Hazards and ELS - 12 marker

Note - Synoptic link 12 marker. Topics of Hazards and Water and Carbon Cycles as part of the Earth Life Support Systems. Paper 3: Geographical Debates

Q: Assess the extent to which volcanic activity affects the water and carbon cycles 

[12 marks] 

Volcanic activity can affect the geology of an area which can change how water is stored. Sicily and some of its smaller neighbouring islands have been formed in the most by volcanic activity. These volcanos have produced igneous rock, which has a low porosity meaning very little fresh water can perculate into the ground. This means it has a very low natural freshwater store. This means the residents have very little access to fresh water and have had to create infrastructure to collect and store water throughout the year as well as develop a method of desalinisation. 

Volcanic Activity can out put a large amount of Carbon in a concentrated space of time. Moreover, it is a transfer from the slow carbon cycle to the fast carbon cycle as it moves from geological stores within the earth into…