Practice Option C Extreme Environments with authentic IB Geography exam questions for both SL and HL students. This question bank mirrors Paper 1, 2, 3 structure, covering key topics like physical geography, human geography, and geospatial analysis. Get instant solutions, detailed explanations, and build exam confidence with questions in the style of IB examiners.
Paper
Level
Question 1
SL & HLPaper 1
The following figure illustrates the likelihood of the depth of snowfall on a mountain, categorized into depths of over 1 meter, and over 2 meters, respectively between June and October of 2023.
1.[1]
State the earliest date where there is a 50% likelihood of snow depth exceeding 1 meter.
2.[1]
Estimate the likelihood of snow depth exceeding 2 metres on 1 September.
3.[2]
Suggest whether the mountain illustrated in the figure is located in the Northern or Southern hemisphere.
4.[6]
Describe two environmental impacts tourism may have in one named extreme environment.
5.[10]
Compare the importance of water and wind in the development of landform features inhot, arid areas.
Question 2
SL & HLPaper 1
The map below shows the changes in glacier extent in the Öraefajökull region, Iceland, between 1890 and 2010.
Source: Hannesdóttir, et al. (2015)
1.[1]
Identify the glacier that experienced the greatest frontal retreat between 1890 and 2010.
2.[1]
State the method used to record glacier extent in 2010.
3.[2]
Outline one limitation of using aerial imagery alone to track changes in glacier dynamics over time.
4.[6]
Explain two ways in which the pattern of retreat across multiple glaciers in the Öræfajökull region reflects interactions between topography and glacial processes.
5.[10]
Examine how long-term glacial monitoring in high-latitude environments contributes to understanding climate change impacts.
6.[10]
Discuss the extent to which physical geography influences spatial variations in glacier retreat across a glaciated region.
Question 3
SL & HLPaper 1
The following figure illustrates a cross-section permafrost.
1.[2]
Explain how the seasonal changes taking place in the active layer can differ at varying latitudes.
2.[4]
Describe two methods the active layer creates challenges for settlement and/or communications in a permafrost area.
Question 4
SL & HLPaper 1
The map below shows Permafrost Distribution in the Northern Hemisphere.
Source: the International Association for Permafrost Science on the Basis of Summarized Observation Data.
1.[1]
Identify one region where continuous permafrost is dominant.
2.[1]
State the classification of permafrost found across most of Scandinavia.
3.[2]
Outline one physical factor that explains the fragmented permafrost pattern in parts of Central Asia.
4.[6]
Explain two ways in which thawing permafrost can pose environmental and geopolitical risks.
5.[10]
Examine the challenges of monitoring and managing permafrost change in the context of climate uncertainty.
6.[10]
Discuss the significance of permafrost degradation in influencing future global climate patterns.
Question 5
SL & HLPaper 1
The graph below shows the typical distribution of on-the-ground actions across global biomes and anthromes.
Source: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
1.[1]
Identify the biome in which 'grazing and fire management' is commonly practiced.
2.[1]
Identify one anthrome where 'integrated crop–soil–water management' is applied.
3.[2]
Outline one reason why land management strategies differ between wildlands and dense settlements in drylands.
4.[6]
Explain two ways in which sustainable land management (SLM) practices help reduce the impacts of desertification in dryland biomes.
5.[10]
Examine the effectiveness of different strategies used to reduce the impacts of desertification.
6.[10]
Discuss the importance of integrating local and scientific knowledge in the sustainable management of drylands.
Question 6
SL & HLPaper 1
1.[4]
Briefly outline two processes of river erosion.
2.[4]
Explain how watering can lead to salinization.
3.[4]
Explain two consequences of salinization for farmers.
4.[10]
Discuss the positive and negative hydrological impacts of barrier and reservoir construction.
Question 7
SL & HLPaper 1
The graph Dryland categories across geographical areas (continents and Pacific region).
Source: TerraClimate precipitation and potential evapotranspiration (1980–2015) (Abatzoglou et al. (2018))
1.[1]
Identify the continent with the largest area classified as hyper-arid.
2.[1]
Identify the aridity classification that occupies the greatest total land area in Asia.
3.[2]
Outline one reason why Australia has a high proportion of arid and semi-arid land.
4.[6]
Explain two ways in which variations in aridity affect population distribution across continents.
5.[10]
Examine the human and physical factors that influence the location of hot arid environments.
6.[10]
Discuss how sustainable management strategies can reduce the risks associated with desertification in semi-arid regions.
Question 8
SL & HLPaper 1
The map below shows The Geographical distribution of drylands, delimited based on the aridity index (AI).
Source: Abatzoglou et al. (2018)
1.[1]
Identify one region shown on the map that is classified as hyper-arid.
2.[1]
State the climate classification located just north of the hyper-arid zone in the Sahel region.
3.[2]
Outline one reason why semi-arid environments are particularly vulnerable to desertification.
4.[6]
Explain two characteristics of arid or hyper-arid environments that limit human development.
5.[10]
Examine how different types of extreme environments pose challenges to resource development.
6.[10]
Discuss the extent to which technology can overcome the limitations of extreme environments.
Question 9
SL & HLPaper 1
The graphs below show Glacial erosion through time in (a) pre-glacial topography and (b) present-day topography.
Source: Sternai, et al. (2013)
1.[1]
Identify the maximum glacial erosion depth reached in the major valley trunk in both graphs.
2.[1]
State the feature represented by the dashed lines in both panels.
3.[2]
Outline one reason why glacial erosion is greater in major valley trunks than in lateral valleys.
4.[6]
Explain two ways in which topographic differences influence glacial erosion over time.
5.[10]
Examine the long-term impacts of glacial erosion on valley morphology and hydrological systems.
6.[10]
Discuss how advances in technology have improved understanding of glacial erosion and landform development.
Question 10
SL & HLPaper 1
The map below shows the present day global distribution of glaciers.
Source: Revision World
1.[1]
Identify one country that contains both continuous and discontinuous permafrost.
2.[1]
State one region shown as a mountain (Alpine) environment.
3.[2]
Outline one reason why population density is low in areas of continuous permafrost.
4.[6]
Explain two reasons why cold environments are considered extreme for human habitation.
5.[10]
Examine the challenges of sustainable development in cold environments.
6.[10]
Discuss the relative importance of physical and human factors in explaining the distribution of cold environments.