses bacteria, which produce a solution — a leachate — containing the metal compound. If your answer mentions bacteria, you have answered the other half of 1.2.2(c).
(c)[2]
A mining company is deciding whether to extract copper from a newly surveyed deposit. State two factors, other than cost and profit, that will affect that decision.
Model Answer — (c)
any 2 from: exploration; geology; accessibility and terrain; quantity and quality of the deposit, that is the ore grade; climate; environmental impact assessment; supply and demand
accept a factor named with a short reason, but the name alone is enough for the mark
cost and profit are excluded by the question and earn nothing here
⚠ If you missed marks here: two versions of the same factor will only be credited once. "It is hard to get to" and "there are no roads" are both accessibility, so that is one mark and not two. The safest approach is to pick two factors from clearly different parts of the list — one about the rock, such as ore grade, and one about the place, such as terrain or climate. Note that ore grade is worth knowing by name, because it is the factor a source-led question is most likely to give you numbers for.
Question 3 — The impacts of extraction, and repairing the landscape
Total: 6 marks
(a)[3]
A large opencast mine is opened in a rural area. Describe and explain one environmental, one economic and one social impact of the mine on that area.
Model Answer — (a)
environmental, any one, with a consequence: vegetation is stripped from a large area, so habitats are destroyed and biodiversity falls; dust and blasting cause air and noise pollution; spoil heaps and the void cause visual pollution; drainage from the waste rock carries dissolved metals into streams, so water is polluted; large volumes of water are used, so less is left for other users
economic, any one, with a consequence: employment opportunities change — jobs are created in mining and in local suppliers, but existing farming or tourism jobs may be lost; the local and national economy gains through wages, contracts, taxes and royalties; the local economy becomes dependent on one industry, so it is exposed when the deposit runs out
social, any one, with a consequence: roads, electricity, water supply, schools and clinics are built or improved to serve the mine, so facilities and infrastructure improve for residents too; equally, heavy lorry traffic, noise and dust reduce quality of life, and people may be moved off land
1 mark for each of the three, and each needs a consequence rather than a bare noun
⚠ If you missed marks here: two things cost marks here. The first is answering all three headings with the same idea: "it destroys the land" written three times is one mark. The second is stopping at the noun. "Noise pollution" is a label; "blasting and lorries produce noise, so people living nearby lose the quiet of a rural area" is an impact. Notice also that employment and infrastructure can be argued either way, and Cambridge credits both directions — a mine can create jobs and remove them, and it can bring a road and bring the traffic that uses it.
(b)[3]
When the mine closes, the land is to be restored. Describe three strategies used to restore land damaged by extraction.
Model Answer — (b)
replacement of overburden — the soil and rock that was stripped off and stored at the start is put back into the void, so the ground is returned to something near its original level and profile
soil improvement — organic matter, nutrients or lime are added to the replaced material so that it can support plant growth again
bioremediation — plants or micro-organisms are used to remove or break down the pollutants left in the ground
tree planting — trees are planted to stabilise the surface, bind the soil and begin to rebuild a habitat
any 3 of these 4, 1 mark each
⚠ If you missed marks here: the question says restore, and restoration and repurposing are two separate lists in 1.2.5. Restoration is putting the land back: overburden, soil improvement, bioremediation, tree planting. Repurposing is giving the site a new job: landfill, a lake, recreation, a nature reserve. Answering a restoration question with "turn it into a lake" is a real answer to a different question, and it is the single commonest way to lose all three marks at once.
Question 4 — Finite resources and their sustainable management
Total: 5 marks
(a)[1]
Define a finite resource.
Model Answer — (a)
a natural resource that is used up at a faster rate than it is replaced
the comparison of two rates is what earns the mark
⚠ If you missed marks here: "a resource that will run out" is the answer most people write and it usually scores nothing, because it states an outcome rather than the definition. The syllabus definition is a comparison of rates: taken out faster than it is put back. That wording is also what lets you handle the awkward cases — it is why nuclear power using uranium is finite even though there is a great deal of uranium, and it is why a fish stock can be treated as finite if it is caught faster than it breeds.
(b)[2]
Define the sustainable management of resources.
Model Answer — (b)
the use of strategies that ensure the needs of the present are met  (1)
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs  (1)
both halves are needed; each half is worth one mark
⚠ If you missed marks here: this definition is two marks because it is two clauses, and almost everybody writes only the second one. An answer about protecting the future on its own is half a definition — sustainability is not conservation, it is a balance, and the first clause says that today’s needs must still be met. Write it as a single sentence with the word without in the middle and you will not drop half of it.
