GEOGRAPHY

Grade 11
LEARNER SUPPORT

Revision Term 1

THE ATMOSPHERE

This revision program is designed to assist you in revising the critical content and skills
covered during TERM 1. The purpose is to prepare you to understand the key concepts and
to provide you with an opportunity to establish the required standard and the application
of the knowledge necessary to succeed in the GRADE 11 examination. The content in this
revision booklet is mostly presented by means of mind maps. This will help you to
understand the content easier and also see the relationship between the topics. This
revision booklet should be used in conjunction with the lessons of term 1.
CONTENT
1 The Earth’s energy balance 3
2 Global air circulation 4
3 Africa’s weather and climate 9
4 Droughts and desertification 11

Activities
Activity 1 : The Earth’s energy balance: Seasons 12
Activity 2 : Global air circulation 13
Activity 3 : Monsoon winds 14
Activity 4 : Desertification 15
Activity 5 : Synoptic weather maps 16
Activity 6 : Concepts 17

Geography revision booklet Grade 11 Term 1

 1. THE EARTH’S ENERGY BALANCE

1.1 The unequal heating of the atmosphere and the transfer of energy

Areas closer to the Equator do

not get hotter and hotter. Winds
and ocean currents transfer
surplus energy from equatorial
areas to the poles. Therefore a
heat balance is maintained on
Earth.

1.2 Significance of the Earth’s axis and revolution around the sun

Geography revision booklet Grade 11 Term 1

You must know the following:
• Seasons in each hemisphere
• Position of the sun at each season
• Length of day and night
• Solstices and equinoxes

2. GLOBAL AIR CIRCULATION

2.1 What are high and low pressures?

2.2 Relationship between air temperature, air pressure and wind

• Hot air expands and

rises
• Leads to low pressure
on Earth’s surface
• Cold air is dense and
heavy
• Sinks to Earth’s surface
• Air (wind) moves from
high pressure to low
pressure

Geography revision booklet Grade 11 Term 1

2.3 Pressure gradient, Coriolus force and geostrophic flow

2.3.1 Pressure gradient

2.3.1 Coriolus Force

Geography revision booklet Grade 11 Term 1

2.3.3 Geostrophic flow

It is an upper air wind that blows parallel to the isobars and at right angles to the
pressure gradient

Geography revision booklet Grade 11 Term 1

2.4 World Pressure belts, Tri-cellular circulation, Winds related to global
air circulation

You must know the following:

• The names of each of the pressure belts
• Are the pressure belts High or Low pressure
• How each of the pressure belts are formed
• The winds found at each of the belts
• Deflection of the winds and why
• The names of each of tri-cellular cells
• How each of the cells are formed

Geography revision booklet Grade 11 Term 1

2.5 Air mass characteristics

2.6 Monsoon winds

It is a seasonal wind characterized by a complete reversal of wind direction between summer

and winter, which results in totally different weather conditions especially rainfall between
summer and winter.

Geography revision booklet Grade 11 Term 1

2.7 Föhn winds

Föhn is a name used for a that

starts from the windward side of a
mountainous area and descends
on the leeward side of mountains
as a dry, hot wind.

3. AFRICA’S WEATHER AND CLIMATE

3.1 Africa’s climate regions

Geography revision booklet 2021 Grade 11 Term 1

3.3 The role of oceans in climate control in South Africa

3.4 El Niño and La Niña

You must be able to distinguish between El Niño and La Niña

Geography revision booklet 2021 Grade 11 Term 1

4. DROUGHTS AND DESERTIFICATION

AREAS AT RISK DEFINITIONS

What is drought?
Drought is defined as an
extended period of below
average rainfall.

What is desertification?
Desertification is defined
as a process of land
degradation in mainly arid,
semi-arid and sub-humid
dry areas

CAUSES OF DROUGHTS CAUSES OF DESERTIFICATION

• Excessive build-up of heat on the Earth’s surface • Climate related processes, like global
• Meteorological changes, like a reduction in the climate change.
amount of water vapour available • Farming is done on unsuitable land.
• Reduced cloud cover leading to great • Poor agricultural practices such as
evaporation rates overgrazing
• Less rainfall due to weather patterns changing • Deforestation
• Climate change • Soil erosion
• Oceanic and atmospheric weather cycles such as • Lack of knowledge causes people to
the El Niño. degrade land
• Policies leading to unsustainable use of
resources

EFFECTS OF DROUGHTS AND MANAGEMENT OF DROUGHTS

DESERTIFICATION AND DESERTIFICATION
• Fewer crops means less food. • Policy approaches that promote
• Unemployment sustainable resource use.
• Rural depopulation • Research I to prediction of droughts
• Soil erosion • Water restrictions
• Fires due to dry vegetation • Recycling of water
• Less exports • Construct dams

You must be able to answer the following questions

• What is a drought (definition)?
• What is desertification (definition)?
• Where are the areas at risk?
• What are the effects of droughts and desertification?
• How can droughts and desertification be managed?

