Section 2 - Western desert case study Flashcards
Name 4 opportunities in the desert
- Farming
- Mineral extraction
- Energy
- Tourism
Why is the western desert ideal for farming
It has lots of sunlight and high temperatures
What % of the economy is farming here worth
10%
What metals are often mined in the desert
Copper, lead, zinc
How do farmers get water to farm
The western desert has lots aquifers (underground water) so once they dig wells its easy to extract
How many jobs does solar power provide
360
How many homes does solar power provide for
100,000
What is the name of the Hydorelectric dam
Hoover dam
How many people visit the desert each year
37 million
What are the 2 lakes called
Lake Mead and Lake Powell
Why do people like to visit the desert
Because of its natural beauty and fun lake activities such as sailing and power boarding
Where does the Hoover dam get its water from
Lake Mead
How many jobs did the Hoover dam create
5,000
How many oil production sights are there
25 sights with 100 employees
How much money did the oil industry make
$15 million
How is farming in the western desert challenging
High temperatures make it difficult to work outside sometimes and also causes shortage of water due to evaporation
How is water supply hard to maintain in the western desert
With high evaporation rates and low precipitation, it is often difficult to have a surplus amount of water. Howevver, this is why they built the hoover dam
How much rainfall does the desert get each year
55mm
How much money does the Hoover dam make
$1.5 billion
What is are 2 challenges of the western desert
- Extreme temperatures evaporate water and make work difficult
- The desert is hard to access due to unsurfaced roads meaning transport links are bad
What is the main road in the western desert
route 66
