← Interacting natural processes in a New Zealand environment
Spatial and temporal variation (named explicitly in 2024)
Two named places, or two named times, with the controlling factor.| Variation | Controlled by | How to evidence it |
|---|---|---|
| Spatial — west vs east of a range | Orographic rainfall, aspect | Rainfall figures for two named places |
| Spatial — upper vs lower catchment | Gradient, discharge, sediment load | Channel form at two named reaches |
| Temporal — seasonal | Snowmelt, storm season | Mean monthly discharge or rainfall |
| Temporal — event | A single storm, quake or eruption | A dated event and what it moved |
| Temporal — geological | Glacial cycles, long-term uplift | Rates in mm/year, ages in thousands of years |
The 2024 paper made you tick either Spatial or Temporal on page 3. Choose the one your case study has real figures for.
Exam-style Explaining WHY, not just WHAT, varies spatially Analyse why different processes operate differently on the west and east of a mountain range. State the variation: the western slopes are more heavily eroded and steeper; the eastern side has broad, gently sloping outwash plains. Name the controlling factor: moist westerly air is forced to rise over the range, dropping most of its rainfall on the western side (orographic rainfall). Trace the mechanism: higher rainfall on the west powers more intense fluvial and glacial erosion there, while the drier east receives mainly the material transported and deposited from the west. ✓ The 2022 schedule specifically rewarded explaining WHY different processes operate in different places, not just describing that they do — the mechanism (orographic rainfall) is what earns the higher bands.A ready two-place, two-time answer for any environment
- SPATIAL: always have TWO named locations in your environment ready, with a stated reason (rainfall, gradient, aspect, distance from source) for why they differ.
- TEMPORAL: always have ONE seasonal contrast AND one single dated event ready — the paper may ask for either, and event-based evidence is usually the more persuasive of the two.