Geography revision booklet 2021 Grade 11 Term 1

REVISION ACTIVITIES

REVISION ACTIVITY 1 : SEASONS

The questions are based on the diagram

Complete the table

DATE Sun direct over Season in Season in

which latitude S Hemisphere N Hemisphere
A
B
C
D

Geography revision booklet 2021 Grade 11 Term 1

REVISION ACTIVITY 2 : WORLD PRESSURE BELTS, TRI-CELLULAR
CIRCULATION, WINDS RELATED TO GLOBAL AIR CIRCULATION
Add the following to the diagram:

• The pressure belts 1-7 (state Low- or High pressure)

• How the pressure belts 8-11 were formed
• The cells 12-14 and how they were formed
• The winds 15-20

Geography revision booklet 2021 Grade 11 Term 1

 REVISION ACTIVITY 3 : MONSOON WINDS

The questions are based on the map of monsoon winds in India.

3.1 What is a monsoon wind? (1x2) (2)

3.2 (a) What season, winter or summer, is shown by the diagram (1x1) (1)
(b) Give ONE reason for your answer in question 3.2 (1x2) (2)

3.3 (a) Would a high pressure be found at A or at B? (1x1) (1)

(b) Give ONE reason for your answer in question 3.4 (1x2) (2)

3.4 Explain why heavy rainfall occur during the season shown on the map.
(1x2) (2)

3.5 In a paragraph of approximately EIGHT lines, explain how the

monsoon winds are formed. (4x2) (8)

Geography revision booklet 2021 Grade 11 Term 1

 REVISION ACTIVITY 4 : DESERTIFICATION

The questions are based on map of Africa below which shows the Sahara desert spreading
southward, known as the Sahel.

4.1 As what is the spreading of deserts known? (1x1) (1)

4.2 Make use of an atlas and identify 3 countries in the Sahel where the
Sahara desert had spread. (3x1) (3)

4.3 In a paragraph of approximately EIGHT lines, explain the causes of

desertification. (4x2) (8)

4.4 Give THREE ways in which desertification be managed? (3x2) (6)

Geography revision booklet 2021 Grade 11 Term 1

 REVISION ACTIVITY 5 : SYNOPTIC WEATHER MAPS

The questions are based on the synoptic weather map

3.1 Does the synoptic weather map show summer or winter conditions? (1x1) (1)

3.2 Give TWO reasons for your answer in question 3.1 (2x2) (4)

3.3 (a) Is A a high or a low pressure? (1x1) (1)

(b) Give ONE reason for your answer in question 3.3 (a) (1x2) (2)

3.4 Identify the pressure gradient at B-B and C-C (2x1) (2)

3.6 Describe the wind circulation at D. (1x2) (2)

3.7 To which pressure belt does E belong? (4x2) (8)

3.8 In which direction does F move? (1x1) (1)

Geography revision booklet 2021 Grade 11 Term 1

 3.9 Give the following with regard to the weather station at G. The station is
enlarged on the right hand side of the synoptic weather map:
(a) Cloud cover
(b) Wind direction
(c) Wind speed
(d) Air temperature
(e) Dewpoint temperature (5x1) (5)

REVISION ACTIVITY 6 : THE ATMOSPHERE - CONCEPTS

Give the correct definition/description for each of the following concepts.

Concept Definition/Description
1
Insolation
2
Solstices
3
Equinox
4
Pressure gradient
5 Gentle pressure
gradient
6 Steep pressure
gradient
7
Coriolus force
8
High pressure
9
Low pressure
10
Geostrophic flow
12 Equatorial low
pressure
13 Sub-tropical high
pressure
14 Sub-polar low
pressure
15
Polar high pressure
16 Hadley cell
17
Ferrel cell

Geography revision booklet 2021 Grade 11 Term 1

 18
Polar cell
19
Air mass
20 Monsoon wind
21 Föhn wind
22
El Niño
23 La Niña
24 Desertification
25 Drought

Follow this link or scan the QR code to access the telematics broadcast of Grade 11 The
Atmosphere:

https://youtu.be/XeAcywIFWAs

Geography revision booklet 2021 Grade 11 Term 1