Geological Eras and Landforms of the Iberian Peninsula
Geological Eras of the Iberian Peninsula
Paleozoic Era: Began 570 million years ago and lasted until 230 million years ago. During this era, two plates, or continents, were separated by the Sea of Tethys. Two orogenies occurred: the older Caledonian, which barely affected peninsular space, and the Hercynian, which developed during the Carboniferous period. As a consequence, a great mountain range arose in a NW-SE direction, becoming a massif called the Hesperian Massif, which occupies much of central
Read MoreIbn Tulun Mosque: A Masterpiece of Islamic Architecture in Cairo
The Grand Mosque of Ibn Tulun
From his palace, al-Katai, Ibn Tulun governed with authority. His time in Samarra, where he grew up, is remembered for its giant brick mosques, built in the Iraqi tradition. He decided to build a similar prayer structure in Fostat (near the future city of Cairo), of monumental proportions. Unlike the Nile Valley, where stone was widely used since the Pharaohs for temples and tombs, Ibn Tulun used brick and stucco cladding, a technique common in Mesopotamia. The construction
Read MoreEarth’s Atmosphere: Layers, Phenomena, and Pollution
Earth’s Atmosphere: Layers and Composition
Troposphere
The troposphere is the layer that is in contact with the soil. Here, the temperature drops to -55ºC. This layer contains approximately 90% of the atmosphere’s upper interface.
Stratosphere
The stratosphere has a thickness of 30 km. At the top, ultraviolet rays of the sun collide with oxygen molecules (O2). The reaction releases heat, so the top is about -17ºC. In addition, the stratosphere is a region rich in ozone, the ozonosphere.
Mesosphere
The
Read MoreRenewable Energy, Material Properties, and Sustainable Development
Nuclear Transfer: Generating New Individuals
The following scheme observes nuclear transfer, a process where a new individual is generated using a somatic cell and an egg.
Renewable Energy Sources
Which are the sources of renewable energy?
- Solar: Energy that reaches Earth as electromagnetic radiation from the sun.
- Wind: Energy obtained from the wind, harnessing its kinetic energy.
- Tidal: Energy derived from the movement of marine tides.
- Geothermal: Energy that utilizes the internal heat of the Earth.
- Biomass:
Ancient Greek and Roman Architecture: Temples, Orders, and Urbanism
TMA1
Doric Order
Definition: Doric order is characterized by a base (krepis or krepidoma) with three steps (the upper one is the stylobate, the lower ones are the stereobates), and fluted columns without a base, directly on the stylobate. The fluting (grooves) are typically 20 in number and are sharp-edged (no fillets between them). The column tapers upwards. The capital consists of a cushion-like echinus and a square tablet called an abacus. The entablature is composed of an architrave, a frieze
Read MoreUnderstanding the Greenhouse Effect and Climate Change
The Greenhouse Effect
The term greenhouse effect describes the mechanism by which atmospheric gases, particularly carbon dioxide, trap heat near the Earth’s surface. The glass roof of a greenhouse transmits visible light and absorbs infrared (IR) radiation emitted, thus trapping heat. In a way, carbon dioxide acts as a glass roof, except that the temperature rise in a greenhouse is mainly due to restricted indoor air circulation. The transfer of carbon dioxide to and from the atmosphere is an essential
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