GCSE Geography: Natural Hazards Revision

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Where do most earthquakes and volcanoes occur?

Natural Hazards is a core part of GCSE Geography. Revise the key concepts and common mistakes below, then lock them in with the free games.

Key concepts

Hazard vs DisasterHazard is natural threat (volcano); disaster is realised damage to humans; risk depends on exposure and vulnerability.

Park's Disaster Response CurveStages following disaster: stable, deteriorating, search-rescue, relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction; varies by HIC/LIC.

Tropical StormsHurricanes (Atlantic), typhoons (Pacific), cyclones (Indian Ocean); form over 27 degrees C ocean; Saffir-Simpson scale 1-5.

DroughtProlonged below-average rainfall; can be meteorological, agricultural or hydrological; East Africa 2011 famine, California 2012-17.

WildfiresUncontrolled vegetation fires; intensified by climate change; Australia 2019-20 burnt 18 million hectares, killed 1 billion animals.

Risk EquationRisk = hazard frequency x population x vulnerability; reducing vulnerability through preparation cuts disaster impact.

Tropical stormIntense low-pressure system with high winds and heavy rain.

Warm seaForms over sea at least 27 degrees C and 50 m deep.

Latitude bandForms between 5 and 30 degrees of the Equator for Coriolis effect.

Low wind shearSteady winds from surface to top let the storm grow tall.

EyeCalm central core surrounded by violent eyewall winds.

Storm surgeWall of seawater pushed onshore, often the biggest killer. 🌀

Typhoon HaiyanNovember 2013 Category 5 storm hit the central Philippines (LIC/NEE).

Haiyan deathsOver 6,300 people killed and around 4 million displaced.

What your exam board covers

Where Natural Hazards sits in each exam board's specification. Tap a board to see what it lists.

AQAThe challenge of natural hazardsSpec 8035

Part of: Living with the physical environment (Paper 1)

Source: AQA GCSE Geography (8035) specification — Subject content, accessed 23 June 2026.

Learn Natural Hazards step by step

Free interactive mini-lessons: short screens, worked examples and quick checks. Pick your exam board:

AQAThe Challenge of Natural Hazards

Other boards:CCEA Edexcel Eduqas/WJEC OCR Cambridge IGCSE Edexcel IGCSE

Common mistakes to avoid

Questions where students often pick the tempting wrong answer — make sure you know the right one:

Where do most earthquakes and volcanoes occur?✗ Randomly, anywhere on Earth. ✓ At plate boundaries, where tectonic plates meet and move.

Why do tropical cyclones only form over warm tropical oceans?✗ Hurricanes form wherever there are strong winds over the sea. ✓ They need sea surface temperatures above ~27 degrees C to a depth of 50m to provide energy through evaporation, plus enough Coriolis effect (away from the equator) to spin.

What minimum sea surface temperature is needed for tropical storms?✗ 20 degrees C ✓ 27 degrees C

Practise Natural Hazards — free games

Test yourself with these quick revision games for this topic:

▶ Two Truths, One Lie ▶ Reveal Race ▶ Connections Grid ▶ Falling Words ▶ Word Web

See all 22 games in the Revision Arcade →

Natural Hazards

Key concepts

What your exam board covers

Common mistakes to avoid

Practise Natural Hazards — free games

More GCSE Geography topics