Geology

Definition of Richter scale

The Richter scale is an ordered series of values ​​used to quantify the energy released by an earthquake. It is a logarithmic scale since it refers to the logarithm of a physical magnitude and not to the quantity itself. The American Charles Francis Richter (1900-1985) was the one who devised […]

Definition of carbon cycle

The carbon cycle is the cyclic process that this chemical element develops as it circulates through the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, the geosphere and the biosphere. This series of events is indispensable for life to exist on planet Earth. It should be noted that the carbon cycle is a biogeochemical cycle, just like […]

Definition of fossil fuel

A fossil fuel is a natural source of energy that arises when organic matter decomposes and goes through a process that spans millions of years. The slowness with which this transformation is carried out means that these fuels are not renewable since they are consumed much faster than […]

Definition of earth's crust

The Earth's crust is the outermost, thinnest and most superficial part (zone or layer) of the Earth, the planet we inhabit. As a consequence of different geological processes, two varieties of crust have been formed that differ from each other in terms of physical properties and chemical composition: one of them is the continental crust, […]

Definition of river erosion

Fluvial erosion is an expression that refers to the deterioration or alteration that is evident in a landscape as a result of the action of rivers that flow through a certain area. It is common for the Earth's crust to undergo modifications due to sediments, humidity and other issues linked to the aquatic environment and […]

Definition of water erosion

Water erosion is a wear process that drives water by affecting the materials that make up the surface. What water does is undermine and cause a displacement of the inorganic and organic particles that are part of the upper layer of the soil. Therefore, water erosion leads to […]

Definition of continental drift

Continental drift is a theory that explains how continental masses move constantly and gradually, moving closer or further apart. The German Alfred Wegener was the one who proposed this hypothesis in 1912. Wegener observed the shapes of the current continents, examined fossils and analyzed geological formations. His studies allowed him to infer that, in […]

Definition of geological era

Geological era is a concept that arises from geochronology, the name of the science that deals with establishing the antiquity and chronological order of the geological episodes that have been recorded on Earth throughout history. Within the geological time scale, each era […]

Definition of volcanic eruption

A volcanic eruption is an intense geological phenomenon that is characterized by the expulsion or exit of elements present within a volcano towards the surface of the Earth. That which erupts with force from the interior of a volcano is a molten material (a mixture or burning mass consolidated by cooling) that […]

Definition of soil erosion

Soil erosion is a concept that focuses on the wear and deterioration of the Earth's surface due to multiple causes. The first notion that integrates the expression, from the perspective of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), refers to a destruction, damage or degradation that is evident on the surface of something like […]