Earth and environmental science 2014 HSC exam pack (archive)

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• identifying divergent boundaries and outlining associated tectonic processes involved in a plate’s separation (ie convection currents, rift valley and/or sea floor spreading) (Q.21)
• using diagrams to describe difficult geological structures (Q.23)
• demonstrating understanding of the development of the Geological Time Scale by providing specific fossil examples (Q.26)
• providing key features of two international strategies, one for ozone reduction and one for tackling enhanced greenhouse effect (Q.27)
• identifying land management practices (Q.28)
• providing information about soils in Western Australia and the east coast of Australia (Q.29)
• identifying and describing a wide variety of appropriate environmental management practices, using data from the map and table to support their arguments, and providing a judgement (Q.30)
• annotating the stimulus material in the question to assist with planning the response (Q.24 and Q.30).

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• identifying the main differences between intra-plate and plate boundary earthquakes, including an appropriate depth of earthquake focus (Q.21)
• linking compressional forces to mountain building and associated geological structures (Q.22)
• using the information (tables, graphs or data) given in the question (Q.22, Q.24, Q.27 and Q.28)
• integrating relevant examples to support points being made (Q.26)
• addressing the statement provided in the question (Q.28)
• providing information with a logical progression indicating either breadth or depth of knowledge (Q.30).

Question 31

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• describing the features of quarantine (part (a))
• providing examples of successful biological controls (part (b))
• defining introduced species and providing specific examples of control strategies.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• providing specific detail and responding to the stimulus material given in the question
• demonstrating an understanding of the requirements to perform a valid and reliable investigation (part (d) (ii)).

Question 32

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• explaining cap rock, source rock and reservoir rock functions (part (a))
• describing the refining techniques for coal and petroleum (part (b))
• using the data from the table and the graph given in the question (part (c)).

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• referring to the stimulus material given in the question
• organising the experimental sequence to include repetition and the name of the fuel.

Question 33

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• reading information from the given graph (part (c)).

Question 34

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• describing methods to date ocean floors (part (a))
• interpreting information from the given diagram (part (c))
• outlining the process of the origin of salinity in the Earth’s oceans (part (c)).

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• referring to the given diagram and linking to specific knowledge (part (c))
• ensuring reliability by repeating the experiment (part (d))
• understanding principles of sustainability when applied to ocean systems (part (e)).