Balearic PAU Geology & Env Sci study plan

Diagram Earth's internal layered structure (crust, mantle, outer and inner core) from seismic-wave evidence, and explain how P- and S-wave behaviour and the Moho and Gutenberg discontinuities constrain layer boundaries.

Compare divergent, convergent and transform plate boundaries, and predict for each the associated seismicity, volcanism and relief using at least two real examples per boundary type.

Explain the driving mechanisms of plate motion (ridge push, slab pull, mantle convection) and evaluate which mechanism dominates, citing evidence such as slab-pull magnitude versus ridge-push estimates.

Relate magma generation settings (decompression melting at ridges, flux melting at subduction zones, hot-spot melting) to resulting magma composition and eruption style.

Classify igneous rocks by texture and silica content, and link each class to its cooling history and tectonic setting.

Distinguish the main metamorphic facies and grade them along a pressure-temperature path, explaining how foliation develops.

Interpret folds, faults and joints from descriptive criteria (dip, strike, hanging-wall movement) and infer the stress regime that produced each structure.

Explain isostasy and how crustal thickness and density changes produce uplift and subsidence at convergent margins.

Identify the common rock-forming minerals by diagnostic properties (cleavage, hardness, lustre, streak) and place them in Bowen's reaction series.

Trace the rock cycle and explain how each transition (melting, weathering, lithification, metamorphism) is driven by internal or external energy.

Construct a relative and absolute geological timescale, and apply the principles of superposition, cross-cutting relationships and faunal succession to order events.

Explain radiometric dating, including the choice of isotope system for a given material and the meaning of half-life and closure temperature.

Interpret a simple stratigraphic column or sea-level curve to reconstruct a paleoenvironment.

Explain the atmospheric vertical structure and the global circulation cells, and relate them to prevailing wind belts and pressure zones.

Quantify the planetary radiation balance (incoming shortwave, reflected albedo, outgoing longwave) and use the greenhouse effect to explain surface temperature.

Distinguish natural from anthropogenic radiative forcing and list the main greenhouse gases with their relative contributions and residence times.

Describe the water cycle budget and compare surface-water and groundwater storage, recharge and residence times.

Explain aquifer types, porosity and permeability, and interpret a water table and a simple flow net.

Explain soil formation as the interaction of parent material, climate, organisms, relief and time, and classify soils by profile horizons.

Describe soil degradation processes (erosion, salinisation, compaction, loss of organic matter) and propose a management measure for each.

Relate biodiversity patterns to climate, habitat heterogeneity and island biogeography, and explain ecosystem services with examples.

Analyse a hydrological risk scenario (flood or drought) and identify the physical and human factors that amplify it.

Explain groundwater over-abstraction consequences, including saline intrusion in coastal aquifers.

Compare volcanic hazard types (lava flows, pyroclastic flows, ash fall, lahars) and match each to eruption style and magma viscosity.

Explain seismic hazard in terms of magnitude, intensity, site amplification and building vulnerability, and distinguish magnitude from intensity.

Analyse slope-stability factors (lithology, slope angle, water content, vegetation) and predict failure type for a described slope.

Evaluate coastal and fluvial hazards (erosion, storm surge, flash flooding, channel migration) and rank mitigation options by effectiveness.

Classify pollutants by source and medium, and explain the main air- and water-pollution mechanisms, including acid deposition, eutrophication and photochemical smog.

Outline waste-management hierarchies and compare landfill, recycling and energy-recovery options by environmental impact.

Explain the purpose and structure of an environmental impact assessment, including scoping, baseline study, impact prediction and mitigation.

Describe the Balearic Islands' geological setting: the Alpine fold-and-thrust belt, the two island groups (Gimnesian and Pityusic), and the dominant lithologies (limestone, dolomite, marl, evaporite).

Relate karstic and coastal systems of the islands to aquifer behaviour, cliff retreat and beach dynamics, and identify island-specific hazards such as wildfire, flash flood and saline intrusion.

Consolidate the heaviest domains (1, 4, 5) by re-deriving the key diagrams and calculations from memory without notes.

Answer 40 mixed practice questions under timed conditions and log every error by domain and error type.

Re-teach the three weakest sub-topics aloud or in writing, using worked examples rather than summaries.

Integrate cross-domain links (e.g. climate forcing to hydrological risk, regional geology to hazard) into short written answers.