Cambridge IGCSE Environmental Management: Rocks, Energy Management and Fracking — Practice Questions (0680)

These are original questions written for Marlbridge, for revision and practice on this content. They are not reproduced past-paper questions, and they do not replicate the exam’s exact structure, question count or mark tariffs — examination boards hold copyright in their own papers. Use these alongside the official past papers available free from your board.

Related: Energy Management and Fracking revision notes | Natural Resources revision notes | Natural Resources practice questions

These questions cover four sub-topics of Cambridge IGCSE Environmental Management (0680) Topic 1 that the main Natural Resources practice page does not test directly: 1.1 formation of rocks, 1.3 sustainable management of rocks, ores and minerals, 1.5 conservation and management of energy resources, and 1.6 fracking.

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Section A

1. Name one igneous, one sedimentary and one metamorphic rock. [3]

2. Define permeability. [1]

3. Define a finite resource. [1]

4. Define fracking. [2]

5. State what blue hydrogen and green hydrogen are produced from. [2]

Section B

6. Describe how sedimentary rock forms and how it can become metamorphic rock, using terms from the rock cycle. [5]

7. Explain why limestone is permeable but shale is impermeable, and why this matters for fracking. [3]

8. Describe three sustainable management strategies for rocks, ores and minerals and discuss one limitation of recycling. [7]

9. A family wants to cut its home energy use. Describe three strategies from the syllabus that it could use. [6]

10. Describe how a ground source heat pump heats a building and give one benefit and one limitation. [4]

11. A government is deciding whether to allow fracking under farmland near a town. Discuss the benefits and limitations of fracking. [8]

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Answers

1. Igneous: granite or basalt [1]. Sedimentary: limestone, sandstone or shale [1]. Metamorphic: marble or slate [1].

2. The ability of water to pass through the pore spaces of rock and soil [1].

3. A natural resource that is used up at a faster rate than it is replaced [1].

4. The extraction of natural gas or petroleum [1] from shale rock by hydraulic fracturing [1].

5. Blue hydrogen: natural gas [1]. Green hydrogen: renewable resources (renewable electricity used to split water) [1].

6. Existing rock is broken down by weathering and removed by erosion [1]; particles are carried by transportation and laid down by deposition / sedimentation in layers [1]; layers are squeezed by compaction and stuck together by cementation, forming sedimentary rock such as limestone or shale [1]. If buried deeply and exposed to heat and pressure without melting, the rock is altered into metamorphic rock [1], e.g. limestone into marble or shale into slate [1].

7. Limestone, like most sedimentary rocks, has pore spaces that allow water to pass through [1]; shale’s pores are too small or poorly connected, so it is impermeable [1]. Gas trapped in impermeable shale cannot flow to a well, so the rock must be fractured to release it [1].

8. Any three, 2 marks each: reduce and reuse — using less material and reusing items such as building stone or scrap metal parts slows extraction [1] [1]; recycling — recovering metals such as aluminium and copper from waste reduces the need to mine new ore [1] [1]; increased efficiency of extraction — recovering more mineral from each tonne of ore means less waste and land disturbance [1] [1]; legislation and enforcement — laws limiting extraction or requiring restoration, backed by inspection and fines [1] [1]; use of alternative materials — substituting a less scarce material [1] [1]. Limitation of recycling: it depends on accessibility and ease of collection and on education, so recycling rates may be low; some materials are costly or energy-intensive to separate [1].

9. Any three, 2 marks each: reducing consumption — switching off lights and appliances, lowering the thermostat [1] [1]; insulation — loft or cavity wall insulation or double glazing reduces heat loss, so less fuel is needed [1] [1]; energy-efficient devices — LED bulbs, efficient appliances, or an electric vehicle [1] [1]; using new energy resources — fitting an air or ground source heat pump [1] [1]; battery storage with solar panels [1] [1].

10. Pipes buried in the ground absorb heat, which the pump transfers into the building for space or water heating [1] [1]. Benefit: steady output because ground temperature changes little / no on-site emissions [1]. Limitation: high installation cost or needs land to dig trenches or boreholes [1].

11. Levels-based. Benefits: increases domestic gas supply and energy security, reducing imports [1]; creates jobs and tax revenue for the area [1]; gas burned instead of coal releases less carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide [1]. Limitations: fracking can trigger small earthquakes, a risk near a town [1]; fracking fluid or leaking wells could contaminate groundwater used by farms [1]; uses large volumes of water and produces wastewater [1]; methane leaks and continued fossil fuel use add to the enhanced greenhouse effect [1]. Judgement linked to the farmland and town in the scenario, e.g. allow only with strict monitoring, or invest instead in energy management strategies [1].

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Frequently asked questions

Is shale permeable? No. The syllabus classifies shale as one of the impermeable sedimentary rocks, while most sedimentary rocks such as limestone and sandstone are permeable.

What is the difference between a finite resource and sustainable management? A finite resource is used up faster than it is replaced. Sustainable management uses strategies that meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.

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Where marks are usually lost

• Naming rocks outside the syllabus list instead of the named examples.
• Leaving “shale rock” or “hydraulic fracturing” out of the fracking definition.
• Describing a strategy without explaining how it saves energy.
• Giving only one side in a “discuss the benefits and limitations” question.