Edexcel GCSE Geography A key terms

Rock formed from accumulated sediment that becomes solid through compaction and cementation, or from accumulated remains of organisms.

Cutting selected trees rather than clearing all the trees in an area.

A place where people live, ranging from an isolated farmstead to a village, town or city.

Natural gas trapped within shale rock, which can be released through fracking.

The physical land on which a settlement is built, including its relief, coastline and water features.

The location of a settlement in relation to other places and surrounding regions.

A method of clearing land by cutting vegetation and then burning it.

The downhill movement of a mass of rock or soil along a relatively straight, planar slip surface.

The downhill movement of a mass of rock or soil along a curved slip surface, with rotation of the moving material.

An effect on people’s lives, health, housing or access to services.

Information about people’s social and economic circumstances, such as housing, employment, income and access to services.

Differences in income, wealth and access to opportunities or services between people or areas.

Management that works with natural processes, planning or preparation to reduce flood risk, rather than relying mainly on large defensive structures.

The removal of soil by processes such as flowing water or wind.

Electricity generated by solar panels converting energy from sunlight.

In river erosion, the dissolving of soluble rock in water, also called corrosion. In river transportation, the carrying of already dissolved substances within the water, rather than as solid sediment particles.

The point where a river begins.

The ground distance represented by the width of one pixel in a satellite image; smaller pixels generally allow finer detail to be distinguished.

Differences between places in a characteristic such as income, employment or life expectancy.

A narrow ridge of sand or shingle extending from the coast into the sea, attached to land at one end.

An isolated column of rock standing offshore, formed when an arch roof collapses.

A person, group or organisation with an interest in an issue or who is affected by decisions about it.

The material conditions people can afford, such as housing, food and other goods and services.

A graph showing how river discharge changes during and after a period of rainfall, usually with rainfall bars on the same time axis.

An unusually high sea level caused by a storm’s winds and changes in atmospheric pressure.

The arrangement of vegetation into distinct vertical layers.

A judgement influenced by an individual's opinions or perceptions.