GEOGRAPHY GLOSSARY

GEOGRAPHY GLOSSARY

Abyssal plain (Llanura abisal): A huge underwater plain, usually more than 4000 metres deep.

Acid Rain (Lluvia ácida): Rain polluted by Chemicals as a result of industrial activity.

Aeolian erosion (Erosión eólica): The process in wich wind erodes and transports

rocks and sand.

Alluvian plain (Llanura aluvial): A flat plain formed by the deposition of sediment from Rivers.

Anemometer (Anemómetro): An instrument that measures the speed of wind.

Anticline (Anticlinal): A fold in the Earth’s suface, where the rock layers bend upwards.

Anticyclone (Anticiclón): An area of high atmospheric pressure, living rise to dry and stable weather.

Aquifer (Acuífero): A store of groundwater that accumulates under the ground on top layers of impermeable rock.

Archipielago (Archipiélago): A group of islands.

Asteroid (Asteroide) A solid rock that orbits the Sun.

Astronomical object (Objeto astronómico): A naturally occurring object in space, such as a star, planet or asteroid.

Atmosphere (Atmósfera): The gaseous layer that surrounds the Earth and protects it from harmful radiation from the Sun.

Atmospheric pressure (Presión atmosférica): Pressure on the Earth’s surface caused by the weight of the atmosphere above.

Axis –The Earth’s- (Eje, de la Tierra): An imaginary line conecting the North and South Poles, around wich the Earth rotates.

Barometer (Barómetro): An instrument that measures atmospheric pressure.

Basin (Cuenca): A sunken landform which is lower than the sorrounding area.

Big Bang (Big Bang): A gigantic explosion that propelled material across enormous distances in space when the Universe began.

Biodiversity (Biodiversidad): The variety of life forms in an environment. It is a measure of the health of an ecosystem

Biome (Bioma, paisaje bioclimático): A large regional habitat with a characteristic climate, vegetation, soil and fauna.

Biosphere (Biosfera): The thin layer of Earth, water and atmosphere, where life is found.

Canopy (Canopeo, Dosel forestal): The uppermost level of a forest, forming an almost continuous cover.

Cartography (Cartografía): The study and practice of making maps.

Climate (Clima): The usual state of the atmosphere in a region over a long period of time.

Climograph (Climograma): A graphical representation of average monthly precipitation and temperaturas in a given place.

Comet (Cometa): A celestial body made of rock and ice with a tilo f dust and gas that orbits in space.

Condensation (Condensación): The process by which water vapour becomes liquid, such as when water form a cloud.

Cone –Relief- (Cono volcánico): A steep conical hill formed by the lava flow of volcanic eruptions.

Continent (Continente): One of the Earth’s great land masses.

Continental crust: (Corteza continental): The Earth’s crust beneath the continents.

Continental drift (Deriva continental): The slow movement of tectonic plates on the Earth’s crust, which caused the continents to move apart over millions of years.

Continental shelf (Plataforma continental): A great underwater Plateau that surrounds a  continent, and is usually less than 200 metres deep.

Continental slope (Talud continental): The sloping terrain between a continental shelf and an abyssal plain.

Contour line (Curva de nivel): A line on a map joining points of equal height.

Convectional rain (Lluvia convectiva): A tipe of precipitation found mostly in the tropics where the Sun causes the air to heat up and rise. It then cools, the water vapour condenses and heavy rain storms occur.

Core (Núcleo): The Earth’s centre which is extremely hot, consisting of a solid inner core and a liquid outer core.

Crater (Cráter): A flat circular depression around a volcanic vent, formed by a volcanic eruption

Crust (Corteza): The solid, outer part of the Earth’s surface.

Deciduous tree (Árbol de hoja caduca): A tree which loses its leaves in the autom., such as the oak tree.

Deforestation (Deforestación): The destruction of the forest when trees are cut down in order to make use of the land.

Deposition (Deposición): Process in which eroded and transported Rocks, sand and mud are eventually dropped in lower areas.

Depression –Weather- (Depresión atmosférica):  An area of low atmospheric pressure, giving rise to storms.

Desert (Desierto): A landscape that receives very little precipitation, and where only a few plants, like cactuses, can grow.

Drought (Sequía): An extended period of very low rainfall, causing water shortages.

Dune (Duna): A mound of sand found in deserts and oceans, created by the wind.

