Earth’s Dynamic Systems: Climate, Structure, Plate Tectonics
Greenhouse Gases and Earth’s Climate
Greenhouse gases are transparent to visible radiation from the sun but opaque to the infrared radiation that the planet emits. This property influences Earth’s climate.
The Greenhouse Effect Explained
The greenhouse effect is a rise in the temperature of the atmosphere near the Earth’s surface. This occurs because certain gases (like carbon oxides from industrial combustion and other greenhouse gases) trap heat radiation, making it difficult for heat to dissipate,
Read MoreAncient Greek Architecture: Temples, Orders, and City Planning
Origins in the Aegean
Background: Early architectural developments occurred on the island of Crete, situated between the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas. The Minoan Civilization (Neolithic, Bronze Age) flourished through trade and maritime supremacy. This influenced the subsequent Mycenaean culture in the Peloponnese.
Minoan and Mycenaean Architecture
Key Characteristics
These early cultures constructed palaces, mansions, private homes, and tombs, often with complex, almost labyrinthine layouts. Buildings
Read MoreHarnessing Renewable Energy: Ocean, Solar, and Wind Power
What is Ocean Energy?
Ocean energy is a term used to describe all forms of renewable energy derived from the sea.
There are two broad types of ocean energy: mechanical energy from the tides and waves, and thermal energy from the sun’s heat.
Ocean energy is classified as:
- Wave energy: Generated by converting the energy of ocean waves (swells) into other forms of energy (currently only electricity). There are many different technologies that are being developed and trialled to convert the energy in
Understanding Lithospheric Plates, Boundaries, and Tectonics
Lithospheric Plates and Plate Tectonics
The lithosphere is the solid outer layer of the Earth, encompassing the entire crust and the uppermost part of the mantle. It is composed of lithospheric plates, which are irregularly shaped pieces of varying size. Most plates are mixed, consisting of both oceanic and continental lithosphere. These plates move as if floating on the more plastic asthenosphere.
Plate Boundaries
The movement of lithospheric plates results in three primary types of plate boundaries,
Read MoreFossil Fuels: Formation, Uses, and Types
Fossil Fuels
Fossil fuels – oil, coal, and natural gas – were formed millions of years ago from the organic remains of dead plants and animals. Over thousands of years, the remains of beings that populated the planet in its various stages were deposited on the bottom of seas, lakes, and other water bodies. They were covered by layer upon layer of sediment. It took millions of years for the chemical reactions of decomposition and the pressure exerted by the weight of these layers to transform
Geological Eras and Landform Evolution in Iberia
Archean (Precambrian)
More than 580 million years ago, emerged areas of the Massif Gallego and the plateau, forming a broad dorsal of NW-SE direction, which united the land after it was created in Paleozoic. The rest of the current highlight was the Tethys Sea.
Paleozoic Era
It begins with the erosion of the Precambrian dorsal and sedimentation of material torn and placed in the Tethys Sea side. At the end, the Hercynian orogeny lifted the entire block of the massif, while emerging new territories
Read More