Year 8 Geography Assessment Task: Landscapes and Landforms

Geomorphic Hazard
Inquiry
Assessed outcomes

 exploring the geomorphology of the land and how this affects the liveability of a place (VCGGC099)
 investigating the natural causes and spatial distribution of a geomorphological hazard. For example, volcanic eruptions,
earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides and avalanches (VCGGC100)
 creating annotated diagrams to show a landscape and its landform (VCGGC103)
 interpreting topographic maps and digital terrain models, cross-sections or block diagrams to investigate landforms and their
features (VCGGC104)
 describing how the effects caused by geomorphological hazards are influenced by social, cultural and economic factors. For
example, where people choose to live, poverty, and lack of infrastructure and resources to prepare and respond (VCGGK121)
 researching how the application of principles of prevention, mitigation and preparedness minimises the harmful effects of
geomorphological hazards (VCGGK121)

Task

You are required to investigate one geomorphic hazard and associated geomorphic hazard event and
construct a poster of the chosen hazard to demonstrate an understanding of geomorphic processes and
impacts.

Assessment checklist
 PART A: Complete the investigation planner
 PART B: Record all media/websites and photo sources in the reference list
 PART C: Create a Poster
 Check the marking guidelines, review and revise

Due Dates:
2 lessons of class time – Research
1 lesson of class time – Poster creation
You will have 3 lessons of class time to complete this task and will need to complete the rest of the work at
home. You will have 2 weeks in total for this task.
Year 8 Geography Assessment Task: Landscapes and Landforms
PART A

Use this planner to make sure you include all the information required to complete this task successfully:

Chosen geomorphic The chosen geomorphic hazard that I am deciding to do my assessment on is

hazard e.g. an earthquake.
1. Volcanic
eruption
2. Earthquake
3. Landslide

The nature and key An earthquake is a sudden shaking of the earth’s surface caused by the
characteristics of movement of rocks deep underneath. Earthquakes can last up to a few minutes
type of geomorphic at least.
hazard being
investigated

The Circum pacific seismic belt is where 81 percent of all the worlds
earthquakes occur, It is located along the pacific ocean. Many regions which is
are located amongst the pacific oceans is Japan, New Zealand, New Guinea,
Alaska the western coasts of South North America and the Aleutian
Islands

Event being The event that I am investigating the 1964 Alaskan earthquake
investigated

Date/s occurred The Alaskan earthquake took place 5:36pm AKST, March 27 which was on
good Friday.

Location/s affected The some of the affected areas of this disaster was the major ports of seward,
Kodiak island areas, Kenai peninsula, Whittier and Kodiak

Provide a map to
visually show the
impact of the event.
This should include
the ‘path’ or the
‘direction’ of travel
of the event, or the
destruction zone.
Year 8 Geography Assessment Task: Landscapes and Landforms

Cause of the event What type of hazard led to this event?

The reasoning of how it led to this event was plate convergence

What caused this event?

The cause of this event was when the pacific plate lurched northward
underneath the north American plate. The pacific plate was being overruled by
the north American plate. It descended and subducted into the earths mantle
along the Aleutian trench.

What ‘category / risk factor’ was the event estimated at?

The risk factor of this event lasted at an estimate of 4 minutes and thirty eight
seconds, therefore it was immediate term.

Impact of the event Immediate Term Short Term Long Term

Year 8 Geography Assessment Task: Landscapes and Landforms

Economic: How The short term impact Unfortunately 311 million

much damage was was that it reactivated dollars was the amount
estimated to have old slides and triggered of money that had been
occurred? Were new ones in the lost due to damages of
there any mountains. There was a this tragic event. Which is
consequences e.g. to devaistating swell of about 2.3 billion in cost
farming, tourism, tsmanmis today.
other industry?

Social: Who was

impacted and how?
How many lives
were lost (if any)?
Have communities
recovered?

Environmental: How
much land/space
was impacted? How
was the natural area
and wildlife
affected?

What was the Before During After

human response to (preparation) (emergency response) (recover)
the event?
Year 8 Geography Assessment Task: Landscapes and Landforms

How did the event

dissipate?
- when
- naturally or
human
intervention?

Risk mitigation

Provide advice to
residents in hazard-
prone areas, about
how to be prepared
and decrease the
impact of your
chosen natural
hazard.
Year 8 Geography Assessment Task: Landscapes and Landforms

Supporting images: Choose images that ‘speak a thousand words’! (Images that provide lots of extra
- at least 4 information that supports your information above and that you may use in your poster.)
- descriptive
caption
- image source
Year 8 Geography Assessment Task: Landscapes and Landforms

PART B
References:

Date and/or Year of

Author surname, author first publication (in
brackets) Title of page (italicised). Website name. URL
initial.
If no date: (n.d).
Year 8 Geography Assessment Task: Landscapes and Landforms

Reference list https://simon.smseymour.catholic.edu.au/WebModules/LearningAreas/

ClassLessonPlans/ClassroomPlanner.aspx?Class=2203&Inactive=false
Keep track of all the
resources you used, https://www.nationalgeographic.org/forces-nature/earthquakes.html
by pasting websites https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/events/alaska1964/#:~:text=The
here. %20map%20shows%20the%20epicenter,underneath%20the%20North
%20American%20Plate.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1964_Alaska_earthquake

https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/great-alaska-earthquake#:~:text=The
%20earthquake%20and%20ensuing%20tsunamis,(about%20%242.3%20billion
%20today).

PART C

Using your planning from Part A, you must now collate this information to create an informative poster on
your selected geomorphic hazard. Your poster must include all the key information below and should also be
engaging for audiences. You may include images/diagrams/3D aspects to your poster also.

Key characteristics
Event name and key dates
Map of the location event occurred including BOLTSS
Causes
Impacts – immediate/short/long term (SEE criteria)
Human responses
Risk mitigation strategies
Year 8 Geography Assessment Task: Landscapes and Landforms
Rubric Option 1: