the western desert

where is it located? which deserts does it consist of?

• Southwest USA

• mojave, sonoran, chihuahah

name the opportunities in this desert

• agriculture: high temp + sunlight favourable for agriculture if aquifiers used as water supply (large stores of water beneath regions)- large aquifier based farming in coachella valley

• mineral extraction: desert rich in minerals e.g. coal, uranium. not all exploited bc. conflicts with other land uses and uranium dmgs env. e.g. uranium mining near grand canyon halted bc. havasupai people campaigned.

• energy extraction: daytime hours perfect for solar energy- sonoran solar project provides energy for 100000 homes and requires 360 workers. hydroelectric power also created e.g. hoover dam employed 5000 people

challenges in the western desert

• extreme temps: some places avoided e.g. mojave’s death valley that reaches 50 degrees celsius. to adapt, Cocopah people live in earth houses (wooden frame with clay and grass)

• water deficiency: water supply limited. to adapt: artificial lake blocked by Hoover dam which supplies water to 20 million people

• innaccesibility: low population density of less than 1 person per km square and lack of surfaced roads means some places hard to get to. BUT in 1900s better roads laid

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