Development of Hot Deserts Flashcards

All 8 cards in this deck

Name one mineral extracted in the Western Desert (USA) and a mine where it is extracted.

Copper, at the Morenci mine in Arizona, one of the largest copper mines in North America.

Give two sources of energy developed in the Western Desert (USA).

Hydro-electric power from the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, and solar power such as the Sonoran Solar Project in Arizona.

How is commercial farming made possible in the Western Desert (USA)?

By irrigation with water from the Colorado River, e.g. the All-American Canal supplying the Imperial Valley, which grows salad crops and fruit.

Give two tourist attractions that bring development to the Western Desert (USA).

Las Vegas hotels and casinos, and the Grand Canyon; Lake Mead also attracts water sports.

Give one way extreme temperatures make developing a hot desert difficult.

Summer temperatures over 40°C make outdoor work dangerous, so buildings, vehicles and mines need costly air conditioning and extra water.

Give one reason water supply is a challenge to development in the Western Desert (USA).

Rainfall is under 250 mm a year, and demand from cities, irrigated farms and tourism over-abstracts the Colorado River — Lake Mead's level has fallen sharply.

Give one way inaccessibility limits development in a hot desert.

Huge distances with few roads or railways make reaching remote mines and settlements slow and expensive, and heat, sand and flash floods damage routes.

Give one argument that the opportunities in the Western Desert (USA) outweigh the challenges.

Technology such as dams, canals and air conditioning has allowed Las Vegas, large irrigated farms and copper mining to thrive — though all depend on the over-used Colorado River.