Ecosystems, Climate, and Weather: Essential Concepts
Ecosystems: Units of the Biosphere
Ecosystems are the fundamental units into which the biosphere is divided. An ecosystem consists of a community of living beings (biotic components) and the physical space where they live, interact with each other, and their environment (abiotic components).
Types of Ecosystem Components
There are two types of components found in an ecosystem:
- Biotic components: Living organisms.
- Abiotic components: Non-living factors like temperature, water, and soil.
Ecosystem Evolution
The
Read MoreUnderstanding Spain’s Climate: Geographic & Thermodynamic Factors
Climatic Factors Influencing Spain
Climate: The average state of the atmosphere of a place.
Weather: The state of the atmosphere of a place at any given time.
Climate factors are grouped into two categories:
- Geographic factors
- Thermodynamic factors
Geographic Factors
Latitude
Spain is located in the Northern Hemisphere’s temperate zone, resulting in two distinct seasons: summer and winter, separated by spring and fall transitions.
Location
Spain’s location between the Atlantic and Mediterranean, and between
Read MoreSteel Sitemas & Glued Laminated Timber: Benefits & Properties
Steel Sitemas: Pros and Cons
Pros: Simple concept using tubes and spheres, economical for covering large spans, lightweight, rigid, and highly resistant. They are statically very resistant, require few elements, and steel allows great freedom in design. They can eliminate structural side mount elements, allowing easy and quick workforce reduction, and allow positioning of auxiliary elements and passage facilities.
Cons: Difficulties in realizing and calculating these structures. For large dimensions,
Read MoreUnderstanding Earth’s Climate: Zones, Energy, and Weather
Understanding Earth’s Climate
An elliptical orbit means that the solar energy received will be lower at the moments of greatest distance from the Sun than in closer proximity.
Geoastronomic Zones
Tropical Zone: Located within the tropics and divided in half by the Equator.
Temperate Zone: Located to the north, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle, and to the south, between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle.
Polar Zone: Located between the Arctic Circle and the North Pole,
Read MoreIron Extraction and Steel Production Processes
Iron Extraction and Steel Production
Iron Ore Extraction Process
The process begins with the extraction of iron ore from the mine, where all the raw material is collected. Once extracted, the ore is transported to a processing area where it is crushed into a fine, dust-like consistency.
This fine mineral powder (along with its impurities) is then transferred to a series of trays equipped with rotating paddles and water. This step aims to separate the earth and isolate as much iron-rich material as
Read MoreMorphostructural Units of the Iberian Peninsula’s Relief
Relief Configuration of the Iberian Peninsula
The configuration of the Iberian Peninsula’s relief is characterized by three basic features:
- Massive Form: This is due to the peninsula’s large width and generally straight coastline, with few significant indentations. This limits the influence of the sea inland.
- High Average Altitude: At 660 meters, this is due to the presence of high mountains. The interior of the peninsula is composed of an extensive upland core, the Meseta Central (Plateau).
- Peripheral