Earthquake (Terremoto): The shaking of the Earth's crust along the boundaries of tectonic plates, when they slide against each other.

Elliptical (Elíptico): Shaped liked an oval, or flat circle.

Epicentre (Epicentro): The point on the Earth's surface where an earthquake is at its strongest, directly above the focus.

Equator (Ecuador): The parallel at 0º latitude that separates the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

Erosion (Erosión): The natural process by which the Earth's rocks and soil are worn down and carried away.

Evaporation (Evaporación): The process during which liquid water turns into water vapour.

Evapotranspiration (Evapotranspiración): The sum of the transport of water into the atmosphere by evaporation and plant transpiration.

Exosphere (Exosfera): The highest layer of the Earth's atmosphere.

Fault (Falla): A crack in the Earth's crust as a result of pressures from beneath the Earth's surface.

Focus -or hypocentre- (Foco o hipocentro): The point below the Earth's surface where seismic waves are released during an earthquake.

Fold (Plegamiento): A bend in rock layers as a result of pressures from beneath the Earth's surface.

Footwall (Bloque de falla): The block of land lying underneath a fault on the Earth's surface.

Forest floor (Tapiz vegetal): The soil surface of a forest, qhere shrubs, ferns and fungi grow.

Fossil (Fósil): The remains of an ancient organism that was preserved and then became hard.

Fresh water (Agua dulce): The water at the polar regions and in glaciers, lakes or rivers, representing about 3% of the earth's water.

Front (Frente): The line of separation between air masses.

Frontal rain (Lluvia frontal o ciclónica): A type of precipitation found in temperate zones and happens when a mass of cold air meets a mass of warm air. The warm air rises and cools, the water vapour condenses and raindrops form.

Galaxy (Galaxia): A large system of stars, gas and dust gravitationally bound together.

Geographic coordinates (Coordenadas geográficas): The location of a place, at the point where a parallel and meridian cross each other.

Geology (Geología): The scientific study of the materials that make up the solid part of the Earth.

GIS (SIG): A Geographic Information System (GIS) brings together and analyses all types of geographic data.

Global warming (Calentamiento global): The increase in Earth's average temperature.

Greenhouse effect (Efecto invernadero): The process in which, due to increased levels of carbon dioxide combining with water vapour in the atmosphere, heat is trapped on the Earth's surface.

Groundwater (Aguas subterráneas): Water that is found under the Earth's surface.

Hemisphere (Hemisferio): One half of the terrestrial globe, separated by the Equator.

Hurricane (Huracán): A very strong wind, accompanied by torrential rain.

Hydrograph (Hidrograma): A chart that shows how much water or sediment a river carries in one year.

Hydrosphere (Hidrosfera): The mass of water on Earth, including seas, rivers, groundwater and water vapour.

Ice Age (Edad del hielo): One of several periods in the Earth's history when temperatures were very low, and much of the Earth's surface was covered with ice.

Internal force (Fuerzas internas) Preassure inside the Earth, that moves, pushes up or pushes down areas of land on the Earth's surface.

International Date Line (Línea internacional de cambio de fecha): The meridian at 180º longitude, on the opposite side of the Earth to the Prime Meridian. The date moves forward or back by a day when crossing this line.

Island (Isla): An area of land that is completly surrounded by water.

Isobar (Isobara): A line on a weather map that connects places with the same atmospheric pressure.

Isohyet (Isoyeta): A line on a weather map that connects places with the same amount of precipitation.

Isotherm (Isoterma): A line on a weather map that connects places with the same temperature.

Jet stream (Corriente de chorro): A current of cold air that crosses Europe between the cold and temperate zones.

Key (Leyenda): A table of symbols on a map that represents the geographical features of the land.

Lake (Lago): A large body of water sorrounded by land contained in an inland basin.

Landform (Elemento del relieve): A physical feature of the terrain, like a mountain, valley or peninsula.

Latitude (Latitud): The distance between a point on the Earth's surface and the Equator.

Lava (Lava): The hot liquid rock that flows out of a volcano, before cooling and becoming solid.

Leap year (Año bisiesto): A year with 366 days, occurring every four years.

Lithosphere (Litosfera): The solid, rocky covering of the Earth's surface.

Longitude (Longitud): The distance between a point on the Earth's surface and the Prime Meridian.

Magma (Magma): The hot liquid rock that is found beneath the Earth's surface.

