Edexcel GCSE Geography B key terms

An accumulation of sand or shingle deposited along the shoreline.

The shape of a beach, including its width, slopes and changes in gradient.

Adding sand or shingle to a beach to replace lost sediment and increase its protection against waves.

A cross-section showing the shape of a beach along a survey line.

Adding sand or shingle to a beach to replace material lost through erosion.

Sediment, such as sand, gravel and pebbles, transported along a river bed.

The main mass of rock beneath a location, which may be exposed at the surface or covered by younger deposits.

Total estimated benefits divided by total estimated costs. A ratio above 1 means that estimated benefits exceed estimated costs.

The variety of living organisms in an area.

Fuel made from biological material, such as crops or plant waste.

The total mass of living organisms in an area; living organisms form one of an ecosystem’s nutrient stores.

A very large ecosystem characterised by its climate, vegetation and animal life.

The parts of Earth where life exists, including land, water and the lower atmosphere.

The living components of an ecosystem, including plants, animals and decomposers.

The living parts of an ecosystem, including plants, animals, microorganisms and humans.

The number of live births per 1,000 people in a population in one year.

A theory that pressure from population growth encourages agricultural innovation and more intensive farming, increasing food production.

A development approach involving local communities in smaller projects designed around their needs, often supported by NGOs.

An approach in which local communities help identify their needs and develop solutions, often supported by NGOs.

A poorly consolidated mixture of sediment deposited by ice, also called glacial till, which forms much of the Holderness coastline.

A geographical model describing expected changes in river characteristics with increasing distance downstream.

A place where the steepness of the ground changes.

Land that has previously been developed, such as a former factory site.

Land that has previously been built on, which may be available for redevelopment.

Rules setting standards for construction, which can require features that reduce the risk of buildings collapsing during an earthquake.

How closely buildings are packed together in an area.

An energy future in which existing patterns broadly continue, with oil and gas remaining major sources of energy.