Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Geology

**Chlorophyll Function**

Chlorophyll function: The process by which plants absorb CO2 for subsequent decomposition; oxygen is released by this means.

**Starch**

Starch: A polysaccharide like starch that is in seeds, tubers, and roots used by plants. It is used primarily in the food industry in the elaboration of flour.

**Taro**

Taro: A tropical plant used as a vegetable for its corm. It is also edible as a vegetable, but it is indigestible when raw due to substances in the ergastic cells of the plant. It grows where there is a lot of water.

**Corm**

Corm: A thickened underground stem with a swollen base and vertical growth. It contains nodes and bulges where the buds come out, and it is covered by layers of leaves.

**Cassava**

A perennial shrub, Cassava,... Continue reading "Understanding Essential Plant Processes and Food Crops" »

Understanding Deixis, Coherence, and Cohesion

Personal Deixis: I, we, you, he, him, them

Spatial Deixis: here, in, on, off, below, to there

Temporal Deixis: today, yesterday, tomorrow, then, at that time, before, after

Coherence

Coherence means the relationship should have logic among all text parts. The ideas developed reference the same theme and are related, concluding between them.

Progression of a Constant Theme

The theme is repeated throughout the paragraphs. It appears especially in descriptive, narrative, and expository texts.

Progression of Derivative Themes

Once an issue is stated (also called a hypertheme), the rest of the themes are aspects or parts of the first type. This progression is very common in expository texts.

Progression of Linked

Atmosphere: Layers and Properties

The atmosphere is a gaseous and tiered layer with vertical physical properties surrounding our planet. It extends super above 1000km.

Troposphere

The troposphere extends up to 13km and contains 75% of the total mass of the atmosphere. Most atmospheric phenomena occur here, with abundant vertical flows. The lower troposphere is followed by the tropopause, a transition layer where jet streams flow, influencing weather patterns. The location and intensity of these systems change with time and latitude.

Stratosphere

The stratosphere spans from 13 to 50km. In Caracas, the isotherm is practically at its lowest point, around -40°C. This layer contains ozone (O3), which absorbs UV radiation and heats the air.

Mesosphere

The... Continue reading "Atmospheric Layers: Properties, Pressure, and Weather Variables" »

Creationism vs. Evolution: Key Concepts

Creationism: A religious belief according to which the cosmos, universe, and all living beings were created by a divine creator. Creationism was widely accepted until the late 19th century and still has followers today.

Evolution: The theory that species constantly change, giving rise to new species. Current species are the result of the evolution of previous ones.

Key Principles of Evolution

• Variability of Species: Individuals within a species are not identical but show variations that are transmitted to their offspring.
• Natural Selection: As populations increase, resources become limited, leading to competition. Individuals better adapted to their environment survive and reproduce more successfully, while

Proc. Geologic: Transformation

Proc. Geologic: Transformation of objects, including solar and gravel differences.

Weathering: Rock Decomposition

Weathering: The decomposition of rocks and ores, such as granite gravel, due to factors like decompression.

Mechanical Weathering

Mechanical Weathering: Processes like decompression, geifracción (rock fracturing due to ice in Remera Mon Lacco), and temperature changes (dilation and contraction) and plant roots.

Chemical Weathering

Chemical Weathering: Includes hydrolysis, decarbonation, hydration, and oxidation.

Slope Phenomena

Slope Phenomena: Gravity's impact on materials along slopes, influenced by water as a lubricant.

• Falls: Detachment with partial displacement from the upper interface (cliff slopes and

Theories Orogeniques: 2 groups:

Theories Orogeniques Fixistes: Mountain chain formation is due to vertical terrestrial crustal efforts. Important:

• Theory of Undations: Mountain chain formation due to the emergence of a magmatic mass.
• Oceanization Theory: Basic theory suggesting that masses of magma invaded an area of continental crust.
• Geosynclinal Theory: Existence of a deep sedimentary basin in which large quantities of sediment accumulate, provoking the subsidence of the sedimentary basin.

Theories Orogeniques Mobilistes: Modern theories, utilizing recent advances.

• Theory of Continental Drift: (Alfred Wegener) The cause of the phenomena is due to orogenic compressive horizontal efforts of the terrestrial crust.
• Tectonic Plate Theory: Orogenic phenomena

Catalan Coastal Mountain Range

The Catalan Coastal Mountain Range extends from the Pyrenees to the Ebro Delta, in a northeast-southwest direction. The sector with siliceous material is formed by the rest of the Catalan-Balearic solid. The southern sector includes Montseny. The sector with calcareous materials includes the mountains of Montserrat and Montsant.

Ebro Depression

The Ebro Depression, with a northwest-southeast direction, originates in the Cantabrian Mountains. However, it mainly flows through the Pyrenees and the Iberian System, leading to the Catalan Coastal System in the northeast and forming the main delta of the peninsula. The relief of the depression is derived from eroded material from the surrounding mountains. In turn, erosion... Continue reading "Catalonia and Andalusia: Geography and Relief of Key Regions" »

Solar Radiation and Its Impact on Earth

The energy produced in the interior of the Sun is emitted in all directions into space. This is solar radiation. The closer a planet is to the Sun, the greater the quantity of energy it receives.

Earth's Atmospheric Layers

• Troposphere: The lowest layer. It contains most of the atmospheric gases. Clouds and all meteorological processes occur in this layer.
• Stratosphere: Contains the ozone layer, which absorbs ultraviolet rays.
• Ionosphere: A thin layer (up to 600km).
• Exosphere: Gradually transitions into outer space; there is no sudden change.

Albedo and Absorption

Albedo is the portion of solar energy that is immediately reflected back into space and does not heat the Earth's surface. Another part of the solar... Continue reading "Solar Radiation and Earth's Climate: Key Factors" »

Plants: An Introduction

Plants are living, autotrophic organisms, meaning they produce their own food. They are not fixed to the substrate and are capable of moving actively. The primary substance that allows plants to use solar energy is called chlorophyll. Plants incorporate water, carbon dioxide, and mineral salts, which serve to reproduce them. They transform inorganic substances into organic energy, and this process requires sunlight. This process is called photosynthesis.

Plant Organs

• Root: The part that anchors the plant into the soil and absorbs water and mineral salts.
• Stem: The aerial part of the plant where substances circulate from the root to the leaves.
• Leaves: Expansions that grow from the stem, where photosynthesis primarily occurs.