Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and exercises for Geology for Secondary education

Pollution

What is contamination? Where does it come from?

The causes of this decline in environmental quality are due to the economic growth model, the growth of the population, and the lack of control over ecological damage. Pollution is any substance or energy that causes loss or damage to property of any kind. Contamination may have different origins: natural sources of pollution and contamination from artificial sources. Man-made pollution is the most common, and we can further control it. It can affect the soil, water, and air, and therefore all living beings.

Air Pollution

We speak of air pollution when certain substances or forms of energy reach above-normal concentrations in the air.

Contamination is emitted into the atmosphere. Control...

The Geosphere and Earth's Structure

Studying the Geosphere and Its Relief

Direct Study Methods

• Observing rocks on the surface
• Boring (drilling)
• Satellite photographs, radar, and sonar

Geosphere's Relief Features

The Geosphere's relief includes:

• Continents: Flat areas, mountain ranges, coastlines, cliffs, and beaches.
• Seabeds: Flat areas with small elevations, such as ridges and trenches.

Seismic Methods and Earth's Interior

The Seismic Method studies the variations in seismic wave speed as they travel through different materials within the geosphere.

Understanding Seismic Waves

Seismic waves are vibrations in the Earth that propagate in all directions. The more rigid the material they pass through, the faster they travel.

Types of Seismic Waves

• P-waves (Primary

Natural Environment

Europe

The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living elements found on the Earth's crust. Weathering, driven by natural phenomena, continuously shapes and reshapes our planet.

Location and Geography

Europe, situated on the Eurasian tectonic plate, is separated from Asia by the Ural Mountains, Caspian Sea, and other geographical features. The Mediterranean Sea forms a natural boundary between Europe and Africa. Europe's landscape is characterized by numerous gulfs, bays, and peninsulas, including the Iberian, Scandinavian, Italian, and Balkan peninsulas. The continent boasts a diverse topography, with significant variations in elevation and landforms within relatively small areas.

Climate and Biogeography

Several...

Sedimentary Rocks

Sedimentary rocks are produced from the weathering of preexisting rocks or biological matter.

• Detrital: Rocks produced from rock fragments.
• Chemical: Rocks produced by the precipitation of dissolved ions in water.
• Organic: Rocks produced by the accumulation of biological debris.

Sediments: Loose, solid particles originating from the weathering and erosion of preexisting rocks.

Deposition: The settling and coming to rest of transported materials and the accumulation of chemical or organic sediments, typically in water.

Lithification: The general term for processes converting loose sediments into sedimentary rock.

• Breccia: Coarse-grained clastic sedimentary rocks.
• Sandstone: Medium-grained clastic sedimentary rock.
• Shale: Fine-grained

Media and Film Vocabulary

• Cartoon: A movie made using characters that are drawn and not real. dibujos animados
• Chat show: A television or radio programme in which people are asked questions about themselves. programa de radio
• Comedy: A funny movie or play. comedia
• Cookery programme: A television genre that presents food preparation in a kitchen, located in a restaurant or on a studio set.
• Documentary: A film or television programme that gives facts about a real situation. documental
• Drama: A play in a theatre or on television or radio. obra de teatro
• Film: A story that is shown in moving pictures on a screen, usually at a cinema or on television. película
• Game show: A programme on television in which people play games to try to win prizes. concurso

TV and Movies

Cartoon

A movie made using characters that are drawn and not real.

Chat Show

A television or radio program in which people are asked questions about themselves.

Comedy

A funny movie or play.

Cookery Programme

A television genre that presents food preparation in a kitchen, located in a restaurant or on a studio set.

Documentary

A film or television program that gives facts about a real situation.

Drama

A play in a theatre or on television or radio.

Film

A story that is shown in moving pictures on a screen, usually at a cinema or on television.

Game Show

A program on television in which people play games to try to win prizes.

Reality Show

A television program about ordinary people who are filmed in real situations.

Soap

A television program about the...

Essential Vocabulary List

• Ambiance: Atmosphere — Lure: Offer for something
• Abound: Exist in large quantities — Meticulously: Carefully kept
• Afflicting: Hurting — Perennial: Lasting for a long time
• Aboard: On board — Quest: Long search for something
• Backdrop: The scenery or landscape of a certain place
• Bid: Command — Ruthless: Showing no pity
• Biannual: Twice a year — Retrieve: Bring back
• Biennial: Once every 2 years
• Staggeringly: Overwhelming
• Bleak: Lacking vegetation — Starvation: Lack of food
• Breed: Species, reproduce — Set off: Begin a journey
• Bemused: Confused — Silver tongue: Ability to convince
• Cease: Stopped — Sanctuary: Safe place, refuge
• Come across: Look like — Turn something over: Think
• Cluster: Group of similar things close

Forces Shaping Earth's Relief

Other agents also contribute to the shaping of relief. These agents are water, wind, extreme temperatures, and the action of human beings.

Water

Water in seas and oceans shapes coastal relief. Water in rivers and streams shapes fluvial relief. Water in contact with rocks causes erosion (by wearing down or breaking) or rock dissolution, forming karst relief.

Wind

Wind erodes rocks and transports sand and dust, which accumulate to form dunes (small hills of sand).

Temperatures

Extremely high or low temperatures cause rocks to crack. When heat (which makes rocks expand) and cold (which makes rocks contract) alternate, rocks break into pieces.

Human Action

Human beings have always changed large areas of land for their own use....

What is an Environmentally Sustainable Society?

One that meets the current and future basic resource needs of its people in

a just and equitable manner without compromising the ability of the future

generations to meet their basic resource needs

Environmental Scientists

John Muir (1892) - created Yosemite National Parks

Created Sierra club

Eugene and Howard (1953) - wrote the first ecology textbook

Rachel Carson (1962) - wrote Silent Spring

Effects of DDT

Lois Gibbs (1980) - formed the Citizens Clearinghouse for hazardous

 waste, petition to Jimmy Carter

The town was called Love Canal

Theodore Roosevelt (1900) - created the United States Forest Service

 for Wildlife

Established 5 national parks

Antiquities Act

James Lovelock (1960s) - created the Gaia