Hot deserts Case Study

Question 1

Tourism in the Western Desert

Answer 1

• Grand Canyon
• Joshua Tree
• Colorado Museum
• Las Vegas
• Las Vegas attracts 37 million people annually
• Local Animals and cultures
• Native American heritage
• Sparsely populated
• Native American land cannot be built on
• Some areas are inhospitable

Question 2

Farming in the Western Desert

Answer 2

• Aquifer based Sonoran Desert
• Coachella Valley provides lush crops of vegetables, lemons, peppers, grapes and wine
• Lots of land available
• Large of stores of water beneath some hot desert regions, which can be brought to the surface by digging a well
• Hot conditions good for farming, lots of sunlight
• Expensive to irrigate, arid conditions
• Drought potential
• Too hot for some plants

Question 3

Mineral Extraction in the Western Desert

Answer 3

• Uranium Stores
• Copper, Lead, Zinc and Coal Stores
• Lots of land available
• Sparsely populated
• Uranium may be toxic, so may lead to toxic waste and the death of wildlife

Question 4

Energy Generation in the Western Desert

Answer 4

• Uranium Stores
• Coal Stores
• Lots of land available
• Sparsely populated
• Solar power due to the heat
• Uranium may be toxic, so may lead to toxic waste and the death of wildlife

Question 5

Inaccessibility in the Western Desert

Answer 5

• Lack of surfaced roads, so access is limited by main cities
• Route 70 through Utah
• Route 66 California to Chicago

Question 6

Water Supply in the Western Desert

Answer 6

• Demand has risen in cities such as Phoenix, Arizona
• Very low flow flow of the Colorado River between September and April, 13-times higher in mid-summer than in winter
• Aqueducts and dams very expensive
• 30 Million people depend on the Colorado River for water
• Hoover and Glen Canyon Dam
• Hoover Dam stores water in Lake Mead
• US $4 Billion Central Arizona Project

Question 7

Extreme Temperatures in the Western Desert

Answer 7

• Temperatures can soar to over 50 degrees Celsius
• High evaporation rates
• Traditional houses have which earth walls to keep them cool in the day and warm at night
• Whitewashed walls reflect sunlight

Question 8

Water and Soil Management

Answer 8

• Bunds are used in the Sahel and Middle East by constructing a series of low rock walls, following the contours of the land to interrupt the downslope flow of water.
• Stops the flow to allow it to soak into the soil and soil is deposited on the upslope.

Question 9

Tree Planting

Answer 9

• Trees’ roots bind the soil together, provide shade and protect the soil from the direct impact of torrential rain.
• Thar Desert, India plant specially adapted trees that provide foliage and seed pods for animals to eat and wood for fire and building.
• In 2007, the African Union launched the ‘Great Green Wall’ to plant trees across the edge of the Sahara to prevent desertification. 21 countries involved, 15 million hectares of land has been restored in Ethiopia alone.