SULIMO JOINT EXAMINATION

MARKING SCHEME
GEOGRAPHY
PAPER 1
TIME 2 HRS 45 MIN.

SECTION A: (25 MARKS) ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS .

1. (a). What is Solar System.

(2mks)

The solar system is made up of the sun , the planets and

other heavenly bodies like comets/meteors that revolve
around the sun.

(b) State three characteristics of the core.

(3mks)

 It is the innermost/central layer of the earth.

 It has a radius of about 3475km.
 It consists of rocks rich in iron and nickel
 It has a high pressure
 It has high temperatures of about 55000 c.
 It is divided into two layers namely outer core and inner
core.

2. (a) Differentiate between a rock and a mineral.

(2mks)

A mineral is an inorganic substance occurring naturally

beneath/at the earth’s surface while a rock is a naturally
occurring aggregates of mineral particles forming part of the
earth’s crust.

(b) Describe the formation of mechanically sedimentary rocks.

(3mks)

 Sediments used to form the rocks are derived from

weathering of existing rocks.
 The weathered materials are transported by
wind/water/moving ice
 The weathered materials are deposited in layers on land or
in sea.
 They are then compacted and cemented into mechanically
formed sedimentary rocks e.g sandstone, mudstone, shale,
claystone,breccia, grit e.t.c.
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3. Describe how Gravitative pressure causes earth movements.
(5mks)

Large quantities of magma that escape from the upper mantle to

the surface leave behind large voids /hollows.
Force of gravity then acts on the crustal rocks overlying the
voids, exerting pressure on the rocks.
Eventually the overlying crustal rocks crumble inwards to fill up
the voids/hollows below , this leads to vertical displacement of
rocks.
4. ( a) What is River rejuvenation.
(2mks)

It is the renewal of the erosive power of a river.

(b) Identify three ways in which a river transports its load.

(3mks)

 Solution
 Suspension
 Traction
 Saltation/hydraulic lift.

5. (a) Name two processes of wind erosion the desert areas.

(2mks)

 Abrasion
 Deflation
 Attrition

(b) State three reasons why wind erosion is effective in deserts.

(3mks)

 There are a lot of loose/unconsolidated dry materials which

are easily eroded.
 Hot deserts experience strong , tropical storms which
facilitate wind erosion
 Hot desert surfaces are bare/ have scanty vegetation cover
leaving most of the surface exposed to wind erosion.

SECTION B. ANSWER QUESTION 6 AND ANY OTHER TWO.

6. Study the map

(a) (i) Identify the index to adjoining sheet to the south East of mumias.
(1mk)

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 (ii) Calculate the area of Nyanza province in the area covered by the
map. (2mks)

(iii) Give the longitudinal extent of the area covered by the map.
(2mks)

(b)Calculate the direction of Indagalasia school from air photo principal

point 54 to the south of Buduma.
(2mks)

(c) (i) Describe the drainage of the area covered by the map.
(5mks)

(ii) Explain three factors that favour crop farming in the area
covered by the map.(6mks)

(d)Draw a rectangle measuring 14cm by 8 cm to represent the area to

east of easting 60 and north of northing 40.
(1mk)

On the rectangle , mark and label the following.

(i) All weather loose surface.

(1mk)
(ii) River Nzoia
(1mk)
(iii) Mwira School.
(1mk)

(e) Citing Evidence from the map Identify three social functions of
Butula Muandas area
(3mks)

7. a. (i) What is a climax vegetation? (2

mks)

Refers to the plant cover that has established itself without

interference from man in relation to the physical environment of
climate, relief and soils.

(ii) State four characteristics of the Mediterranean type of vegetation.

(4 mks)

 Some plants have small/thick-skinned/leathery /spinny

leaves.
 Some plants have long roots.

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  Grasses dry off during summers and germinates during
winter.
 Some trees are deciduous
 some plants have fleshy leaves.
 Some plants have thick barks.
 Vegetation is adapted to long hot and dry summers.
 Some plants have large fleshy bulbous roots.
 Some plants are evergreen.
 Some plants have long tap roots.
 Woody scrubs are common in very dry areas.
 Tree species are olive, sweet chestnut, beech, cedar,
cypress, eucalyptus e.t.c.
 Many plants are sweet smelling(aromatic) e.g rosemary
lavender, oleander, broom and myrtle.

b. Explain three factors which influence the distribution of vegetation in

Kenya. (6 mks)

Altitude/Relief
 High altitude areas have low temperatures which encourage
scanty /no vegetation
 Low altitude have moderate temperatures which encourage
dense vegetation.
 There is no vegetation on mountain tops due to very low
temperature which inhibit plant growth.
 Gently sloping areas are well drained hence encouraging
dense vegetation growth.
 Steep slopes experience excessive drainage that discourage
plant growth hence scanty or no vegetation.
 Flat areas tend to be water logged hence covered by swamp
plant species.