(c)[2]
The syllabus lists legislation and enforcement as two separate strategies for the sustainable management of rocks, ores and minerals. Explain the difference between them, and why both are needed.
Model Answer — (c)
legislation is the making of the law itself — setting the rules, limits, licences and standards that mining and recycling must meet  (1)
enforcement is checking that the rules are actually being followed and applying a penalty when they are not: inspection, monitoring, fines, withdrawing a licence  (1)
accept for the second mark: without enforcement a law changes nothing, because a company that breaks it faces no consequence
⚠ If you missed marks here: these are listed as two strategies at 1.3.3(e) and 1.3.3(f), which is a strong signal that a mark scheme will pay for them separately. A great many candidates write "the government makes laws about it" and think they have covered both. They have covered one. The distinction is also the most useful sentence you own for a discuss question: a limitation of almost every management strategy in Topic 1 is that it depends on enforcement, and enforcement costs money and needs inspectors.
Question 5 — Fossil fuels, classification and generating electricity
Total: 6 marks
(a)[2]
Describe the formation of coal.
Model Answer — (a)
dead plant material built up in swamps or wetlands and was buried before it could fully decompose  (1)
over millions of years, heat and pressure from the layers of sediment above it compressed the material and drove off water and gases, leaving coal  (1)
accept the mention of anaerobic conditions or lack of oxygen preventing decay in place of the burial idea
⚠ If you missed marks here: two details separate a two-mark answer from a one-mark one. The first is naming the raw material as plant material — coal comes from plants, while petroleum and natural gas come from the remains of tiny marine organisms, and mixing those up loses the mark in either question. The second is naming both heat and pressure. Writing "it was buried for millions of years" describes the time but not the agent, and time on its own is not a mechanism.
(b)[1]
Explain why nuclear power using uranium is classified as a non-renewable energy resource, even though it releases almost no carbon dioxide during generation.
Model Answer — (b)
uranium is a mined ore and the supply of it is finite — it is used up far faster than it is replaced, so it meets the definition of a finite resource
low carbon and renewable are two different claims; the classification at 1.4.2 is about whether the fuel is replaced, not about emissions
⚠ If you missed marks here: this is the single most reliable trap in 1.4. Nuclear power feels as though it should be filed with the renewables because it does not burn anything and does not release carbon dioxide as it generates. The syllabus puts it firmly with fossil fuels under non-renewable, because the classification is about the fuel: uranium is dug out of the ground and is not being replaced. Keep the two labels apart in your head — low carbon describes the emissions, renewable describes the supply. A resource can be one without being the other.
(c)[3]
Describe how hydro-electric power is used to generate electricity.
Model Answer — (c)
water is held back behind a dam, forming a reservoir at a height above the power station  (1)
the water is released and falls through pipes, turning a turbine  (1)
the turning turbine drives a generator, which produces the electricity  (1)
the turbine and the generator are two different pieces of equipment and both are needed
⚠ If you missed marks here: nearly every resource in 1.4.3 ends with the same two words — turbine, then generator — and leaving the generator out is what costs the third mark. The turbine only spins; it is the generator that converts that movement into electricity. The chain to write for any of them is: something makes a turbine turn, the turbine turns a generator, the generator produces electricity. Then all you have to change between resources is the first clause: falling water here, steam from geothermal heat or from burning fuel elsewhere, moving air for wind.
Question 6 — Energy demand, and managing it
Total: 3 marks
(a)[1]
State one factor that increases the demand for energy in a country, and give a reason for the increase.
Model Answer — (a)
any one factor with a reason, for example: a rising human population, because more homes, more food and more services are needed; rising personal or national wealth, because people buy more appliances, vehicles and air conditioning; more transport, because more journeys are made by more vehicles; industry, because manufacturing processes use large amounts of energy; a colder or hotter climate, because more heating or cooling is required
the factor alone does not score; the reason is what turns it into an answer
⚠ If you missed marks here: the syllabus list at 1.4.5 has eight items and three of them work in the opposite direction to the rest — disruption to supply, unreliable supply and scarcity of resources affect demand by limiting what is available rather than by increasing what people want. If the question asks for something that increases demand, choose from the other five. And always attach the reason: "population" on its own is a word, not an explanation.
(b)[2]
A student writes: "An air source heat pump makes heat out of the air, so it is a way of generating energy."
Explain why this statement is not correct.
