Spanish Geography Glossary: Key Terms & Concepts
Geography of Spain: Glossary of Terms
Relief
Socket
Plain or plateau formed in the primary era as a result of erosion. Sockets are made of granite and hard siliceous rocks.
Meseta
Extensive elevated plain over 200 meters. The Meseta is the fundamental relief unit of the Iberian Peninsula. It’s a high-altitude plain, remnant of the Hercynian orogeny, later deformed by the Alpine orogeny.
Watershed
Land whose waters pour into a main river and its tributaries. Watersheds are separated by areas of changing
Read MoreWeather & Vegetation Vocabulary: A Comprehensive Glossary
WEATHER VOCABULARY
Weather
The state of the atmosphere at a particular place and time. Meteorology is the science that studies weather.
Climate
The regular pattern of weather conditions in a specific location over a long period. Determining a country’s climate requires at least 30 years of observation. Climatology is the science that studies climate.
Barometer
Measures the weight of air above a unit area. It’s measured in millibars and represented on weather maps using isobars. Standard atmospheric pressure
Darwin’s Theory of Evolution and Natural Selection
Darwin’s Theory of Evolution
Darwin’s theory of evolution explains how species of living things have changed over geological time. The theory is supported by evidence from fossils and by the rapid changes seen in microorganisms such as antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Many species have become extinct in the past, and extinctions continue to occur.
Darwin’s Finches
Darwin studied the wildlife on the Galápagos Islands—a group of islands on the equator almost 1,000 kilometers west of Ecuador. He
Read MoreUnderstanding Earth’s Water Cycle and Its Properties
The Hydrosphere
Formation
Around 4.6 billion years ago, during Earth’s formation, high temperatures kept water in vapor form. As the Earth cooled below water’s boiling point, immense precipitation filled the lower surface areas, creating oceans. The majority of Earth’s water resides in these oceans as saltwater. Most freshwater exists as ice and groundwater. The remaining water is distributed across continents and in the atmosphere.
The Water Cycle
Water is in constant motion. Atmospheric water vapor
Read MoreUnderstanding the Rock Cycle: Processes and Structures
Read MoreThe Cycle of Rocks
On the Surface
It produces the weathered rocks and their transformation into sediments, transported by geological agents and accumulated in sedimentary basins.
Inside the Earth’s Crust
The materials are subjected to high temperatures, and the sediments become rocks.
Pressure
Due to the weight of rocks, pressure increases with depth.
Temperature
Temperature increases with depth.
Efforts of Understanding and Detente
Produced by movements in the mantle, compress and stretch the material of
Environmental Issues: Pollution, Climate Change & Resource Management
The Ozone Layer
The ozone layer is essential for life on Earth. Located in the stratosphere, between 12 and 40 km, it forms when ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun strikes oxygen molecules, transforming them into ozone. This ozone layer absorbs harmful UV radiation, protecting life as we know it. The presence of chemicals like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) prevents the ozone layer from forming normally, leading to its depletion. This can result in increased skin cancer, cataracts, weakened immune
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