Based on the final NSC exams, Grade 12 learners are still facing challenges in the Geomorphology section of Geography Paper 1. This is the part of the paper that tests your understanding of rivers, landforms, and how the landscape is shaped over time. You are expected to explain how features form, how drainage systems work, and how these affect or interact with human activity.
On this page, we give you a proper guide on how to answer Grade 12 Geography Geomorphology questions properly. These tips are informed by the latest national report from the Department of Basic Education.
Grade 12 Geography Geomorphology Hard Parts
In the Geomorphology section, most learners are struggling with the questions that test their ability to apply knowledge to real-life situations, diagrams, and map-based visuals. These are the questions that want you to go beyond the definition and actually explain how the landform works, how it is used, or how it formed.
Many learners cannot explain how rivers behave in different landscapes or how rock structure influences drainage patterns. Even though these topics are taught in class, the problem comes when the question uses a sketch or a new scenario. That is where learners lose marks.
Here are the areas where most struggle:
Fluvial landforms and their purpose
Learners do not understand the benefits of landforms like natural levees or the conditions needed for a delta to form. These are tested through images or multiple-choice questions, and vague answers like “protects land” or “has water” do not get marks. You must explain the actual function or formation process.
Drainage patterns and rock structure
This part always brings confusion. Learners can identify patterns like trellis or radial, but they cannot explain how rivers flow in these patterns or how the tributaries join. They also leave out key links like folded rock or alternate layers of hard and soft rock. That connection is where the marks lie.
River rejuvenation
This topic is one of the hardest. Learners know the word but cannot explain the process. They mix it up with river capture and cannot identify features like knickpoints or river terraces. Most learners do not understand how river rejuvenation leads to vertical erosion, or why the river cuts a new valley in its old path.
High-level reasoning
Questions that ask how a landform affects farming, or why the soil is not suitable for agriculture, are often answered with general ideas. You must mention things like lack of flooding, thin soil, steep slopes, or limited space for equipment. These are the specific reasons that examiners are looking for.
Grade 12 Geography Geomorphology Easy Parts
Some parts of the Geomorphology section are more familiar to learners. These questions usually test common definitions, basic map reading, or direct interpretation of case studies. If you understand the topic and can read carefully, these are your best opportunities to score marks.
Here is where learners perform better:
Case studies on river and catchment management
When learners are given an extract or scenario about protecting rivers or managing pollution, they can usually find answers in the text. They also suggest strong strategies like planting vegetation, creating buffer zones, or using awareness campaigns. These questions are easier because they are based on reading and applying facts.
Basic definitions and term identification
When asked to define words like river rejuvenation or river capture, learners usually get it right. These are taught directly in class, and marks are awarded for short, clear facts.
Identifying drainage patterns from diagrams
Even though explanations are difficult, many learners can recognise and name drainage patterns from plan views. They know what a dendritic, trellis, or radial pattern looks like. If the image is clear, learners feel more confident.
How to Answer the Geomorphology Questions Properly
To succeed in the Geomorphology section, you must move from just remembering facts to actually using your knowledge to explain, compare, and describe real processes. The exam rewards learners who show understanding, not just recall.
Here is how to approach these questions:
1. Interpret every sketch carefully
When a sketch is provided, you must say what it shows, and explain it clearly. Do not only name the drainage pattern. Say why it flows that way, and how tributaries join. Add labels if required.
2. Use full comparisons when asked
Do not only describe one landform. If the question wants a comparison between two patterns or two features, compare both properly. Mention flow direction, rock structure, and angles of tributaries.
3. Go beyond meanders and waterfalls
Make sure you also understand features like natural levees, deltas, oxbow lakes, and river terraces. Know how they form and how they impact farming, flooding, or human activity.
4. Learn the full process of river rejuvenation
You must know the causes, such as uplift or sea-level changes, and the results, such as vertical erosion and the creation of knickpoints and terraces. Know why these changes happen and what the new river profile looks like.
5. Be specific with impacts on farming
Do not write “it is not good for farming”. Write reasons like “the soil is too thin due to erosion”, or “there is limited space for machinery”, or “flooding no longer happens to bring nutrients”. These answers score.
6. Always refer to the diagram or extract
If you are given a map, sketch, or paragraph, your answer must refer to it. Do not ignore the source. Show that you understand how the provided information links to your answer.
7. Know your processes and do not confuse them
Keep river capture and river rejuvenation separate in your mind. Use keywords like “vertical erosion” for rejuvenation and “pirate stream” or “beheaded stream” for capture.
How to Answer Geomorphology Questions: Examples
This section gives you practical examples of how to answer vs how not to answer typical questions in the Grade 12 Geography Geomorphology section. These are based on the exact mistakes learners make during exams and what markers are actually looking for.
Example 1: Explain how a natural levee benefits the floodplain
❌ How not to answer:
“It keeps the river in place.”
This is too vague. It does not mention the floodplain or explain how the levee forms or works.
✅ How to answer:
“A natural levee is a raised area along the riverbank formed by repeated flooding and deposition. It prevents floodwaters from spreading over the floodplain, allowing farming or settlement in nearby areas.”
Example 2: Compare the way tributaries join in two different drainage patterns.
❌ How not to answer:
“In the first one, the rivers go outwards. In the second one, they go down.”
No mention of tributaries, no pattern names, and no proper comparison.
✅ How to answer:
“In a radial drainage pattern, tributaries flow outward from a central high point and join at acute angles. In a trellis pattern, tributaries join the main stream at right angles due to folded rock structure.”
Example 3: Describe how river rejuvenation leads to the formation of river terraces.
❌ How not to answer:
“The river cuts deeper and there are levels on the side.”
This answer is too short and lacks key words like erosion, floodplain, or profile.
✅ How to answer:
“River rejuvenation increases vertical erosion. The river cuts into its old floodplain, creating a new lower channel. The remnants of the old floodplain remain as flat terraces along the valley sides.”
Example 4: Explain why river terraces are not suitable for farming.
❌ How not to answer:
“They are not close to the river and it’s hard to farm there.”
This is vague and incomplete. It does not mention specific problems or use correct terms.
✅ How to answer:
“River terraces are higher than the river, making water access difficult. They are often narrow and stepped, which limits the use of farming machinery. Soil fertility is also lower because regular flooding no longer happens.”
Example 5: Describe the underlying rock conditions that lead to the formation of a trellis drainage pattern.
❌ How not to answer:
“It forms when the rocks make rivers go in straight lines.”
No mention of folding, rock type, or structure. Too vague to score.
✅ How to answer:
“A trellis drainage pattern forms in areas with folded sedimentary rocks. Alternating layers of hard and soft rock create ridges and valleys. Rivers flow through the soft rock and tributaries join at right angles due to the linear structure.”