Essential Meteorology and Geomorphology Terminology

Key Meteorological Definitions

• Jet Stream: These are high-speed circulating winds in the upper troposphere within a narrow belt in the region of westerly winds.
• Anticyclone: A center of high atmospheric pressure; the associated weather is typically stable.
• Borrasca: A depression or low-pressure area that generates intense winds, cloudiness, and precipitation.
• Isobar: An imaginary line drawn on a map that connects all points that show the same atmospheric pressure.
• Isohyet: An imaginary line drawn on a map that passes through all points having the same precipitation levels.
• Gota Fría (DANA): Also known as DANA, this is a movement of a cold air mass from high latitudes that creates a trough where the cold front remains. It can cause rain, hail, and unusually high winds for hours, usually taking place in autumn when the water is still warmer than the land.
• Barlovento: The area exposed to the wind direction (windward).
• Humidity: The proportion of water vapor in the air in relation to the maximum amount that an air mass saturated at the same temperature may contain. Its value varies intensely with temperature and is measured with a hygrometer.

Fundamental Geomorphology Terms

• Caldera: The largest type of volcanic depression, which is circular or elliptical. Its origin is related to the collapse of the volcanic edifice, the violent release of magma overseas, and erosion.
• Peneplain: A gently sloping surface formed at the foot of a mountain range or ridge by the accumulation of alluvium, which acts as a transition zone between mountain and plain.
• Appalachian Relief: This results from the erosion of an ancient folded relief and is characterized by alternating depressions carved into soft materials and ridges of more resistant materials.
• Zocalo: A plain or plateau that was formed in the Primary Era from eroded ridges encountered in the Hercynian orogeny. It forms the basis of sedimentary basins and mountain ranges beyond.
• Fault (Falla): A crack of tectonic origin that affects a wide expanse of land and is accompanied by a displacement of fractured rock blocks.
• Berrocal: Also called scree, this is a landscape of chaotic accumulation of granite blocks with a rounded silhouette.
• Geomorphology: The geographic science that deals with the study of relief, including its forms, evolution, modeling, and origin.