Mangrove forest (Manglar): A coastal seawater habitat in the tropics, where the vegetation includes mangrove trees, which have adapted to a seawater environment.

Mantle (Manto): The hot layer between the Earth's crust and core.

Map (Mapa): A representation of all, or part, of the Earth on a flat surface.

Massif (Macizo): A large mass of mountains.

Meander (Meandro): A bend in a river.

Meridian (Meridiano): An imaginary line that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole.

Mesosphere (Mesosfera): The layer of the Earth's atmosphere between the stratosphere and the thermosphere.

Meteor (Meteoro): A small rocky body that burns as it enters the Earth's atmosphere.

Meteorology (Meteorología): The scientific study of the atmosphere, climate and weather.

Milky Way (Vía Láctea): The galaxy where we live.

Monsoon (Monzón): A wind that blows towards the Asian continent in summer, causing heavy rainfall and flooding.

Moon (Luna): The Earth's natural satellite.

Mountain (Montaña): A natural elevation on the Earth's surface that is higher than a hill.

Mountain range (Cadena montañosa): A group or chain of mountains that are close together.

Ocean (Océano): A huge mass of saltwater that separates two or more continents: 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by oceans.

Ocean current (Corriente oceánica): A large mass of water that moves across an ocean.

Ocean ridge (Cordillera oceánica): A raised area on the ocean floor that is an underwater mountain chain.

Oceanic crust (Corteza oceánica): The Earth's crust beneath the oceans.

Orbit (Órbita):

                                      1. The movement of a planet around a star, or the movement   of a satellite around a planet.

                                      2. To revolve around.

Ozone layer (Capa de ozono): A layer of gas in the stratosphere that absorbs the Sun's radiation.

Pangea (Pangea): A single supercontinent that included all the Earth's land masses around 200 million years ago.

Parallel (Paralelo): Any of the imaginary lines that runs East to West around the Earth.

Peninsula (Península): An area of land that is mainly surrounded by water, but is connected to the continent.

Perennial tree (Arbol de hoja perenne): A tree that doesn't lose its leaves in the autum.

Permafrost (Permafrost): Soil that is frozen all year round, found in Polar regions.

Plain (Llanura): A low flat area.

Plan (Plano): A detailed, large-scale map of a small area, like a town or neighbourhood.

Planet (Planeta): A solid body that orbits the Sun and does not emit its own light.

Plateau (Meseta): A high flat area that has been formed by the erosion of mountains.

Pluviometer -Rain Gauge- (Pluviómetro): An instrument for measuring the amount of precipitation in a place during a specific period.

Polar region (Región polar): One of the two regions between the polar circles and the poles, which receive little solar energy.

Precipitation (Precipitación): The amount of water that falls in a place, as rain, snow or hail.

Prime Meridian (Meridiano cero): The meridian, at 0º longitude, that is the reference point for all other meridians. It is also called the Greenwich Meridian.

Projection (Proyección): The technique by which we represent three-dimensional objects on the flat surface of a map.

Rainforest (Selva): A dense forest found in tropical areas with high rainfall.

Relief (Relieve): The shape of the Earth's surface.

Relief rain (Lluvia orográfica): A type of precipitation found in mountainous areas, when a mass of moving air meets a mountain and is pushed upwards.

Remote sensing (Teledetección): The gathering of information at far away places from aeroplanes or satellites, which is then processed by a computer and converted into digital images.

Revolution -The Earth's- (Traslación): The Earth's orbit around the sun is called revolution, and takes 365,25 days.

Richter Scale (Escala Richter): A scale from 1 to 10 that expresses the force of an earthquake.

Rift Valley ( Valle del Rift): A long valley in the East of Africa formed by a geological rift, or fault.

River (Río): A continuously flowing current of water that flows into the sea, a lake or another river.

River regime (Régimen fluvial): The characteristics of a river's flow over a year.

Rotation -The Earth's- (Rotación): The spinning movement of the Earth on its axis, which takes 24 hours to complete.

Salinity (Salinidad): A proportion of salt dissolved in a solution.

Saltwater (Agua salada): The water found in oceans and seas, with a high concentration of dissolved salts that represents around 97% of the Earth's water.

Satellite (Satélite): A solid body, artificial or natural, that orbits a planet and does not emit its own light. The Moon is Earth's natural satellite.

Satellite images (Imágenes por satélite): Photographs taken from an artificial satellite in space, which are used to study meteorological phenomena or observe landscape.

