Understanding Landforms and Atmospheric Phenomena

Landforms and Atmospheric Phenomena

Alpine Orogeny: This occurred in the Tertiary period and formed the main ridges of the Hercynian terrain.

Hercynian Orogeny: An intense mountain-building movement involving folds, fractures, and uplifts, primarily during the Carboniferous period.

Malpais: Barren karst lands, a landform caused by the weathering of rocks like limestone.

Peneplain: A plain at a high elevation, formerly a mountainous region.

Climate and Weather

Climate: A succession of weather patterns.

Weather: The atmospheric condition at a specific time.

Thermal Amplitude: The temperature difference between the maximum and minimum values.

Barometer: Measures air pressure.

Solstice: The point when the day or night is at its longest duration, occurring in summer and winter.

Equinox: The day and night have equal length, occurring in spring and fall.

Foehn Wind: A wind that affects weather patterns, blowing in the Swiss Alps. Moisture-laden air collides with mountains, cools, and descends.

Anticyclone: An atmospheric disturbance characterized by high pressure and clockwise wind circulation.

Borrasca: An atmospheric disturbance characterized by strong winds and abundant rainfall.

Jet Stream: Rapid, narrow air currents found in the atmosphere at a height of approximately 11 km.

Gota Fría (Cut-off Low): Forms when warm sea temperatures, an unstable atmosphere, and cold air aloft coincide.

Leeward (Sotavento): The side sheltered from the wind.

Polar Front: A boundary separating two air masses with distinct characteristics.

Isobar: A line on a map connecting points with the same atmospheric pressure at a given time.

Isotherm: A line on a map connecting points on the Earth with the same average temperature.

Isohyet: A line on a map connecting points with the same average annual rainfall.

Soil and Vegetation

Mineral Fraction: Results from the decomposition of bedrock or source material.

Organic Fraction: Results from the decomposition of organic remains.

Vegetation: A natural landscape element that reflects the characteristics of the environment.

Exoreic: A river network with access to the sea.

Endorheic: A closed basin with no outlet to the sea, where runoff flows to the lowest point.

Aquifer: A rock formation bounded by impermeable rocks, storing subterranean water.

Flow Rate (Caudal): The amount of water in a fluvial system.

Protected Landscapes: Places with natural, aesthetic, and cultural values meriting special protection.

Parks: Natural areas with scenic and biological value, minimally altered by human activity, worthy of preservation.

Specific Landforms

Berrocal: A granite landform, a large slab.

Sinkhole: A subsidence feature.

Polje: A valley formed by erosion from water action.

Lapiaz: A karstic landform.

Gully: Formed by the action of water.

Meshes: Forms created by erosion, common in the Ebro basin.

Fault: A fracture in a rock mass with displacement, usually vertical, dividing blocks.

Horst: A block or set of blocks uplifted between two faults by tectonic processes.

Graben or Rift Valley: A depression of tectonic origin, bounded by faults, usually elongated.

Topographic Map: A tool for studying and analyzing landscape elements, representing a part of the Earth’s surface on a plane.