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MAY/JUNE 2021 PAPER 02

PHYSICAL, HUMAN AND HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT SYSTEMS
QUESTION #2- PHYSICAL SYSTEMS

Question 2 Part A

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SAMPLE RESPONSE:

i. Type rock A- Igneous rock

B- Sedimentary Rock

C- Metamorphic Rock

ii. Two process which can help transform Type A rock to Type B rocks are
Compaction and Cementation

iii. Metamorphic rocks are sedimentary and igneous rocks which have formed
beneath the earth’s surface through metamorphosis because of immense heat
and pressure which compresses or squeezes the rock. The process of
metamorphism does not melt the rock, rather it transforms them into denser
more compact rock. This occurs through plate collision whereby the heat and
pressure generated alters the rock. Magma can also heat the crust causing the
rocks the transform. These rocks will be resistant to weathering and erosion
making it hard-wearing.

Question 2 Part B

SAMPLE RESPONSE:

Soil Creep

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Soil creep is the slow downward progression of rock and other loose weathered
material down a gentle slope.

Mass Wasting

Mass wasting refers to the dynamic process of weathering or loosened materials

moving down slope in response to gravity. This can include landslides and soil creep.
This is often called mass movement.

B Part II

SAMPLE RESPONSE:

Limestone is chemically weathered by the process of carbonation. As rainwater absorbs

carbon dioxide when it passes through the atmosphere, a weak carbonic acid is formed
when the water and carbon dioxide combine. This weak carbonic acid acts on fissures
and joints in limestone areas. When the carbonic acid reacts with calcium carbonate in
limestone, it is carried away in solution as calcium bicarbonate after chemical weathering
has occurred. As the water seeps further into limestone areas, it will erode weaknesses in
the heavily jointed and permeable limestone bedrock. The fissures in the limestone
become enlarged and overtime the limestone is dissolved.

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Calcium Carbonate + Carbon dioxide + Water → Calcium hydrogen carbonate

(Calcium bicarbonate)

CaCO3 + CO2 + H2 O → Ca (HCO3)2

SAMPLE RESPONSE:

A landslide is the rapid movement of rock, earth, or debris down a sloped section of the
land. It is often the result of rain, earthquakes, volcanoes, or other factors which result in
the slope being unstable. It is a geological event whereby the top layer of the earth on the
side of a hill or mountain becomes loose and moves downward. While gravity is a main
force behind landslides occurrences, the side of a hill or mountain can be become unstable
due to several factors. These include sinking groundwater, loss of vegetation, movement
of glaciers, heavy rain, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and erosion by rivers and waves.

Saint Lucia’s landscape is dominated by high peaks and rainforests located at the
interior of the island. Due to the steep terrain, many rivers flow from the central point

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outward. There is a tropical, humid climate with abundant annual rainfall during June
to December.

In 2010 Hurricane Tomas hit the island of St. Lucia triggering landslides in the Soufriere
district blocking road access to the settlements.

In this case heavy rainfall and water can trigger landslides as it alters the pressure within
the slope resulting in slope instability. Here, the friction between the bedrock and the
overlying sediment is reduced. When rocks and soil are saturated, they will succumb to
the forces of gravity as its keeps getting heavier and rapidly move downwards. There is
also little infiltration as the soil is saturated with water. This is why many landslides occur
after rainstorms which occurred in this case.

The combined effect of the increased rainfall and the steep landscape were ideal
conditions for the landslide to occur in the mountainous region. Here friction is reduced
due to the steep slope which causes the rapid movement of rock and other debris
downslope in this area especially with the influence of increase rainfall activity which
makes the soil heavy.

Many areas in this district have limited vegetative cover due to anthropogenic causes
such as deforestation and construction. This reduces the amount of water the soil can
hold as roots usually increase this function. This increases the risk of landslides in these
areas.

