Specification points

OCR AS Level Geology H014

208 points in 6 topics, with OCR's codes and titles.

Codes and titles are read by a script from OCR's published specification and have not been checked by a person. What each point covers is in the specification itself: OCR’s specification.

1 Development of practical skills in geology

1.1 Practical skills assessed in a written examination
1.1.1 Planning
1.1.1(a) Designing experiments to solve practical problems
1.1.1(b) Identifying variables to control
1.1.1(c) Judging whether a method suits the aims
1.1.2 Implementing
1.1.2(a) Using practical apparatus and techniques correctly
1.1.2(b) Units for measurements
1.1.2(c) Presenting observations and data
1.1.3 Analysis
1.1.3(a) Processing and interpreting experimental results
1.1.3(b) Maths skills for analysing quantitative data
1.1.3(c) Significant figures
1.1.3(d) Plotting and interpreting graphs of results
1.1.3(d)(i) Choosing and labelling graph axes
1.1.3(d)(ii) Gradients and intercepts from graphs
1.1.4 Evaluation
1.1.4(a) Evaluating results and drawing conclusions
1.1.4(b) Spotting anomalies in measurements
1.1.4(c) Limitations of experimental procedures
1.1.4(d) Precision, accuracy, errors and uncertainties
1.1.4(e) Improving experimental procedures and apparatus
1.2 is included in the OCR A Level Geology specification only
1.3 Practical skills developed through fieldwork and assessed in a written examination
1.3.1 Practical skills developed through fieldwork
1.3.1(a) Describing diagnostic rock properties in the field
1.3.1(b) Field data on rock-forming processes
1.3.1(c) Measuring rock deformation in the field
1.3.1(d) Relative dating of events in the field

2 Foundations in geology

2.1 Minerals and rocks
2.1.1 Minerals
2.1.1(a) Minerals and their chemical formulae
2.1.1(b) Silicate minerals and silicon–oxygen tetrahedra
2.1.1(c) Identifying rock-forming minerals, with practical work
2.1.1(c)(i) Diagnostic properties of minerals in hand specimens
2.1.1(c)(ii) Classifying minerals from samples and thin sections
2.1.1(c)(iii) Practical: density and hardness of minerals
2.1.1(c)(iv) Measuring mass, length and volume
2.1.1(d) Igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks in the rock cycle
2.1.2 Igneous rocks
2.1.2(a) Classifying and identifying igneous rocks
2.1.2(a)(i) Igneous rock classification by composition and grain size
2.1.2(a)(ii) Identifying igneous rocks from their properties
2.1.2(b) Igneous textures, crystal shape and cooling
2.1.2(b)(i) Textures as evidence of depth and cooling rate
2.1.2(b)(ii) Recognising igneous textures in samples and sections
2.1.2(b)(iii) Drawing igneous textures
2.1.2(b)(iv) Measuring temperature
2.1.3 Sedimentary rocks
2.1.3(a) Weathering and erosion producing sediments
2.1.3(b) Erosion and modern sediments, with sieve analysis
2.1.3(b)(i) Erosion and the character of modern sediments
2.1.3(b)(ii) Sieve analysis of sediments
2.1.3(c) Measuring grain size
2.1.3(d) Classifying siliciclastic and carbonate rocks
2.1.3(d)(i) Classifying siliciclastic rocks
2.1.3(d)(ii) Classifying carbonate rocks
2.1.3(d)(iii) Identifying siliciclastic and carbonate rocks
2.1.3(e) Diagenesis and lithification
2.1.3(e)(i) Mechanical compaction
2.1.3(e)(ii) Pressure dissolution and recrystallisation
2.1.3(e)(iii) Growth of cements
2.1.3(e)(iv) Diagenesis, porosity and permeability
2.1.4 Metamorphic rocks
2.1.4(a) Metamorphism as an isochemical process
2.1.4(b) Inferring parent rock from metamorphic rocks
2.1.4(c) Metamorphic minerals and conditions of metamorphism
2.2 Fossils and time
2.2.1 Fossils
2.2.1(a) What fossils are
2.2.1(b) Reliability of the fossil record and species
2.2.1(c) Fossils as palaeoenvironmental indicators
2.2.1(c)(i) Trace fossils
2.2.1(c)(ii) Body fossils
2.2.2 Geological time
2.2.2(a) Radiometric dating, with half-life curves
2.2.2(a)(i) Numerical ages from radioactive decay
2.2.2(a)(ii) Plotting half-life curves
2.2.2(b) The Phanerozoic geological column