Aspect
 Windward slope of mountains/hills support growth of a wide
variety /dense vegetation.
 The leeward side supports scanty vegetation.
 The south facing slopes of temperate latitude areas of the
Nothern hemisphere tend to favour luxuriant growth of
forest, while the North facing slopes encourage the growth
of grass. And vice versa. On the southern hemisphere.

Climate
- Rainfall- Areas receiving high rainfall encourage growth of many
varieties of tree species/ luxuriant vegetation/ forest.
- Areas receiving low rainfall have few species/ scanty vegetation.
- Areas of low rainfall have stunted vegetation.

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 Temperature

- Areas experiencing moderate temperatures have a variety of tree

species.
- Extreme temperatures/ very low/ very high temperatures leads to
scanty vegetation in an area

Wind

- Very strong winds lead to breakage of tree branches or lead to

physical damage inhibiting plant growth.
- Winds helps in dispersing seeds and pollination thus enhancing the
distribution of vegetation on the Earth’s surface.
- Moist winds cause increased precipitation in areas they blow over
hence large number of plants.
- Hot dry winds cause dry conditions in areas they blow over hence
scanty vegetation.

Edaphic/ Pedological/ soil factors

- Deep, well drained soils support growth of dense vegetation.
- Shallow/ thin soils support scanty vegetation.
- Medium textured soils are well drained thus support a variety of
plants/ dense vegetation.
- Coarse/ fine textured soils are poorly drained leading to scanty/ no
vegetation.
- Deep soils enable the penetration of long roots thereby supporting
trees/ forest.
- Thin soils support vegetation with shallow roots thereby supporting
grass vegetation.

Anthropogenic/ Biotic/ Biological Factors.

Competition
- Plants compete with one another for water, light and space.
- As vegetation density increases, competition also increase and the
dominant species kill the weaker ones.

Effects of living organisms.

- Bacteria, earthworms and burrowing animals improve soil fertility
resulting into more vegetation growth.
- Insect and birds pollinate plants enhancing their propagation.
- Some insects like termites and aphids may attack some trees like
pine destroying them reducing vegetation cover in an area.
- Large herds of wild animals can destroy vegetation through over
grazing and can turn grasslands into deserts.
- Animals, birds and some insects aid in seed dispersal and this
facilitates the thriving of certain plants in certain regions.

The effects of human beings.

- Afforestation and reafforestation creates forest in an area.

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 - Deforestation leads to no vegetation in an area.
- Pollution from industries limits growth of plants.
- Forest fires destroy plant species reducing vegetation cover.

c. Give Reasons why Tundra region has scanty vegetation.

(3 marks)

 very low temperatures hinders vegetation growth.

 There is bare rock/no soil to support vegetation.
 There is permanent cover of snow and snow/permafrost
most of the year limiting vegetation growth.

(c) Write the names of the grasslands found in the following areas
(3 marks)

(i) East Africa- Tropical/ savanna grasslands

(ii) Canada. The prairies

(iii) Argentina. The pampas

(d) You are required to carry out a field study of the vegetation within the
local environment:

(i) Apart from identifying the different types of plants, state three other
activities you will
carry out during the field study. (3
marks)

 Observing the trees

 Taking to photographs of the trees
 Interviewing the local people
 Administering questionnaires
 Writing notes
 Drawing sketches
 Collecting and labelling samples

(ii) Give two reasons why it would be necessary to sample out part of the
area covered
by the vegetation for the study (2
marks)

 To do a detailed study.
 To reduce cost of the study.

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  To save on time.
 Area too large to cover as a whole in a day.
 Less tiring to study a small area.
 Some parts may not be accessible as there are no roads.
 Helps reduce bias.
 Helps focus on relevant areas for the study.
 Suitable as vegetation grows randomly.

(iii) List two methods they may have used to collect data
(2marks)
 Observing
 Interviewing
 Administering questionnaires
 Sampling
 Note making
 Photographing/video recording/filming
 Counting/Census taking
 Reading secondary sources/content analysis
 Taking measurements
 Reading instruments.

8 (a) (i) What is mass wasting .

(2mks)

- Mass wasting is the down slope movement of weathered

materials under the influence of gravity.

(ii) Explain three factors influencing mass wasting.

(6mks)

The angle of the slope

- Movement of weathered material is faster on steep slopes than on

gentle slopes due to the influence of gravity.
-
Climate of an area-

- Weathered material in areas receiving heavy rainfall move faster since

wet materials have less cohesion.
- Alternate freezing and thawing encourages movement of weathered
materials down the slope.

