Case Study Mojave

Question 1

where is the Mojave desert

Answer 1

• south west of the USA
• California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona
• 124000km2

Question 2

what is the physical geography of the Mojave desert like?

Answer 2

• highest elevation is over 3000m
• lowest point is 86m below sea level

Question 3

what is the climate like in the Mojave desert

Answer 3

• rainfall is less that 140mm
• summer has temperatures of 50 degrees
• winter has temperatures c of -7 degrees
• strong winds

Question 4

what is the drainage like in the Mojave desert

Answer 4

• small number of exogenous rivers, Colorado river

Question 5

what is the settlements like in the Mojave desert?

Answer 5

• sparsely populated with a few large cities like Las Vegas, with a population of 2 million

Question 6

what is the landscape of the Mojave desert

Answer 6

• granitic mountain range is subject to weathering
  > thermal fracture leading to granular disintegration and exfoliation of the crystalline rocks

Question 7

what is the alluvial fan in the Mojave desert?

Answer 7

• Lucy Gray Fan: alluvial fan
  >north of Mojave National preserve

Question 8

what is the inselberg and pediment in the Mojave desert?

Answer 8

• Cima Dome: pediment and inselberg
  >isolated rounded granite inselbergs
  > due to erosion and weathering

Question 9

what is the sand dunes in the Mojave?

Answer 9

• Kelso Dunes
  > mix of mobile and stabilised dunes
  > tallest is 200, above the desert floor

Question 9

what is the playa in the Mojave desert?

Answer 9

• Soda Lake: playa
  > largest playa, 150 km2
  > west of the Mojave national preserve
  > clays and muds are washed into the basin by the Mojave river and spring
  > during summer, salt crusts develop
  > during the winter, storms increase the discharge into the lake