The Himalayan mountain is a collection of mountains in Asia, sometimes referred to as the ‘Himalayas’ or ‘the abode of Snow’ in Sanskrit. These mountains form a huge range of mountains which surround the western and southern edges of the Tibetan plateau. Himalayan Mountains separate the plains of the Indian subcontinent from those of the…
First and foremost, rain is a form of precipitation that involves a downpour of condensed, super-cooled vapor as droplets of liquid water under the influence of gravity. Each droplet of water is usually greater than 0.02 inches (0.5mm) in diameter. Raindrops range in size up to about 0.13 inches (about 3mm) and the rate of…
A plateau is defined as a flat and elevated landform rising sharply above the underlying area on at least a single side. The term plateau is also applied when referring to a structural earth’s surface such as Spain’s Meseta, which is, in this case, a tectonic plateau. Being found in every continent, plateaus occupy one-third…
Stretching for 4,300 miles along South America’s western coast and spanning up to about 430 miles in width, the Andes are the world’s longest mountain range. They are also the highest mountain range outside of Asia, with the highest point being 22,838 feet. The climate varies across the mountain range as it stretches from the…
Virtually all animals and plants need water, light, air, and nutrition to grow and survive. Green plants get their nutrition through a complex chemical process known as photosynthesis. So, what is photosynthesis? Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants and certain microorganisms use the energy from the sun to produce sugar. Water and Carbon…
Infiltration refers to the process where precipitation or water infuses into subsurface soils, is absorbed by the soil and travels deeper through pore spaces and cracks into rocks. The bulk of water collected from melted snow and rain end up infiltrated. Where exactly does it reach in the ground? Water is often soaked up by the…
Choosing the right college is a critical decision that influences the rest of your life. Not only does it determine your career but it could also shape your personality and set the course of your life. Especially in a country as vast as the US, the bigger question would be which one to choose from…
In daily life situation, the term consumer could mean someone who buys goods and producer might refer to a factory that manufactures the goods. The general concept is the same in biology, but the specifics are somewhat different. In biology, producers and consumers refer to living organisms. While producers manufacture their own food, consumers get…
Water is arguably the most powerful tool for erosion, thanks to its great ability to move objects from one location to another. So, water erosion is the detachment and transport of soil material by water. This process could be natural or facilitated by human activity. For example, when humans cut down too many trees and…
Mechanical weathering is the process through which large rocks are broken into increasingly smaller pieces. Sometimes referred to as physical weathering, the process normally happens near the Earth’s surface. Can you believe that the tiny sand grains you see at the beach were once part of massive rocks? It involves mechanical processes that disintegrate a rock,…
Phosphorous is a crucial nutrient for plants and animals. For instance, it forms an integral component of genes and also plays a significant role in the Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) energy cycle. Without phosphorous, you wouldn’t be able to contract your muscles. The phosphorus cycle refers to the biogeochemical cycle by which phosphorous moves through the…
The biosphere is also known as ecosphere. It is the worldwide sum of all ecosystems, incorporating all life forms and their relationships, which includes their interactions with the elements of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere. Simply put, the biosphere is the space on or near the Earth’s surface where land, air, and water interact with…
The Earth has four main spheres. Hydrosphere is of them. It is the water component of the Earth. In other words, all of the water found on Earth is known as Hydrosphere. Estimated to be about 361740000 square kilometers, the hydrosphere covers 70.8% of the earth. It encompasses all water bodies, icebergs, as well as…
A food chain contains several trophic levels. These trophic levels separate various types of organisms. A tertiary consumer is a fourth trophic level after producers, primary consumers, and secondary consumers. Tertiary consumers eat primary and secondary consumers as their main source of food. These organisms are sometimes referred to as apex predators as they are…
Secondary consumers occupy the third trophic level in a typical food chain. They are organisms that feed on primary consumers for nutrients and energy. While primary consumers are always herbivores; organisms that only feed on autotrophic plants, secondary consumers can be carnivores or omnivores. Carnivores eat only animals, but omnivores eat both animals and plants….