AQA GCSE Geography key terms

Molten rock beneath Earth’s surface. Once it erupts onto the surface, it is called lava.

The size or amount of something, such as the size of a geographical event.

Allowing the coastline to move inland in a planned way, often by removing or abandoning existing defences; also called coastal realignment.

The thick layer of rock beneath Earth’s crust. It is mostly solid, but parts can deform and flow very slowly.

The process of making products from raw materials or components.

The downhill movement of rock or soil under the influence of gravity.

The sum of all values divided by the number of values.

A winding bend in a river channel, shaped by erosion on the outside and deposition on the inside.

A band of glacial debris down the centre of a glacier, formed where the lateral moraines of joining glaciers meet.

The middle value when data are arranged in numerical order; with an even number of values, it is the mean of the two middle values.

An urban area with more than 10 million residents.

Small loans offered to people who may be unable to obtain conventional bank loans, often to start or expand a small business.

Small-scale electricity generation in which flowing water turns a turbine connected to a generator.

The movement of people from one place to another to live.

Removing useful minerals from the ground for processing or sale.

Action taken to reduce the harmful effects of a development or decision.

Development that combines different uses, such as housing, workplaces, shops and community facilities.

The class interval containing the greatest frequency in a grouped frequency table.

The value occurring most frequently in a dataset.

Observing and measuring a hazard's development, location and conditions.

An accumulation of rock debris transported and deposited by a glacier.

The place where a river enters the sea, a lake or another river.

Aid provided through an international organisation using contributions from several countries.

The process through which an initial investment creates further jobs and income as businesses buy supplies and workers spend their wages.

Movement of people to live in another place within the same country.

Population decline caused by deaths outnumbering births, excluding migration.

An event caused by natural environmental processes that has the potential to harm people and their property.