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.