Essential Geography and Climatology Terms: A Concise Dictionary
Geography & Climatology Glossary
Aquifer: A combination of groundwater and the rock that stores and circulates the water.
Afluente (Tributary): A watercourse that flows into a larger body of water.
Temperature Range: The difference between the highest and lowest daily, monthly, or yearly temperatures; also known as thermal oscillation.
Anticyclone: A high-pressure zone surrounded by areas of lower pressure.
Anticline: A fold in the ground.
Aridity: A condition resulting from a lack of water due to inadequate rainfall.
Alisios (Trade Winds): Constant winds blowing from subtropical high-pressure zones towards the Equator.
Barlovento (Windward): The side facing the wind, which receives its full force.
Borrasca (Low-Pressure Area): An area of low pressure surrounded by areas of higher pressure.
Biodiversity: The total variety of living things on Earth.
Deciduous Forest: A forest with a tree layer consisting of deciduous trees that lose their leaves in autumn/winter.
Sclerophyll Forest: A type of evergreen forest dominated by evergreens.
Flow: The amount of water flowing through a river channel.
General Atmospheric Circulation: The overall movement of the atmosphere.
Climate: The average atmospheric conditions of a place.
Continental Climate: The influence of a continent on the climate.
Flooding: The maximum flow of a river.
River Basin: The area of land where a river flows.
Dehesa: A very large field or pasture.
Desertification: The process of land becoming desert due to the destruction of the soil’s biological potential.
Foehn Effect: A phenomenon characteristic of rainfall relief, where air descends and warms on the leeward side of a mountain range.
Endemism: Vegetation unique to a specific place and found nowhere else.
Runoff: Water that flows over the surface without being part of a river.
Drought: A period of low water levels in a river.
Exorheic: River basins that drain into the sea.
Front: The boundary between two air masses with different characteristics in terms of temperature, moisture, and density.
Garriga: A characteristic type of Mediterranean vegetation.
Gota Fría (Cut-Off Low): A weather situation in the atmosphere.
Humidity: The amount of water vapor in the atmosphere.
Exposure: The number of hours of sunlight a place receives.
Isobars: Lines on a map connecting points of equal atmospheric pressure.
Isotherm: A line on a map connecting points of equal temperature.
Isohyet: A line joining points of equal precipitation.
Lakeside: Situated on the shores of a lake.
Massif: A portion of the shield or base, built and fractured by orogenic stress.
Maquis: A type of shrub vegetation.
Meander: A curve formed in the middle of a river.
Nature Park: A permissive form of protection under Spanish legislation to protect areas of natural interest.
National Park: An area containing one or more ecosystems.
Peneplane: An almost plain surface.
Precipitation: The amount of water that falls from clouds in liquid or solid form.
Atmospheric Pressure: The weight of a vertical column of air with a 1 cm² section on Earth’s surface.
Fluvial Regime: The seasonal fluctuation of a river’s flow.
River System: A set of rivers within a country.
Alpine Relief: Reliefs that are little worn by erosion.
Hercynian Relief: Reliefs that are heavily worn away by erosion.
Solana (Sun-Facing Slope): The slope of a mountain facing the sun.
Umbria (Shaded Site): A shaded site.
Valle (Valley): The slopes of a river.
Drainage Basin: The entire area that drains water to the same sea.
Xerophytic: A plant that grows in dry areas.