Savannah (Sabana): A grassland that has very tall grass during the rainy season, as well as shrubs and a few widely spaced trees.

Scale (Escala): The ratio between a distance on the ground and its representation on a map.

Sediment (Sedimento): A natural material, like sand or clay, that is eroded and then transported by water or wind.

Sedimentary rock (Roca sedimentaria): Rock that has formed by the deposition and solidification of sediment.

Seismograph (Sismógrafo): An instrument for detecting and measuring earthquakes and seismic activity.

Sewage (Aguas residuales): Waste matter that is carried away by water.

Shield (Escudo): A large flat area of the Earth's crust, composed of ancient rocks.

Star (Estrella): A celestial body that releases energy in the form of heat and light, such as the Sun.

Strata (Estrato): Layers of sedimentary rock, which gradually accumulate at the Earth's surface.

Summit (Cima): The highest point of a mountain.

Sun (Sol): The medium-sized star in the Milky Way that Earth orbits.

Syncline (Sinclinal): A fold in the Earth's surface, where the rock layers bend downwards.

Taiga (Taiga): A biome of coniferous forests found in continental climates, South of the Arctic tundra.

Tectonic plate (Placa tectónica): One of the huge plates that make up the Earth's crust, and slowly slide towards or away from each other.

Temperature (Temperatura): A measure of how hot a place is. A thermometer is used to measure temperature.

Temperate zone (Zona templada): The climate found in the area between the tropics and the polar circles in each hemisphere.

Thematic map (Mapa temático): A map that shows a specific feature of an area, such as climate, economic activities or natural resources.

Thermometer (Termómetro): An instrument for measuring temperature, usually expressed in degrees centigrade (ºC).

Thermosphere (Termosfera): The layer of the Earth's atmosphere between the mesosphere and the exosphere.

Tide (Marea): The daily rise and fall of sea levels, caused by the gravitational influence of the Moon and the Sun.

Tilt -the Earth's- (Inclinación del eje terrestre): The inclination of the Earth's axis as it rotates (23,5º).

Time zone (Zona horaria): One of 24 division longitude (15º across). There is a difference of one hour between each time zone.

Topographic map (Mapa topográfico): A map that shows the main natural and man-made features of an area, such as mountains, towns and roads.

Topographic profile (Perfil topográfico, corte topográfico): A representation of the different altitudes along a line drawn on a topographic map.

Transportation (Transporte): The movement of eroded material by the sea, rivers, ice or the wind.

Tremor (Temblor): A very small earthquake, often imperceptible to human beings.

Trench (Fosa oceánica): A deep crack on the ocean floor.

Tributary (Afluente): A river that flows into another river.

Tropics (Trópicos): The area between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, where the greatest amount of solar energy reaches the Earth's surface.

Troposphere (Troposfera): The lowest layer of the Earth's atmosphere.

Tsunami (Tsunami): A huge tidal wave caused by an earthquake on the ocean floor.

Tundra (Tundra): A vast area near the Artic Ocean in the Northern Hemisphere with permanently frozen subsoil.

U-shaped valley (Valle o Artesa glaciar): A valley formed by glacial erosion, shaped like the letter 'U'.

Vent (Chimenea volcánica): The main channel of a volcano.

Virtual map (Mapa virtual): A mapcreated on a computer which may be three-dimensional.

Volcanic eruption (Erupción volcánica): The sudden expulsion of hot rocks, ash and gases from a volcano.

Volcano (Volcán): A crack in the Earth's crust through which magma and gases are ejected.

Volume -River- (Caudal): The volume of water flow in a river over a certain period of time.

V-shaped valley (Valle fluvial): A valley formed by the flow of a river, shaped like the letter 'V'.

Water cycle (Ciclo del agua): The continuous movement of the water on Earth as it flows between the atmosphere, oceans and continents.

Wave (Ola) The circular movement of water on the surface of oceans and seas, caused by the wind.

Weather (Clima) The meteorological conditions in a place at a specific time.

Weather chart (Mapa del tiempo): A chart that shows atmospheric conditions and is used to make weather forecasts.

Weather vane (Veleta): An instrument that indicates the direction of wind.

Wetlands (Humedales): Areas of land, such as marshes, that are partly covered by water.

Wind (Viento): The movement of air masses from high pressure areas to low pressure areas.