Nature of the rock-

- Massive rocks overlying weak rocks move/ slide faster along the slope.

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- Large rocks are likely to be overcome by gravity more easily than finely
weathered materials.
- Steeply dipping rocks will easily experience movement.
- When materials contain a lot of water they are lubricated/ saturated
and become susceptible to rapid movement.

Vegetation cover in an area

- Surfaces with vegetation experience less mass wasting because it

binds weathered material together.
- Bare surfaces are more likely to experience mass wasting because
there is no vegetation to bind the materials together.

Earth movements

- Volcanic eruptions/earthquakes cause tremors which may trigger

displacement of materials/wide spread mass wasting.

Human activities

- Ploughing/ clearing of vegetation/ mining/ quarrying affect the stability/

loosen the surface materials causing their movement downslope.
- External forces from moving vehicles/ earth tremors from explosives
shake the ground causing some materials to move downslope.

b.(i) Identify three processes of rapid mass wasting.

(3mks)

 Earthflows
 Mudflows
 Landslides/landslips
 Avalanche

(ii) Describe the process of solifluction.

(5mks)

 It is a slow movement of saturated soil, gravel and

weathered rock materials down a moderate gentle slope
under the influence of gravity.
 In moderately/gently sloping areas during winter water in
the soil freezes thus freezing the soil.
 When the weather becomes warm, the top soil thaws.
 Overtime the top soil becomes saturated with water while
the sub-soil remains frozen (permafrost).
 The saturated mass of top soil creeps over the frozen
ground (permafrost). This process is known as solifluction.

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 not a must to draw.

(c) State effects of soil creep to the environment.

(4mks)

 Areas affected by mass wasting have become centres of

research.
 Areas prone to mass wasting have encouraged
environmental conservation strategies like
afforestation/gabion building/agroforestry/reafforestation
 Materials deposited at the base of slopes form deep, well
drained soils supporting crop growing-
 Soil creep may destroy walls built across the slope when
creeping soil exerts pressure on them.
 It leads to destruction of vegetation.
 It leads to blockage of rivers/disruption of flow of rivers
reducing volume of water downstream.
 It leads to exposure of land to agents of soil erosion.

(d) Students of Sunshine conducted a field study in an area affected mass

wasting

(i) Identify three methods that might have been used to control soil
erosion (3mks)
 Mulching
 Planting cover crop
 Contour ploughing.
 Afforestation and reafforestation
 Regulation of livestock
 Terracing
 Building of gabions.

(ii) State two follow up activities that they would have engaged in after
the study. (2mks

 Asking/answering question.
 Assessing the information collected against the
hypothesis.
 Consulting geography teachers.
 Data analysis/Data presentation.

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  Discussion about findings/discussing the findings.
 Displaying of photographs taken/items collected.
 Drawing conclusions.
 Drawing diagrams
 Reading more on the topic.
 Report writing.
 Sketching the features.

9. (a) )i) Differentiate between Karst Scenery and Karst Region.

(2mks)

- Karst scenery is a limestone/ dolomite/ chalk area/ region where

water action has created unique rugged features on the surface and
underground while Karst region is an area with chalk or dolomite.

(ii) Identify two sources of underground water.

(2mks)
 Precipitation/ Rainwater.
 Melting glacier/ Melt water.
 Water bodies like sea/ ocean/ lake water.
 Magmatic water- water tapped in the rocks underground
during volcanicity (plutonic water).

b) (i)Explain how the following factors influence the occurrence of

underground water.

-Nature of the rock

Rocks with large spaces have high ability of allowing water
to percolate through them thus availing underground water.
Permeable rocks allow easy water infiltration than
impermeable rocks thus availing underground water.

- Gradient of the land

(2mks)

- The more gentle a slope is the greater the percolation of

water into the ground than steep slope which allow fast
surface runoff.

(ii) State four conditions that are necessary for the formation of an
artesian well
(4mks)
The aquifer must be exposed in an area of sufficient
precipitation/ water source to provide more water into the well
preventing it from drying.
The aquifer must be sandwiched/ lie between two
impermeable rock layers so that it can retain water.

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 The mouth of the well must be lower than the intake area to
ensure water has sufficient pressure to flow out naturally.
The rock structure must form a shallow syncline such that the
mouth of the well is at a lower level to ensure sufficient pressure to
naturally force out water.
The margins of the aquifer must be exposed to allow water to
infiltrate.
There must be a partial or total blockage of exit for the
water to be replaced under pressure.
The aquifer must be of the same permeable materials so as
to retain water.