QUESTION 2 PART D

Relation to climate

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Latosols can only be formed in very hot, wet conditions which are common in the tropics
and equatorial regions. There is usually high rainfall, humidity and high temperatures
which result in deep chemical weathering aided by the water. The average rainfall is
approximately 3000mm, with humidity being around 88% with an average temperature
of 27 degrees Celsius. This results in the rapid leaching of minerals downward into the
soil. These climatic conditions allow latosols to be very deep. The high temperatures and
permeability of the soil allows the heat and moisture to reach great depths and rot the
parent material into deep soil. Thus, while latosols nutrients in rainforest are used
rapidly, this process and conditions allow for the deep soil to be formed over time.

Relation to vegetation

The soils in rainforests are red due to the high iron and aluminum content. There is a
readily available thick layer of leaf litter and decomposing matter on the surface. This is
dominant as there is high temperatures which allow for the rapid decomposition of
readily available material from the vegetation. These nutrients then act as a rich source
of nutrients which are easily accessible for plant roots to absorb. These nutrients are thus
in high demand by the plants which grow quickly, meaning that they do not remain long
in the soil and stay close the soil surface

SAMPLE RESPONSE:

The soils in rainforests are red due to the high iron and aluminum content. There is a
readily available thick layer of leaf litter and decomposing matter on the surface. This is
dominant as there is high temperatures which allow for the rapid decomposition of
readily available material from the vegetation. These nutrients then act as a rich source
of nutrients which are easily accessible for plant roots to absorb. These nutrients are thus
in high demand by the plants which grow quickly, meaning that they do not remain long
in the soil and stay close the soil surface.

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QUESTION 3- HUMAN SYSTEMS

SAMPLE RESPONSE:

A- Guyana
B- Trinidad and Tobago
C- Dominica
D- Dominican Republic
E- Cuba
F- Belize
G- Jamaica

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SAMPLE RESPONSE

COUNTRY NATURAL RESOURCE

Guyana Gold, bauxite, diamonds

Trinidad and Tobago Oil and gas, petroleum

Dominica Oil and natural gas, coal

Dominican Republic Gold, silver, bauxite, coal

Cuba Cobalt, nickel, iron ore, petroleum

Belize Crude oil and diesel

Jamaica Bauxite, copper, nickel

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SAMPLE RESPONSE:

Renewable resources are those which quickly replenish themselves naturally and can be
used again and again or be sustained. For example, the sunlight in solar energy and wind
in wind turbines are able to replenish themselves.

Whereas non-renewable resources will run out as they cannot be replaced or replenished
at the speed at which they are consumed. Fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal are
non-renewable resources.

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Worth- 6 marks

SAMPLE RESPONSE:

Two factors which may negatively affect the growth of the food processing industry in
Trinidad and Tobago are competition and ability to remain on the market.

There is enhanced competition from imported processed food which tends to be

attractively packaged and advertised. More and more foreign products from the US, UK,
Asia and even Latin America are being packed on local shelves. These tend to be less
expensive compared to locally produced products, thus many people are purchasing
them over local items.

Globalization and trade liberalization makes it difficult for many local foods to maintain
their prominence in local markets. There is the free flow of products across different
markets and as such many local products are unable to maintain their life on the local
shelves as they tend to cost much less.

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Worth- 6 marks

SAMPLE RESPONSE:

The government of Trinidad and Tobago helps facilitate the duty-free entry of raw
materials products and equipment for the food processing industries. This reduces the
cost of making the product allowing local producers to be able to access the required
materials at an affordable cost. Local producers can obtain, for example, a Minister’s
License for the importation of raw materials (fish and fish products) duty free for
processing.

There are higher taxes are added on some imported food items which are in competition
with those items being produced locally in Trinidad and Tobago. This incentive
influences the cost of purchasing local vs imported products by the local consumers. In
2021 the government added a 12.5% VAT on luxury imported foods to reduce the high
local demand for luxury foods.

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QUESTION #3- HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT SYSTEMS

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SAMPLE RESPONSE:

i. In 1999, there were approximately 60 disaster events.

ii. 1988 had the highest occurrence of natural disasters.
iii. In 1972 or 1975 there were approximately 10 disaster events.

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iv. In 1984, there was the least number of disasters.

v. There were significant increases and decreases in the number of disaster events
transitioning from continuous decreases then increases as the years
progressed.

