Unit 1 (AS):

Cold environments (The global distribution of cold environments - polar, alpine gloacial and periglacial)

Hot desert environments (location and characteristics of hot desert and their margins - climate. Causes of aridity - atmospheric processes relating to pressure, winds, continentality, relief and cold ocean currents)

Unit 3 (A2):  

Weather and climate and associated hazards

Major climate controls

The structure of the atmosphere, the atmospheric heat budget, the general atmospheric circulation, planetary surface winds, latitude, oceanic circulation and altitude.

The climate of the British Isles

Basic climatic characteristics: temperature, precipitation and wind.
Air masses affecting the British Isles.
Origin and nature of depressions. Weather changes associated with the passage of a depression.
Origin and nature of anticyclones. Associated weather conditions in winter and summer.
Storm events: their occurrence, their impact and responses to them. One case study from within the last 30 years should be undertaken.

The climate of one tropical region (tropical wet/ dry savanna or monsoon or equatorial) Basic climatic characteristics: temperature, precipitation and wind.

The role of sub-tropical anticyclones and the intertropical convergence zone.
Tropical revolving storms. Their occurrence, their impact and responses to them. Two case studies of recent (within the last 30 years) tropical revolving storms should be undertaken from contrasting areas of the world.

Climate on a local scale: urban climates

Temperatures: the urban heat island effect.
Precipitation: frequency and intensity, fogs, thunderstorms and their relationship to urban form and processes.
Air quality: particulate pollution, photochemical smog and pollution reduction policies.
Winds: the effects of urban structures and layout on variations in wind speed, direction and frequency.

Global climate change

Evidence for climatic change over the last 20 000 years.
Global warming – possible causes. Possible effects:
on a global scale, on the chosen tropical region
(above) and on the British Isles.
Responses to global warming: international, national and local.

Cartographic skills to include use of weather maps
ICT skills to include meteorological office data

Unit 4 (A2): Fieldwork