Energy: Sources, Consumption, and Environmental Impacts
Electricity
An electrical generator is a spinning coil of wire within a magnetic field. As the generator turns, the coils spinning through the magnetic field generate a voltage along the loop. The voltage is determined by the number of loops in the coil.
AC current moves back and forth with the changing magnetic field. As the coil of wire spins through the changing magnetic field, it produces a voltage going one way, but when the coil is 180 degrees from its initial starting point, it goes back and
Read MoreSurveying Examination Study Guide: Key Concepts and Definitions
SURVEYING EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
Land Survey
Land survey is the process of making all necessary measurements of an area of interest to obtain a topographical map.
Stakeout
Stakeout is the process of identifying in the field, using surveying techniques, all the details necessary for the development of works related to a project.
Maps and Types
A map is a flat representation of the land surface or a part thereof, whose large extension requires the use of cartographic methods. Their scales are generally small.
Genetics, Biotechnology, and Natural Resources: A Comprehensive Overview
XIX Century Classical Genetics. XX Century Molecular Genetics
Nucleic Acids: Nucleotides
Consisting of:
- Sugar (Pentose + nitrogenous base)
- Phosphoric Acid
DNA
AT antiparallel strands, CG (semiconservative replication)
RNA
A string AU, CG
Genetic Code
Replication, Transcription, Translation (5′ to 3′)
Mutations
- Gene: (changes, additions, and deletions)
- Chromosomal: (deletion, inversion, translocation, and duplication)
Biotechnology
Techniques that use living things to our benefit.
Genetic Engineering
Techniques for
Read MoreThe Marine Biogeochemical Cycles: Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Silicon, Sulfur, and Iron
LECTURE 12: The Biological Carbon Pump and Microbial Carbon Cycling
Key Concepts
- Biological Carbon Pump: Mechanism by which the ocean absorbs atmospheric CO2 through phytoplankton photosynthesis. When phytoplankton die, some carbon sinks as detritus, transporting it from the surface to the deep ocean. Factors like microbial degradation and zooplankton activity affect the efficiency of carbon transfer.
- Particulate and Dissolved Organic Matter (POM and DOM):
- POM (>0.7 µm): Consists of cell biomass
A Comprehensive Guide to Earth Sciences: From Rocks to Volcanoes
Discharge and Erosion
Discharge (m3/s) = width (m) x depth (m) x velocity (m/s)
Erosion produces stream load, the combination of:
- Bed load (gravel, sand – roll, bounce, slide)
- Suspended load (silt, clay – float)
- Dissolved load (dissolved minerals)
Flood Management
Flood Prevention: Try to control the flow and stage of water.
Flood Adjustment: Policy and lifestyle shift to account for local flooding.
Groundwater and Aquifers
Porosity: Proportion of earth material made up of spaces (that can fill with water)
Read MoreHydrological Processes and Water Management
1. What is the hydrological cycle and how can water balance be quantified?
The hydrological cycle is the water’s cycle caused by solar energy. It can be quantified by the following equation: P = Q + AE +-AW (precipitation= runoff + actual evapotraspiration +-Changes in water storage (surface, soil water, ground water)). In this cycle, we have to consider also the change of state of water aggregation, from ice to liquid and vapour, and also snow, hoarfrost, etc.