Secondary 4 Geography Practice Paper: Rivers and Hydrology, Coasts and Waves, Weather and Climate, Population and Migration, Urban Land Use, Natural Hazards

2026-11-13

Geography – Secondary 4 – Practice Paper

S4 geography: river gradient and discharge, wave energy, coastal erosion, lapse rate, population change, urban density, storm surge and slope hazards. 24 parts, 100 marks.

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Paper details　S4 geography practice paper with 24 parts on river gradients, discharge, wave energy, coastal erosion, weather, population change, urban land use and natural hazards; full answers and marking points included.

Section A: River Landforms and Hydrology (16 marks)

Data 1: river A has a catchment of 240 km2, a straight source-to-mouth distance of 60 km, source altitude 1,200 m and mouth altitude 0 m.

#	Question	Answer and marking notes
1	(a) Find the gradient of river A, expressed as a ratio and in metres per kilometre.	Answer: gradient = 1,200 / 60,000 = 0.02; that is 20 m fall per km. (Marking: fall 1, distance in metres 1, each unit form 1)
2	(b) Within six hours of a storm the discharge rises from 12 m3/s to 66 m3/s. Find the percentage increase.	Answer: increase = (66 – 12) / 12 x 100% = 450%. (Marking: difference 1, dividing by base 2, per cent sign 1)
3	(c) The storm gives 80 mm of rain over the catchment with a runoff ratio of 0.35. Find the total runoff volume in cubic metres.	Answer: area = 240,000,000 m2; depth = 0.08 m; volume = 240,000,000 x 0.08 x 0.35 = 6,720,000 m3. (Marking: area 1, depth 1, runoff ratio 1, answer 1)
4	(d) In normal conditions the channel cross-section is 30 m2 with mean velocity 1.6 m/s. Find the normal discharge and how many times the peak discharge exceeds it.	Answer: normal discharge = 30 x 1.6 = 48 m3/s; 66 / 48 = 1.38 times. (Marking: discharge formula 2, ratio 1, units 1)

Section B: Coastal Landforms and Waves (16 marks)

Data 2: offshore waves have a period of 8 s and a height of 2.5 m; sea water density is 1,025 kg/m3 and g is 9.81 m/s2.

#	Question	Answer and marking notes
5	(a) Using the deep water formulae, find the wave speed and wave length.	Answer: speed = 1.56 x 8 = 12.48 m/s; length = 1.56 x 64 = 99.84 m. (Marking: each formula 1, substitution 1, units 1)
6	(b) Use P = density x g^2 / (64 pi) x height^2 x period to find the wave energy flux per metre of crest in kW/m (1 d.p.).	Answer: P = 1,025 x 9.81^2 / (64 pi) x 2.5^2 x 8 = 24,530 W/m = 24.5 kW/m. (Marking: density and g 1, squares and period 1, division by 1,000 1, answer 1)
7	(c) The cliff retreats at 0.15 m per year and the wave-cut platform is 45 m wide. Find the time needed to form it.	Answer: years = 45 / 0.15 = 300 years. (Marking: correct relation 2, arithmetic 1, unit 1)
8	(d) A spit is 320 m long and grows 4.5 m per year. Find how long it takes to double its present length (1 d.p.).	Answer: another 320 m is needed; years = 320 / 4.5 = 71.1 years. (Marking: extra 320 m 2, arithmetic 1, unit 1)

Section C: Weather and Climate (18 marks)

Data 3: the foot of a hill at 50 m has a temperature of 28.0 C and the summit is at 1,450 m. Another station records 25 C, actual vapour pressure 18 hPa and saturation vapour pressure 30 hPa.