Model Answer — (b)
a heat pump does not make or generate heat; it transfers heat that is already in the outside air into the building  (1)
it is therefore a way of using energy more efficiently, not a way of generating energy, and it still needs an input of electricity to run, so its emissions depend on how that electricity was generated  (1)
accept for the second mark: because it moves existing heat rather than creating it, it delivers more heat energy to the building than the electrical energy it consumes
⚠ If you missed marks here: the word the syllabus uses at 1.5.2(c) and (d) is transfer, and it is chosen deliberately. A heat pump is not a generator and it is not a source of energy; it is a mover of heat, which is why it belongs in 1.5, the conservation and management of energy, rather than in 1.4 with the energy resources. The second half matters too: the pump runs on electricity, so calling it clean depends entirely on where that electricity came from. That sentence is worth keeping for a discuss question, because it is exactly the kind of limitation that earns evaluation marks.
Question 7 — Fracking
Total: 8 marks
(a)[2]
Define fracking.
Model Answer — (a)
the extraction of natural gas or petroleum from shale rock  (1)
by hydraulic fracturing  (1)
all three elements — the product, the rock and the method — are in the syllabus wording at 1.6.1
⚠ If you missed marks here: the two words that get dropped are shale and hydraulic. Leave out shale and you have described drilling for gas in general, which is not fracking. Leave out hydraulic and you have lost the mechanism, because it is the water pumped in at high pressure that breaks the rock. It is worth knowing why shale is in the definition: shale is impermeable, so the gas formed inside it cannot flow out through the rock, and an ordinary well produces almost nothing. That is the link back to 1.1.4, and it is the reason the rock has to be fractured at all.
(b)[6]
A country currently imports most of its natural gas. A company applies for a licence to frack a shale deposit beneath farmland.
Discuss the benefits and limitations of fracking.
Model Answer — (b)
this is a levels style question. Award up to 4 marks for benefits and limitations, with at least one of each, then up to 2 for a judgement supported by what has gone before.
Benefits, any of:
it reaches gas and oil held in shale that could not be extracted by conventional drilling at all, so the total resource available to the country increases
energy security: a country with its own shale reserves is less exposed to disruption of supply and to price shocks from the countries it currently imports from
increased supply tends to lower gas prices for households and for industry
burning gas rather than coal for the same electricity releases roughly half the carbon dioxide and far less sulfur dioxide and particulate matter, so replacing coal-fired generation improves air quality
gas power stations can be turned up and down quickly, so they can cover demand while intermittent wind and solar capacity and storage are built
employment and local income: drilling creates jobs and contracts, and governments receive taxes and royalties
Limitations, any of:
it is still a finite fossil fuel — burning the gas releases carbon dioxide, and investing in it extends the use of fossil fuels rather than replacing them
very high water use, millions of litres per well, which competes with agriculture and with domestic supply and matters most in dry regions
risk to water supplies: the fracking fluid contains added chemicals and the fluid that returns to the surface carries dissolved salts and other substances, so a failed well casing or poorly handled waste can contaminate groundwater
methane leaking from wells and pipelines is itself a powerful greenhouse gas, and enough leakage can cancel out the advantage gas has over coal
small earth tremors have been linked to fracturing rock at high pressure near some sites
local disturbance: well pads, access roads, lorry traffic, noise, dust and lighting industrialise a rural area, and because shale wells decline quickly many wells must be drilled to keep output up
Judgement, up to 2 marks:
a judgement that separates who gains from who bears the cost: the tax revenue and the security of supply are national, while the water use, traffic, noise and tremor risk fall on the local community and its farmers
a judgement that names the timescale: an individual shale well produces for only a few years, so the gain is short-lived, while contaminated groundwater and the carbon dioxide released last far longer
a judgement that names what the decision turns on, for example that the case is strongest where the gas displaces coal and weakest where it displaces investment in renewables, or that it depends on whether regulation is enforced
a bare conclusion such as "so fracking is bad" with nothing behind it scores 0 of the 2
⚠ If you missed marks here: this is the most politically loaded objective in Topic 1, and that is exactly why a one-sided answer is punished. Cambridge is neutral here and the mark scheme has two columns, so an answer with five limitations and no benefits is capped however good the five are. The other half of the marks goes on the ending. The final 2 are not for more content — they are for saying what the decision turns on. Use the five-move frame from the Challenge Prep guide: benefit, limitation, who bears the cost, over what timescale, judgement. The last three moves are where almost all the difference between a grade 6 and a grade 8 lives on this question.

Self-Assessment

Tick marks earned, then click Calculate Grade.

0
40
0%
IGCSE Environmental Management 0680 — Paper 1 — Topic 1 Natural resources — Challenge
For examination preparation only. Not an official Cambridge Assessment paper.