(c) Explain three conditions that are necessary for development of

Karst Scenery
(6mks)
 The rainfall should be moderate to high/ humid conditions.
 The temperatures should be high/ hot conditions.
 Presence of hard/ well jointed rocks.
 The water-table should be deep below the surface.
 The area should have thick limestone/ chalk/ dolomite on
the surface and beneath.

(ii) Give two reasons why there are few settlements in karst region

 The landscape is rocky/ rugged thus discourages settlement.

 The region experiences inadequate water supply both on the
surface and underground discouraging settlement.
 The surface in most places has thin soils which discourages
crop farming.
 There is scarcity of vegetation in most places limiting
rearing of livestock.
 The landscape is rugged hindering development of transport
network.
(2mks)
(d) Students from Light Academy carried out a field study in a karst
landscape.
(i) State two methods they would have used to record data (2
mks)
 Note taking.
 Photographing.
 Field sketching/drawing diagrams.
 Filling in questionnaire
 Tape recording.
 Video recording/filming.
 Labelling of samples.

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 (ii) State three importance of studying a karst landscape through
field work.
(3mks)
 It allows for easy recall.
 It enables one to get first-hand information.
 It helps learners understand better theoretical
concepts taught in class / teaching becomes easier.
 It helps students develop skills of data collection.
 It enables collection of samples for future reference.
 It makes learning interesting.
 It makes learning real/meaningful.

10. (a) (i) Distinguish between an Ocean and a sea.

(2mks)

- An ocean is a large/extensive body of saline water occupying

a basin between continents while A sea is a large body of
saline water along the continental margins.

(ii) Identify three factors that influence the level of salinity in Ocean
water. (3mks)

 Latitude- ocean salinity is higher near the tropics due to

high temperature causing evaporation. It decreases
towards the equator because of heavy rainfall and less
evaporation due to high humidity and more cloud cover.
 Depth- The surface water is generally more saline than
the bottom water.
 The position of the inland water- Seas located in regions
of high temperatures, with little rainfall and few rivers
emptying into them tend to have high salinity and vice
versa.

(b) Explain three causes of horizontal movement of ocean water.

(6mks)

Winds blowing over the ocean causing a mass of surface ocean

water to move in its direction forming drift currents.
Rotation of the earth by causing deflection of ocean currents.
Shape of the coastal land mass by influencing current direction
and causing it to flow following the coastal outline.
Differences in ocean water temperature by causing cold polar
water which is dense due to low temp moves towards the equator
passing on the ocean floor and warm water of the tropics to move
towards the poles passing on the surface.
Difference in ocean water density/salinity.

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(c) Using a well labelled diagram describe the formation of a cuspate
foreland. (6mks)

 Formed when two spits growing towards each other join.

 The longshore drift starts to deposit sand or shingle on two
adjacent headlands.
 These materials accumulate seawards to form spits.
 The two spits grow towards each other and eventually join
forming a triangular shaped feature enclosing a lagoon
called a cuspate foreland.

(d) Explain four significance of oceans to human activities.

(8mks)

a. Oceans provides building materials e.g. sand, coral rocks

b. Oceans modify the climate of the adjacent lands thus
enhancing agricultural activities.
c. Oceans are used by water vessels thereby enhancing
transport/communication.
d. Oceans provide sites for recreational activities thus
promoting tourism.
e. Oceans are habitats for aquatic life hence encouraging
fishing.
f. Oceans contain minerals which are extracted for economic
development.
g. Ocean waves/tides are harnessed to generate electric power
for industrial/domestic use.
h. Oceans provide water for cooling industrial plants.
i. Oceans encourage education and research.
j. Oceans provide ideal grounds for testing military weapons.

Significance of Coasts and Coastal Features

a) Submerged coasts like fiords and rias favour the development

of ports and harbours.
b) Sheltered waters of the fiords provide favourable breeding
grounds for fish which are harvested for commercial/domestic
purposes.

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c) Coastal features like sand beaches, caves, fiords attract
tourists earning a country foreign exchange.
d) Raised coral reefs are a source of coral limestone used in the
manufacture of cement for building and construction.
e) Coastal features like lagoons, fiords, coral reefs, continental
shelf provide suitable grounds for marine life breeding e.g.
Malindi marine national park.
f) Mudflats support the growth of mangrove trees which provide
strong building poles. Mangrove trees also provide sites for
research purposes in biogeography.
g) Coasts form good sites for development of urban centres like
New York, Tokyo, Mumbai, Sao Paulo and Rio de Jeneiro.
h) Depositional features like sand dunes/coral reefs inhibits water
transport and development of ports. Tankers will hit coral reefs
causing oil spills.
i) Emerged coasts have poor sandy soils unsuitable for growing
of a variety of crops.

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