3 Global tectonics

3.1 Earth structure
3.1.1 The physical structure of the Earth
3.1.1(a) Earth's layers by rheology
3.1.1(b) Seismic waves, Earth's layers and shadow zones
3.1.1(c) The lithosphere and its plates
3.1.1(d) Gravity anomalies and isostasy
3.1.1(e) Electromagnetic surveys at mid-ocean ridges
3.1.1(f) The asthenosphere
3.1.1(g) Density evidence for core and mantle
3.1.1(h) The geodynamo and Earth's magnetic field
3.1.2 The origin of the Earth’s structure
3.1.2(a) Earth's bulk composition from meteorites
3.1.2(b) The nebular hypothesis
3.1.2(c) Sources of geothermal energy
3.1.2(c)(i) Heat of formation of the Earth
3.1.2(c)(ii) Radioactive decay within the Earth
3.1.2(d) Goldschmidt classification of elements
3.1.2(e) Differentiation of the Earth into layers
3.1.2(f) Earth's geochemical layers
3.2 Plate tectonics
3.2.1 The plate tectonics paradigm
3.2.1(a) Internal energy driving geological processes
3.2.1(b) Seismic evidence for plates and mantle structure
3.2.1(b)(i) Earthquake evidence for lithospheric plates
3.2.1(b)(ii) Seismic tomography of the mantle
3.2.1(b)(iii) Interpreting seismograms
3.2.1(c) Nature of lithospheric plates
3.2.1(d) Evidence for past plate movement
3.2.1(e) Evidence for mantle plumes
3.2.1(f) Measuring plate movement with GPS
3.2.1(g) Convection cells and energy transfer in the Earth
3.2.1(h) Ridge push
3.2.1(i) Slab pull and ridge push compared
3.2.1(j) Development of plate tectonic theory
3.2.1(j)(i) Earlier models leading to plate tectonics
3.2.1(j)(ii) Interpreting developing scientific models
3.2.2 Plate boundaries and igneous process
3.2.2(a) Mafic magma from mantle upwelling
3.2.2(b) Intermediate and silicic magmas at convergent boundaries
3.2.2(c) Magma intrusion and country rock
3.2.2(d) Intrusive bodies and detecting intrusion
3.2.2(d)(i) Major and minor intrusions
3.2.2(d)(ii) Geodetic and geophysical data for intrusions
3.2.2(e) Magma buoyancy and eruption, with modelling
3.2.2(e)(i) Magma properties and eruptions
3.2.2(e)(ii) Practical: modelling magma buoyancy
3.2.2(f) Dykes, sills and lava flows
3.2.2(g) Lava composition, viscosity and volatiles
3.2.2(h) Volcanic landforms and eruption style
3.2.2(i) Volcanic hazards and magma properties
3.3 Geological structures
3.3.1 Rock mechanics
3.3.1(a) Geological structures from rock deformation
3.3.1(a)(i) Structures from tectonic stresses
3.3.1(a)(ii) Recording geological structures
3.3.1(a)(iii) Constructing cross-sections from maps
3.3.1(a)(iv) Using a compass-clinometer
3.3.1(b) Stress, strain and rock deformation
3.3.1(b)(i) Plastic and brittle deformation conditions
3.3.1(b)(ii) Stress and strain diagrams
3.3.1(c) Slaty cleavage
3.3.2 Structural geology and plate boundaries
3.3.2(a) Earthquakes and elastic rebound
3.3.2(b) Deformation at transform boundaries
3.3.2(c) Deformation at convergent boundaries
3.3.2(d) Deformation at divergent boundaries

4 Interpreting the past

4.1 Sedimentary environments in time
4.1.1 Uniformitarianism and the rock cycle
4.1.1(a) Recognising the rock cycle
4.1.1(b) Uniformitarianism and development of the rock cycle model
4.1.1(c) Facies associations and uniformitarianism
4.1.2 Surface processes and products
4.1.2(a) Sediment transport and sedimentary structures
4.1.2(a)(i) Facies and sediment transport methods
4.1.2(a)(ii) Sedimentary structures from transport processes
4.1.2(a)(iii) Way-up and environments from sedimentary structures
4.1.2(b) Graphic logs of sediment sequences
4.1.2(c) Fluvial deposition
4.1.2(d) Hot desert deposition
4.1.2(e) Shallow siliciclastic sea deposition
4.1.2(f) Shallow carbonate sea deposition
4.1.2(g) Deep water carbonate deposition
4.2 Geochronology
4.2.1 Relative dating and biostratigraphy
4.2.1(a) Relative dating principles
4.2.1(b) Lithostratigraphic correlation
4.2.1(c) Uses and limits of relative dating
4.2.1(d) Biostratigraphic correlation

5d How Science Works (HSW)

HSW1 Theories and models to explain geology
HSW2 Posing questions and presenting geological arguments
HSW3 Methods, including ICT, for geological problems
HSW4 Fieldwork, experiments and Earth science data
HSW5 Analysing and extrapolating incomplete data sets
HSW6 Evaluating methods, evidence and partial data
HSW7 How scientific knowledge develops over time
HSW8 Communicating geology, including maps and cross-sections
HSW9 Applications, benefits and risks of geology
HSW10 Ethical issues in science
HSW11 Geology's scientific community and validating knowledge
HSW12 Science in society's decision making