Western Desert USA Flashcards
(6 cards)
What opportunity does tourism bring to the desert
Limited reliance on the weather
Positive multiplier effect
37 million annual tourists
Grand Canyon and Joshua tree national park
What oppurtunity does farming bring to the desert
Crops grown e.g. lemons and grapes
Wells installed to reduce lack of water
300 growing days a year, high temperatures and long sunlight hours
Heat and lack of water make farming a risky profession
Irrigation could solve many problems
How does energy provide opportunity for the desert
Water relying projects e.g. the Sonoran project in Arizona, which provides energy for 100,000 homes, combats sustainability issues
HED’s, e.g. the Hoover Dam, which provides energy for Las Vegas, however causing major environmental and biodiversity problems
How does mineral extraction provide opportunity to the desert
25 Arizonan oil sites, providing $50m.
Desert is rich in coal, lead, zinc, copper, and uranium.
Multiplier effect
Water required for major mining sites, so limited resources for major projects
How does extreme temperature prove to be a limiting factor in the desert
Death Valley received the hottest USA temperature of all time in 1913 with 57 degrees
Scarce water supplies mixed with hot temperatures make working long hours challenging
Many deaths as a result
Less productivity as too hot to work long hours
Low carrying capacity (less people able to live there)
How does lack of water prove to be a limiting factor in the desert
Colorado river provides much of the deserts water
Greater phoenix area projected to be populated at 28 million by 2050 as compared to its current population of 4 million
