Edexcel IGCSE Geography · Hazardous Environments
Hazardous Enquiry Skills
The big idea: A good geography enquiry follows a chain — collect the right data (primary + secondary),
present it clearly with the right graph or map, analyse it using statistics like the mean,
reach a conclusion that answers your original question, and then honestly evaluate how reliable it all was.
Summary — What This Chapter Covers
- Data presentation — choosing the right graph (line, bar, rose, scattergraph) or map (isoline, sample site) for different types of weather data.
- Primary vs secondary data — primary is data you collect yourself; secondary is data from other sources like the Met Office or OS maps.
- Completing graphs accurately — plotting missing bars/points to match the existing style exactly.
- Spotting anomalies — identifying results that don't fit the pattern and explaining why they might have occurred.
- Analysing data statistically — calculating the mean, and understanding why it's used.
- Qualitative analysis — using annotated photographs and field sketches to interpret microclimates.
- Reaching a conclusion — linking findings back to the original hypothesis and explaining anomalies.
- Evaluating an enquiry — judging reliability, accuracy, and what you'd improve next time.
1. Weather Enquiry Data Presentation
Primary Data — Choosing the Right Graph
Once you've collected primary data out in the field (like temperature, wind speed, or rainfall readings),
you need to present it in a way that makes patterns easy to see. The trick is that different graphs
suit different types of data — picking the wrong one loses you marks even if your numbers are correct.
Think of it like choosing the right tool for a job: you wouldn't use a hammer to turn a screw, and you
shouldn't use a line graph to show wind direction.
Which graph for which data?
| Graph Type | Best Used For |
|---|
| Line graph | Changes in temperature — either spatially (across a distance) or over time |
| Bar graph | Precipitation, wind speed (discrete values at different sample points) |
| Rose graph | Wind direction and speed together (a compass-style graph) |
| Scattergraph | The relationship between two variables, e.g. air pressure vs precipitation |
Data can also be shown on maps — for example, marking exactly where each sample site was located,
or drawing isoline maps, which are maps with lines joining points of equal value (a bit like contour
lines on an OS map, but for temperature or precipitation instead of height). Every point on the same isoline
has the same reading.
Worked Example — Completing a Bar Graph
Five wind speed samples were collected: 50.1, 35.1, 45.1, 40.0, and 10.0 mph. Samples 2, 3 and 5 were already
plotted on the bar graph. To complete it for samples 1 and 4:
- Bar 1 (50.1 mph) → drawn just above the 50 mph gridline, matching the width of the other bars.
- Bar 4 (40.0 mph) → drawn exactly on the 40 mph gridline.
The bars don't need shading, but they must be the same width as the existing bars — consistency is what
examiners are checking for.
Practice Question 1
Spotting & Explaining Anomalies
anomaly
explain
Common causes of anomalies
- Human error
- Sheltered location
- Timing variation
4. Conclusion