Essential Weather and Climate Terms
Basic Weather Concepts
- Isotherms: Lines of equal temperature (℃).
- Frost: Air temperature drops to 0℃.
- Icy Irradiation: Ground cooling causes 0℃ temperature.
- Advection Frost: Cold air mass arrival causes 0℃ temperature.
Humidity and Condensation
- Humidity: Water vapor in the air.
- Relative Humidity: Water vapor percentage relative to saturation.
- Saturation: Maximum water vapor air can hold.
- Fog (Niebla): Water droplets limiting visibility (<1 km).
- Irradiation Fog: Heat loss from soil.
- Orographic Fog:
Understanding Iberian Peninsula’s Geography: Aridity, Basins, Lakes, and Geology
Aridity and Climate Sectors
As aridity increases, there are four sectors:
- Northeast Sector (Peninsular Catalan): Wetter, with a higher risk of frost due to cold continental air from the north.
- Valencian-Balearic: Less influence of oceanic air masses, temperatures increase southward, and precipitation decreases.
- Southeastern Peninsular Mediterranean: Semiarid, with the minimum precipitation on the peninsula, experiencing year-round drought. Air masses are influenced by the Alboran Sea. The south coast
Understanding Global Climate Change: Causes, Effects, and Evidence
United Nations: Changing Face of Global Climate
In 1980, scientists began to realize the increase in Earth’s surface temperature, likely caused by human activity. In 1988, the UN created the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The IPCC predicts average temperatures to rise between 1.5°C and 5.8°C. Global warming causes climate change, abnormal functioning of ecosystems, changes in land use, and biodiversity loss.
Climate Change Indicators
- Retreating glaciers: Mountain glaciers in the
Rock Types, Formation, and Classification: A Comprehensive Overview
Rocks: Formation, Types, and Characteristics
A rock is a naturally occurring mineral aggregate with cohesive properties. Rocks are categorized into three main types based on their formation:
Igneous Rocks
Igneous rocks (from Latin ignis = fire) form when molten rock (magma) cools and solidifies.
Magma Characteristics
- Chemistry: Primarily silicates, oxides, and sulfides. The liquid portion contains oxygen and silicon (silica – SiO2), along with aluminum, potassium, and sodium. Common gases include water
Energy Sources, Environmental Challenges, and Sustainable Solutions
The Energy Problem
When muscular power was not enough, the wheel and the steam engine, fed with firewood or charcoal, emerged. Humans began to consume the energy they had spent hundreds of millions of years accumulating. Fossil fuels are plant or animal remains buried.
Each year we spend what took a million years to form. Experts estimate oil production will peak between 2020 and 2040. Afterward, oil may only be available to richer countries.
Hydropower
River water can be dammed, leading to a turbine
Read MoreAnimal Life Cycles: Reproduction and Development Strategies
Animal Life Cycles: Strategies and Adaptations
Pairing
Nonexistent in simple animal groups.
Insemination
Consists of releasing sperm into the water. Some release them directly, others in a package called a spermatophore. Some use copulatory organs to achieve fertilization, while others deposit sperm in the female’s genitals.
Embryonic Development
A complex process that begins with zygote formation and ends with the beginning of independent life after hatching or birth.
Postembryonic Development
- Direct development: