Understanding Atmospheric Phenomena and Environmental Changes
Foehn Effect: It is named after the phenomenon that causes an increase in temperature and a decrease in relative humidity in the wind that runs through rugged mountains. This process occurs due to rainfall asymmetries between the windward and leeward slopes.
Greenhouse Effect: The planetary energy balance analysis points out that the magnitude considered is the flow of energy as long-wave radiation received from the troposphere. This effect is carried by clouds that, for such purposes, act as black bodies, absorbing gases like water vapor and carbon dioxide, among others. In the absence of clouds and greenhouse gases, the effective temperature at which the Earth-atmosphere system is in radiation balance would be -18 °C instead of +15 °C today. This difference is called the natural greenhouse effect, which makes our planet habitable and provides thermal comfort similar to that recorded in greenhouses. A separate issue is the increase of the natural greenhouse effect due to anthropogenic emissions of certain gases, a process that supports the current assumption of climate change.
Climate: The climate is, by nature, changeable. Since the formation of Earth to the present, the features of the global climate system, expressed in atmospheric circulation mechanisms, have undergone changes due to natural causes. The solar energy reaching the Earth’s atmosphere undergoes changes due to astronomical factors, although volcanic eruptions and other geographical factors can also have a decisive influence. The changes in the tilt of Earth’s rotation axis to the plane of the ecliptic, with cycles of 41,000 years, indicated by the Serbian astronomer Milankovitch, the eccentricity of Earth’s orbit, which varies every 100,000 years, and precession or spin of Earth’s axis to the ecliptic, or the rest of the stars, with periods of 23,000 years, cause variations in solar radiation incident in the southern hemisphere. Today, the term climate change refers to the current assumption that climate change is anthropogenic, defending the observed temperature increase since the 1970s.
Erosion: Erosion is the process of removal or relief of the land, wearing intact (rock) by the action of exogenous geological processes such as surface water flows, glacial ice, wind, or the action of living organisms. Erosion refers to the transportation of grain and not the disintegration of rocks. The eroded material may be comprised of:
* Rock fragments created by mechanical abrasion from the very action of wind, water, glaciers, and thermal expansion-contraction due to seasonal, diurnal, or climatic variations.
* Soils, which are created by the chemical breakdown of rocks through the combined action of weak acids dissolved in surface water, meteoric water, hydrolysis, organic acids, bacteria, plants, and other actions.
A volcanic cone is a volcanic formation that arises from the ejection of material from a volcanic opening, forming a cone with a central crater. It may vary depending on the matter ejected during the eruption. The most common types are differentiated into cinder cones, tuff cones, and ash cones.
Macaronesia: Macaronesia is the collective name for several North Atlantic islands, more or less close to the African mainland. It comprises five archipelagos: Azores, Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Madeira Islands, and the Savage Islands. These islands share many natural (botanical and zoological), geological, and climatic aspects (for example, the presence of laurel, a type of subtropical forest).
A national park is a protected area category that has a certain legal status, allowing for the protection and conservation of its rich flora and fauna. It is characterized as being representative of a region and has scientific interest in terms of phytogeography and zoogeography.
The laurel: The laurel is a type of subtropical cloud forest found in Macaronesia, consisting of tree species in the laurel family, which together make up the Fayal-Heath called laurel.
Sustainable Development: Sustainable development is defined as development that can meet current needs without compromising the resources and ability of future generations. Intuitively, a sustainable activity is one that can be maintained. For example, cutting trees in a forest while ensuring restocking is sustainable. In contrast, oil consumption is not sustainable with current knowledge, as there is no known system to create oil.
Renewable Energy Sources: Renewable energy sources are those that can be regenerated naturally or artificially after use. Some of these renewable sources are subject to cycles that remain more or less constant in nature.
There are several renewable energy sources, including:
* Tidal (tidal)
* Hydropower (dams)
* Wind energy
* Solar energy
* Biomass energy (vegetation)