SAMPLE RESPONSE:

A natural hazard is an extreme event which occurs naturally and causes harm to humans
and property with focus on human impact.

A natural hazard becomes a natural disaster when an extreme event causes significant
harm and goes beyond human capability to cope and respond.

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SAMPLE RESPONSE:

Hazard Countries Impacted

Earthquake Haiti (2010, 7.0)

Dominican Republic (El Cibao 1946)
Hurricane The Bahamas (Hurricane Dorian 2019)
Grenada (Hurricane Ivan 2004)

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SAMPLE RESPONSE

Short- and long-term impacts of earthquakes and hurricanes

SHORT TERM IMPACT LONG TERM IMPACT

INFRASTRUCTURE
Damaged to buildings/settlements Dislocation of the population
Damage to health facilities Increase loss of life/death rate
Cracked roads, collapsing buildings, walls, Foundation instabilities
bridges, falling furniture or objects and
shattering glass
Loss of water/sewage systems Potential contamination of drinking water
supplies
Further heath issues
Disruption of telecommunications and power Slow to return due to extensive damage of
supply facilities
ECONOMY
Loss of crops/ farmlands due to waterlogging, Decreases in exports and revenue earned
shaking of earth or from sewage from agricultural products.
contamination Increases the food import bill
Damage to natural resources sites Decreased exports and foreign exchange

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Tourist attractions such as sea and sand can Takes a long time to restore tourist facilities.
be destroyed or contaminated Little to no income generated during
restoration time

Contamination and pollution of coral reefs Reduces income of fishermen and other
from flooding. marine industries as fishing grounds are
polluted.
Closure of industrial activities Takes time for recovery and restoration
process.
Can result in a period of recession.
Decrease in personal spending.
Unemployment increases.
Money and resources are needed to rebuild Can lead to debts as money can be borrowed.
and repair the nation.
ENVIRONMENTAL
Loss of tropical forest biomes/ Loss of biodiversity
trees/mangroves Destruction of animal habitats
Coastal erosion/ destruction caused by storm Can increase susceptibility of coastline to
surges flooding.
Flooding can cause loss of animal habitats and
increase the vulnerability of landscape.
SOCIAL
Social displacement or relocation of many Many people can be left without possessions
persons and a home for months/years.
Communities can be abandoned due to
extensive damage which makes it
unhabitable.
Loss of life Can lead to trauma suffered by persons who
have lost loved ones during the natural
disaster.
Children can be orphaned if they lost their
parents.
Limited social interaction and communication Leaves persons feeling isolated

Increase in mental health issues. It can take some people a long time to recover
from the negative impacts of disasters
associated with a fear for any future events.
Persons can feel unsafe and migrate.

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Community togetherness Can bring communities closer together as

they learn to help each other.
Coming together to rebuild aids in improving
social interaction.
Improves well being of each person.
Reliance on assistance from other nations.

Worth- 6 marks

SAMPLE RESPONSE:

The ODMP (Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management) Trinidad and Tobago
engages in several mitigation strategies to reduce the impact of natural disasters.

EARLY WARNING

There is an integrated system of hazard monitoring, forecasting and prediction, disaster

risk assessment, communication and preparedness activities systems and processes that
enable individuals, communities, governments, businesses, and others to take timely
action to reduce disaster risks in advance of hazardous events. These are conducted at
differing levels using different levels of communication channels and tools to ensure
everyone is reached and to avoid the failure of any one channel as well as to reinforce the
warning message.

SIMULATION EXERCISES

Disaster plans are regularly exercised to identify and close any gaps. The ODPM tries to
execute national exercises every year. During the exercises, an emergency situation is

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simulated, and the national response framework and standard operating procedures are
tested.

SHELTERS

The ODPM has set up several shelters across the nation. These locations are publicized
with different agencies to ensure everyone has access to them. Shelter personnel are also
trained in relevant disaster management strategies.

COORDINATE EFFORTS

The ODPM coordinates efforts with different local agencies such as the regional and
borough corporations and their respective Disaster Management Units to send out
warnings, collect information of impacts and advise on measures which can be
implements before, during and after a natural disaster.

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