ow":[{"id":"8eb040e0-670b-48b0-beb6-b91260514764","revisionId":"da3ae470-1509-4ad2-be7e-f3b087c36563","questionNumber":null,"questionType":"LA","specification":"### The Living World\n\nStudy **Figure 14**, which shows two soil profiles found in extreme environments.\n\n![Figure 14: Two soil profiles showing Soil Profile A from a hot desert and Soil Profile B from a cold tundra.](https://assets.mathsgenie.co.uk/aqa-qb/7ba5562b-303c-4813-ac78-78208aa5abe0.png)","difficulty":6,"difficultyBand":"medium","totalMarks":4,"sourceTitle":null,"calculatorUse":null,"parts":[{"id":"25949131-0d6f-40c6-85af-8c808b9ec262","label":null,"content":"Using **either** Soil Profile A or Soil Profile B from **Figure 14**, suggest one way the soil's characteristics are affected by the climate in that environment.","markscheme":"- Suggests that high temperatures in hot deserts (Soil Profile A) cause high evaporation, pulling water upwards and leaving behind a crusty layer of soluble salts (salinisation) A1\n- Suggests that low precipitation in hot deserts (Soil Profile A) limits vegetation growth, resulting in very little organic matter/humus to enrich the sandy soil A1\n- Suggests that freezing temperatures in cold environments (Soil Profile B) create a layer of permafrost, which acts as an impermeable barrier, preventing drainage and keeping the soil waterlogged A1\n- Suggests that low temperatures in cold environments (Soil Profile B) slow down the decomposition of plant remains by microbes, leading to a thin, acidic organic layer A1","marks":4,"order":0,"markingRubric":null,"explanation":null,"options":[]}],"options":[],"explanation":null,"firstAttemptFullMarks":null},{"id":"a29c39f7-c8ce-418a-8511-dece3b0a4471","revisionId":"6c177e4d-fff3-40ba-9926-2c648c7e7a52","questionNumber":null,"questionType":"LA","specification":"","difficulty":4,"difficultyBand":"medium","totalMarks":4,"sourceTitle":null,"calculatorUse":null,"parts":[{"id":"4cf2db32-fb25-4f3e-80c2-9e7598879402","label":null,"content":"Using Figure 5, describe the distribution of hot desert ecosystems.\n\n![Figure 5: A world map showing the global distribution of hot desert ecosystems shaded in dark grey.](https://assets.mathsgenie.co.uk/aqa-qb/f9367aae-0dcc-440c-8b6f-2f7973057e5d.png)","markscheme":"- Identifies that hot deserts are primarily located between $15^\\circ$ and $30^\\circ$ north and south of the Equator (or along the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn) B1\n- Identifies that they are often found on the western edges/sides of continents (e.g. western Australia, southwest Africa, western South America) B1\n- Identifies that there is a large continuous band across North Africa (the Sahara) extending into the Middle East B1\n- Identifies that they are absent from equatorial regions or high latitudes B1","marks":4,"order":0,"markingRubric":null,"explanation":null,"options":[]}],"options":[],"explanation":null,"firstAttemptFullMarks":null},{"id":"a8f3ebac-a19a-41c7-a9ed-6d08aec8016a","revisionId":"fdab832b-b395-4d25-9ebc-b821150cd0f4","questionNumber":null,"questionType":"LA","specification":"","difficulty":4,"difficultyBand":"medium","totalMarks":2,"sourceTitle":null,"calculatorUse":null,"parts":[{"id":"2199618c-2707-42af-8951-4ce33764c255","label":null,"content":"Explain how global atmospheric circulation creates the dry conditions that determine the distribution of hot deserts.","markscheme":"- Identifies that high-pressure belts (located at approximately $30^\\circ$ north and south of the equator) are zones of descending or sinking air M1\n- Explains that this sinking air warms, meaning it can hold more moisture, which prevents condensation, cloud formation, and precipitation A1","marks":2,"order":0,"markingRubric":null,"explanation":null,"options":[]}],"options":[],"explanation":null,"firstAttemptFullMarks":null}],"subjectCode":"gcse_geography__aqa","summaries":[{"id":"11b3317f-28be-4a71-ae94-94cc0766010d","difficultyBand":"medi

Hot deserts

Question 9

Hot deserts Questions

Hot deserts

Question 9

Hot deserts Questions