Monoculture Definition The term “Monoculture,” in the fields of farming and agriculture, refers to a cultivation system that comprises only one organism. For instance, an entire crop field that only grows carrots. In a monoculture, there is no symbiosis between different species. As a result, there isn’t any comingling with other organisms. In fact, for…

Time Stratigraphic Unit Definition A Time Stratigraphic Unit, or a Chronostratigraphic Unit, is a rock unit that is characterized by geological formations, during a specific period of time. This serves as a reference for all rocks formed during the same time period.

Hardpan (Caliche) “Hardpan” is a highly dense and solid layer of soil near the ground surface, which is usually comprised of clay or silty-clay soils. Hardpan forms by cementation over time, during the process of precipitation of insoluble substances such as calcium carbonates, silica, iron oxides, and other organic matter. “Hardpan” is a term mostly…

Hydraulic Conductivity (K) “Hydraulic Conductivity” (K), in hydrogeology and hydrology, represents the capacity of a porous medium (such as soil) to transmit water, as per Darcy’s Law. To illustrate, the rate at which fluid can move through a permeable medium (such as soil), depends on the properties of that soil (such as intrinsic permeability) and…

Seiche Definition The term “Seiche” in geology refers to a wave-oscillation, that comes from any surface body of water, that is initiated by an earthquake or changes in atmospheric pressure. For instance, the rippling waters of a lake or at the bay of an ocean.