River Basin Dynamics and Hydrology
River Basin Types
There are three types of river basins:
- Exoreic: Drains water into the sea or ocean. Example: Rimac River.
- Endorheic: Flows into lakes, lagoons, and salt flats with no outlet to the sea.
- Arreic: Water evaporates or seeps into the ground before reaching a drainage system. Example: Streams and canyons of the central Patagonian plateau.
Functions of a River Basin
Hydrologic Function
- Collects water from various sources, including precipitation runoff, springs, rivers, and streams.
- Stores water
National Parks Geology: A Journey Through Time
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone’s formation is driven by its tectonic setting atop a hotspot, where magma rises from the Earth’s mantle. This hotspot fuels intense geothermal activity and volcanic eruptions. As the North American Plate moves westward, the stationary hotspot generates periodic eruptions, the most recent forming the Yellowstone Caldera. This activity is linked to extensional stress and normal faulting, pulling the crust apart and allowing magma to rise.
The park features unique
Read MoreSustainable Development and Environmental Challenges
Sustainable Development
Principles
- Collection: Extraction rate at or below regeneration rate.
- Discharge: Rate of extraction equals the creation rate of substitute resources/energies.
- Broadcast: Below the assimilative capacity of receiving ecosystems.
- Zero Emission: No bioaccumulative emissions.
- Integration: Mimic natural ecosystem processes.
- Technology Selection: Prioritize efficient technologies.
- Precautionary Principle: Avoid exceeding ecosystem limits.
Brackish Water
Saline intrusion in wells.
Alternative
Read MoreKey Geographical Terms and Concepts
Earth’s Position & Time
Equinox: Time when the sun’s rays cross the equator, causing equal day and night. Occurs around September 23rd and March 21st.
Solstice: Time when the sun’s rays fall directly on the tropics. Around June 22nd (Cancer) and December 23rd (Capricorn).
Mapping & Location
Scale: Relationship between map distance and real-world distance, expressed numerically or linearly.
Latitude: Angular distance north or south of the Equator, measured in degrees.
Longitude: Angular distance
Earth’s Past: A Geological Journey Through Time
ITEM 13: Getting the Earth and its Past
Readers Rock
In the development of geology as a science, three key ideas have been central:
- The Earth is immensely old. The Earth originated about 4,560 Ma; however, for many centuries, it was thought to be scarcely 6,000 years old.
- The Earth is constantly changing. The Earth’s surface changes permanently due to slow, gradual processes such as mountain erosion or continental movement, but also thanks to sporadic and intense processes, such as volcanic eruptions,
Geologic Time Scale: A Comprehensive Guide to Earth’s History
1. Principle of Superposition: When any given stratum was being formed, all the matter resting on it was fluid. Therefore, when the lowest stratum was formed, none of the upper strata existed.
2. Principle of Original Horizontality: Strata which are either perpendicular to the horizon or inclined to it were at one time parallel to the horizon.
3. Principle of Lateral Continuity: When any given stratum was being formed, it was either encompassed at its edges by another solid substance or it covered