Essential Definitions of Earth’s Major Geographical Features
Understanding the terminology used to describe the Earth’s surface is fundamental to geography. Below is a comprehensive list of key landforms, water bodies, and terrestrial features, along with their precise definitions.
Landforms and Terrestrial Features
Mountain
A large natural elevation of the earth’s surface.
Hill
A naturally raised area of land, smaller than a mountain.
Valley
A low area of land between hills or mountains.
Plain
A large area of flat land.
Plateau
An area of relatively level high ground.
Geological Evolution of the Iberian Peninsula Relief
The current relief of the Iberian Peninsula is the result of a geological history spanning millions of years, characterized by alternating orogenic phases and periods of calm dominated by erosion and sedimentation.
A. Archaic or Precambrian Era (4,000–600 Million Years Ago)
- An arched band emerged from the sea, extending from the northwest to the southeast, formed by schists and gneiss. This band included almost all of present-day Galicia.
- Elevations also arose in isolated points of the Central System
Plate Tectonics: Mantle Convection, Subduction, and Orogeny Formation
Mantle Dynamics: Convection and Thermal Plumes
Convective movements consist of updrafts and downdrafts within the fluid mantle. These currents form when the fluid becomes unstable because its top is more dense and tends to sink, while the bottom is less dense and tends to rise to the surface.
Rifting and Thermal Plumes
Rifting is the rupture of a continental plate caused by the action of a thermal plume. Archipelagos of volcanic points, such as the Azores and Hawaii, are often associated with hot oceanic
Read MoreGlobal Environmental Impacts and Sustainable Solutions
Nuclear Fusion Technology
Nuclear fusion is a process where the fusion (union of atomic cores) releases heat, which is used to vaporize water, moving turbines and generating electric current.
- Advantages: Necessary raw materials are practically inexhaustible, and the process does not generate radioactive waste.
- Disadvantages: So far, scientists have not been successful in controlling the nuclear fusion process for sustained energy production.
Human Activities and Planetary Impacts
Human activities result
Read MoreKey Concepts in Solar Technology and Energy Classification
Solar Thermal Applications
Solar Cooker Technology and Uses
A solar cooker is a device that uses sunlight as its sole energy source for cooking, baking, or pasteurizing food and water. It is a type of solar thermal collector that works by concentrating sunlight onto a receiver, usually a cooking pot. The cooker’s interior and pot are typically dark-colored to maximize heat absorption.
A transparent cover (like glass or plastic) and insulation trap the heat inside, creating a “greenhouse effect”
Read MoreEssential Principles of Oceanography and Marine Science
Lecture 1: Earth’s Major Reservoirs
- Major Reservoirs: Biosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere, Geosphere.
Lecture 3: Radioactive Decay and Half-Life
- Half-Life: A constant amount of time it takes for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay.
Lecture 4: Mantle Plumes and Volcanism
- Mantle Plumes: Places where there has been continuous volcanism for a long period of time. They do not move, but tectonic plates move over them.
Lecture 5: Plate Tectonics and Ocean Features
- Volcanoes are typically found along