Understanding Earth’s Water Systems: Oceans, Inland Waters, and the Water Cycle
Dynamic Oceanica
Marine Currents: redistribute the heat received from the Sun, accounting for differences in solar radiation by latitude. They are crucial heat delivery mechanisms for the Earth. Surface ocean currents (eddies are produced in the oceans as cyclonic or anticyclonic formations). Deep sea currents (occur due to differences in water density).
Tides: Deformations of sea level are caused by the gravitational attraction exerted on the Earth by the Moon, and to a lesser extent, the Sun.
Spanish Plateau: External Ridges, Troughs, and Coastal Relief
External Ridges and Troughs of the Spanish Plateau
The Pyrenees occupy the isthmus peninsula from the Bay of Biscay to Cape Creus. It stretches over 435 km and forms a compact and rugged mountain barrier. The Pyrenees are an Alpine range model for its structure and its geological landforms. Inside, two zones are distinguished: the axial Pyrenees and the pre-Pyrenees.
Ebro Basin
The Ebro Basin comprises the lowlands located in northeastern Spain. Its origin and geomorphological evolution are associated
Read MoreCoastal Zones: Dynamics, Landforms, and Human Impacts
Understanding Coastal Zones and Landforms
Defining the Coastal Littoral Zone
The coastal littoral, or coastal zone, is the boundary between the sea and the continent. These spaces are very rich and varied from both physical and biological perspectives.
Key Coastal Zone Areas
Three distinct areas are recognized:
- Supralittoral Zone: Extends from the high tide limit towards the interior of the continent. This zone is typically continental in character.
- Mesolittoral (Intertidal) Zone: Lies between the high
Environmental Education: Pollution Sources and Petroleum Basics
Environmental Education Fundamentals
Environmental education is designed to teach how natural environments function and, in particular, how human beings can care for ecosystems to live sustainably. This involves minimizing degradation, pollution of air, water, or soil, and threats to the survival of other plant and animal species.
Major Types of Environmental Pollution
Air Pollution
Air pollution results from a change in the proportion of the elements normally present in the air, or when strange or
Read MoreUnderstanding Weather, Climate, and Atmospheric Science
Weather: The state of the atmosphere at a specific time and location, characterized by variables such as temperature, precipitation, wind, and humidity. Meteorologists study weather on timescales ranging from minutes to weeks.
Climate: The long-term average of weather patterns in a region, typically calculated over a 30-year period. Climatologists and geographers study climate to understand long-term trends and variations.
Climatology: The scientific study of climate, encompassing spatial analysis
Read MoreUnderstanding Plate Tectonics: Subduction, Boundaries, and Earth’s Interior
Understanding Plate Tectonics
Subduction is the process occurring in ocean trenches where the ocean floor bends and sinks into the Earth’s mantle.
Plate Tectonics Theory
- The lithosphere is divided into blocks (tectonic plates) that cover the Earth’s surface and fit together.
- Most geological activity occurs at the boundaries between these plates.
- The seafloor is generated at mid-ocean ridges and destroyed at subduction zones (trenches).
- Plates move and, in doing so, continents interact.
Plate Boundaries
- Constructive