Mojave desert (case study)

Question 1

What is the highest recorded temperature in the Mojave?

Answer 1

56.7 C

Question 2

How much rain is there on average per year?

Answer 2

12cm

Question 3

How much has lake mead decreased in the past 10 years

Answer 3

4 trillion galleons less

Question 4

Where is the Mojave desert?

Answer 4

In the southwest of the USA, taking up Western California as well as parts of Nevada, Utah, and Arizona.

Question 5

Why is transport difficult in the Mojave?

Answer 5

There is only one major road (Interstate 15)

Question 6

Where do the people in the Mojave get water?

Answer 6

-Groundwater
-Mojave River
-Colorado river

Question 7

What are the 4 opportunities in the Mojave desert?

Answer 7

• Mineral extraction
• Farming
• Energy production
• Tourism

Question 8

Facts about mineral extraction in the Mojave (opportunity)

Answer 8

• Copper, lead, silver, gold, zinc, tungsten, and volcanic cinders were all mined in the Mojave in the 20th century.
  -It earned the miners millions of dollars

Question 9

Facts about farming in the Mojave (opportunity)

Answer 9

• Water is sourced from groundwater, Colorado River, and Mojave river.
• Lots of sunshine make groups grow easily
• Since the USA is a HIC, infrastructure to supply crops with water can easily be built
• Farming is very profitable
• Farming causes lots of soil erosion and uses lots of water (up to 80% of the supply)

Question 10

Facts about energy production in the Mojave (opportunity)

Answer 10

• Energy is produced by a variety of methods: Wind, Solar, Hydroelectric, Fossil fuels

Question 11

How is wind energy farmed in the Mojave? (opportunity)

Answer 11

• The vast open space means wind travels very far, making the desert perfect for wind generation.
• The Mojave wind farm is the largest wind farm in the USA and is the 3rd largest onshore wind farm in the world. It has 600 turbines.

Question 12

How is hydroelectric energy farmed in the Mojave? (opportunity)

Answer 12

• The large rivers in the region, such as the Colorado River and the Mojave river mean some people can use hydroelectric power.
• The Hoover dam supplies electricity to 8 million people across California, Arizona and nevada. The dam also formed the lake mead reservoir, which acts as a water store for the area.

Question 13

How are fossil fuels used for energy in the Mojave? (opportunity)

Answer 13

• Oil drilling has taken place in the Mojave for over a century.
• The oil drilling company, Navajo Nation Oil and Gas Company provides hundreds of jobs to the local people.

Question 14

Facts about tourism in the Mojave (opportunity)

Answer 14

• National parks offer wild scenery
• The grand canyon, death valley, and Joshua tree attract lots of tourists
• Las Vegas attracts over 37 million annual visitors
• Lake Mead and Lake Powell attract 2 million people per year for sailing, power boating, water skiing, and fishing.

Question 15

What are the 3 challenges in the Mojave?

Answer 15

• Extreme temperatures
• Water supply
• Inaccessibility

Question 16

Facts about Extreme temperatures

Answer 16

• Average of 12 cm of rain per year
• Temperatures up to 50 degrees celcius

Question 17

Facts about water supply

Answer 17

• Lake Mead took 6 years to fill thanks to vast size and lack of water
• 4 trillion gallons less water in Lake Mead than in the last decade.

Question 18

Facts about inaccessibility

Answer 18

• Los Angeles is 260 miles away
• Nearest smaller city 200 miles away.
• Reached by Interstate 15 (only major road through Mojave)
• Fibre optic cables through desert to connect cities

Question 19

Facts about managing water supply

Answer 19

• Colorado river has been diverted to supply water to Las Vegas
• The Hoover Dam has created Lake Mead which helps to store water during dry months.
• $15.5 billion scheme to pump groundwater from 260 miles away.

Question 20

Facts about managing inaccessibility

Answer 20

• McCarran International airport in Las Vegas serves 43 million passengers per year from its 4 runways and 2 passenger terminals.

Question 21

Issues with managing water supply

Answer 21

• As Lake Mead drains the pipes to Las Vegas will be above water levels in Lake Mead resulting in a $815 million rescue operation to cope with dropping water levels.

Question 22

Issues with managing inaccessibility

Answer 22

• The fibre optic cables disrupt the desert ecosystem and weeds are growing around them.