Geography 2152F/G Lecture 11: Geo 2152 Reading 1 Questions
4 Feb 2019
School
Department
Course
Professor
GEOG 2152: Geography of Hazards
Reading #1 Review Questions
1. How have years of drought changed the soil in the region?
Three years of drought
2. Why is California’s Central Valley so important to U.S. agriculture?
The soil is rich in nutrients making it highly desirable to grow more than 300 different crops
(from rice to asparagus to pomegranates and oranges). There is reliable warm weather and large
flat surfaces for farmers to manage.
3. How do farmers in the region obtain water for their fields?
Surface water flows from the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers, or using groundwater.
4. Explain the importance of winter storms in the western United States.
Winter storms that allow snow to accumulate atop the region’s mountain ranges will act as a
water tower once the snow melts in the spring.
5. What trend has been noticed in the mountains of the western U.S. in recent decades?
Less snow is being accumulated and they are melting faster.
6. When a similar drought impacted Australia, how did that country respond?
Australian politicians instituted a system that guaranteed a minimum supply of water for the
environment, then divided the remaining supply of water into shares that can be traded or sold,
and also stored for next season.
7. Why might sugar beets be considered a lucrative farming alternative?
Sugar beets is less water intensive.