#	Question	Answer and marking notes
9	(a) Using an environmental lapse rate of 0.6 C per 100 m, find the summit temperature.	Answer: height difference = 1,400 m; cooling = 14 x 0.6 = 8.4 C; summit = 28.0 – 8.4 = 19.6 C. (Marking: height difference 2, cooling 2, answer and unit 1)
10	(b) Find the relative humidity at that station.	Answer: relative humidity = 18 / 30 x 100% = 60%. (Marking: formula 2, substitution 2, per cent sign 1)
11	(c) A place has 2,100 mm annual rainfall and 780 mm annual evaporation. Find annual runoff and the runoff ratio (2 d.p.).	Answer: runoff = 2,100 – 780 = 1,320 mm; ratio = 1,320 / 2,100 = 0.63. (Marking: runoff 2, ratio 1, 2 d.p. 1)
12	(d) On a day the maximum is 31.4 C and the minimum 22.6 C. Find the daily range.	Answer: daily range = 31.4 – 22.6 = 8.8 C. (Marking: subtraction 3, unit 1)

Section D: Population and Migration (16 marks)

Data 4: a city starts the year with 5,200,000 people; during the year there are 41,600 births, 33,800 deaths, 18,200 immigrants and 12,400 emigrants.

#	Question	Answer and marking notes
13	(a) Find the natural increase and the natural increase rate per 1,000 (1 d.p.).	Answer: natural increase = 7,800; rate = 7,800 / 5,200,000 x 1,000 = 1.5 per 1,000. (Marking: number 2, formula 1, answer 1)
14	(b) Find the net migration and the net migration rate per 1,000 (2 d.p.).	Answer: net migration = 5,800; rate = 5,800 / 5,200,000 x 1,000 = 1.12 per 1,000. (Marking: number 2, formula 1, answer 1)
15	(c) Find the year-end population and the total growth rate per 1,000 (2 d.p.).	Answer: year-end population = 5,213,600; growth rate = 13,600 / 5,200,000 x 1,000 = 2.62 per 1,000. (Marking: population 2, numerator 1, answer 1)
16	(d) The city has 780,000 aged 0-14, 620,000 aged 65 and over, and 3,800,000 aged 15-64. Find the dependency ratio as a percentage (1 d.p.).	Answer: dependency ratio = 1,400,000 / 3,800,000 x 100% = 36.8%. (Marking: numerator 2, denominator 1, answer 1)

Section E: Urban Land Use (18 marks)

Data 5: a new town covers 24 km2 with 336,000 people; residential land is 9.6 km2, roads take 3.6 km2 and the rest is other uses; total residential floor area is 6,720,000 m2.

#	Question	Answer and marking notes
17	(a) Find the population density in persons per km2.	Answer: density = 336,000 / 24 = 14,000 persons per km2. (Marking: formula 2, arithmetic 2, unit 1)
18	(b) Find the percentage of the town area used for housing, roads and other uses.	Answer: housing = 40%; roads = 15%; other = 45% (10.8 km2). (Marking: housing 2, roads 2, other 1)
19	(c) Find the average residential floor area per person in m2.	Answer: average = 6,720,000 / 336,000 = 20 m2 per person. (Marking: formula 2, arithmetic 1, unit 1)
20	(d) 40% of residents travel out to work each day, two trips per person. Find the daily commuter trips.	Answer: workers = 336,000 x 0.4 = 134,400; trips = 134,400 x 2 = 268,800. (Marking: workers 2, x 2 for trips 1, unit 1)

Section F: Natural Hazards and Management (16 marks)

Data 6: during a typhoon the astronomical tide is 2.1 m, the storm surge 1.8 m and wave run-up 0.6 m; the sea wall is 4.2 m high. A slope has a horizontal length of 120 m and a rise of 60 m.

#	Question	Answer and marking notes
21	(a) Find the peak water level and state whether the sea overtops the wall; if so, by how much.	Answer: peak level = 4.5 m; wall is 4.2 m, so the sea overtops it by 0.3 m. (Marking: sum 2, comparison 1, overtopping 1)
22	(b) 180 mm of rain falls in three hours. Find the mean rainfall intensity in mm per hour.	Answer: intensity = 180 / 3 = 60 mm per hour. (Marking: formula 2, arithmetic 1, unit 1)
23	(c) Find the slope as a ratio and in degrees (1 d.p.).	Answer: ratio = 60 / 120 = 0.5; slope = arctan 0.5 = 26.6 degrees. (Marking: ratio 2, inverse tangent 1, answer 1)
24	(d) Four estates must be evacuated, each with 620 households of 3.1 persons; each bus carries 60. Find the number evacuated and the minimum bus trips.	Answer: people = 4 x 620 x 3.1 = 7,688; buses = 7,688 / 60 = 128.1, so at least 129 trips. (Marking: people 2, division 1, rounding up 1)

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