Geology

Definition of pluvial

The Latin word pluviālis came to Spanish as pluvial. This is what is called what is linked to rain: the water that falls from the clouds. Air humidity, temperature and atmospheric pressure affect the phenomenon that begins with the condensation of vapor found in the clouds and ends […]

Definition of Pleistocene

Geology is the science that is dedicated to the study of the history of planet Earth, focusing on the origins, evolution and characteristics of the materials that make it up. To facilitate his analysis, he resorts to a temporal frame of reference through various divisions and subdivisions of time. On the time scale […]

Definition of high tide

High tide is the completion of the rising sea. The term also refers to the time in which the high tide itself extends. The etymological origin of this word that concerns us now is found in Latin. Specifically, we can establish that it is the result of the union of the adjective «plenus», […]

Definition of pyroclast

A pyroclast is a solid piece of volcanic material that, from the eruption of a volcano, reaches the atmosphere and then falls on the surface. Pyroclasts can present different morphological characteristics. At the beginning of an eruption, the volcano emits a jet of gas known as an eruptive column. Saying […]

Definition of pyrite

Pyrite is a mineral composed of iron sulfide. This means that it is an inorganic substance that combines the salt of hydrogen sulfide (sulfide) with the metallic chemical element with atomic number 26 (iron). It is interesting to know that the etymological origin of the term pyrite in question is found in the […]

Soil profile definition

The concept of soil profile refers to the vertical cuts that can be made to describe it. It is interesting to know that this term is made up of two words fundamentally of disparate etymological origin. Thus, profile, first of all, derives from the Provençal “profile”, which was used to define the hem that certain […]

Definition of rock

A rock is a mountain that is characterized by its rocks. It is a natural elevation with large stones. The term is usually used to refer to rock masses. The Rock of Ifach, for example, is located in the Spanish municipality of Calpe, which is part of the province of Alicante. It is […]

Definition of boulder

The concept of boulder is used to name a piece of stone that has not been carved. Boulders, therefore, are pieces of rock that were not worked by man to modify their shape or state. For example: “A rock broke my car tire when I was driving through a mountainous area […]

Definition of stony

The term stony is used as an adjective to describe the surface that is covered with stones. A stone, in turn, is a compact element of mineral origin that is characterized by its hardness. A stony terrain, therefore, is one that is covered with stones. It may be coverage of […]

Definition of palustrum

Palustre is a term with two broad meanings according to the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE). The term may come from pala or from the Latin word paluster. When trowel derives from shovel, it refers to a tool used by bricklayers. The trowel is a utensil that is used to manipulate and spread […]