Human Impact on the Earth’s Ecosystems: Pollution and Climate Change
Land as an Ecosystem
Except for energy from the sun, Earth is a closed system with unchanging components. These components continuously readjust in their situation and location, leading to global biogeochemical cycles. Living organisms play a vital role in these cycles, interacting with chemical and geological elements, thereby altering planetary conditions.
Environmental Impact of the Human Population (Anthropocene)
The large human population and the disproportionate growth in resource demand and
Read MoreChilean Industrial Project Development & Economic Outlook (2009-2012)
World Economic Crisis and Chile
The global financial crisis, estimated to have begun in 2007, reached a critical point in March 2009. World economic growth declined, and many powerful economies, including Chile, experienced contractions. While many countries entered recession, Chile, according to economists, had not yet entered one by November 2023.
Global economic recovery was anticipated for the second half of 2009 or early 2010, with a new economic era beginning in 2011. Economic crises are
Read MoreBottled Water Guide: Types, Regulations, and Labeling
Bottled Water
Types of Bottled Water
Natural Mineral Water
Sourced from underground springs and distinguished by their mineral content and purity due to the protected aquifer. Variations based on carbonation include:
- Naturally Carbonated Natural Mineral Water: Contains natural carbon dioxide (CO2).
- Natural Mineral Water Fortified with Gas from the Same Source: CO2 content increased with gas from the same source.
- Natural Mineral Water with Added Carbon Gas: CO2 added from a different source.
- Fully Carbonated
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
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