Unveiling the Universe: From Big Bang to Galaxies
The Universe: Composition
Visible Matter:
- Normal (0.4%): Stars, planets, and intergalactic hot gas
- Normal non-luminous (3.6%): Black holes and intergalactic gas
Invisible Components:
- Dark Matter (21%): Unknown composition, inferred from mass measurements.
- Dark Energy (75%): Unknown nature, responsible for the accelerating expansion of the universe.
The Origin of the Universe: The Big Bang
All matter was concentrated in a small area and underwent a massive explosion (the Big Bang). Matter was propelled
Read MoreUnderstanding Environmental Impact: Contamination, Audits, and Pollution
Environmental Contamination
Contamination is the introduction of pollutants into an environment through contact with another contaminated source.
Environmental Audits
An environmental audit is a diagnosis and study of the environmental situation of an installation or activity. To conduct this examination, it’s necessary to certify and verify the proper operation of systems and management, considering current regulations and available technologies.
Contents of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
Read MorePlate Tectonics and the Scientific Method
Plate Tectonics
Plate Tectonics: Moving and Shaking. There are many major plates and dozens of smaller, or minor, plates. Six of the major plates are named for the continents within them, such as the North American, African, and Antarctic plates. Smaller plates are important to shaping the Earth too. The tiny Juan de Fuca plate is largely responsible for the volcanoes that dot the Pacific Northwest of the United States.
The plates make up Earth’s outer shell, called the lithosphere (includes the crust
Read MoreRock Weathering Processes and Slope Stability
Mechanical Weathering Processes
Decompression (Pressure Release)
Rocks formed deep within the Earth reach the surface due to the erosion of overlying materials. This process leads to a decrease in lithostatic pressure until it reaches atmospheric pressure. This decompression causes the rock to expand, displaying numerous joints (diaclases) and widening existing cracks.
Frost Wedging (Gelifraction)
Ice is a highly effective agent of mechanical weathering, particularly in areas with fluctuating temperatures
Read MoreUnderstanding Volcanoes, Earthquakes, and Rock Types
Volcanoes
A volcano is any crack in the earth’s surface that emits incandescent materials from within.
Volcanic Eruptions
Pressure increases in the magma chamber, its walls dilate and fracture, escaping gas and carrying the rest of the magma, similar to what happens when shaking a carbonated drink.
Volcanic Products
- Gases: The first products to reach the surface.
- Lava: The melt.
- Pyroclasts: Solid materials ejected into the air.
- Ashes: The smallest pyroclastic materials.
- Lapilli: Medium-sized pyroclastic
Russian Revolutions: 1905 and February 1917 Analysis
The 1905 Revolution: A Triple Political Crisis
The Revolution of 1905 in Russia stemmed from a triple political malaise at the beginning of the 20th century:
- Discontent among the peasantry due to unfulfilled agrarian reforms.
- Disappointment, unemployment, and misery among the industrial proletariat.
- The aspirations of minority liberal and student sectors for a political regime similar to Western models.
Russia’s defeat by Japan in 1904-1905 exposed the Tsarist regime’s weaknesses, unleashing a wave of
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