Chapter 21 Southwest Asia Notes Middle East Harsh

Chapter 21 Southwest Asia Notes (Middle East) Harsh & Arid Lands

Section 1 Landforms & Resources

Sulemaniye Mosque Turkey

Syria Damascus Umayyad Mosque

Parliament Square in Beirut Lebanon

Tel Aviv Dead Sea Salt Beds Negev Desert Israel Dome of the Rock

Jordan Abdullah Mosque Amman One of the new 7 wonders of the world Petra King Abdullah II

Saddam Hussein Iraq Bombing of Baghdad Tigris River

King Fahd Empty Quarter Saudi Arabia

Iran Shahid Motahari Mosque Tehran

Sanaa Yemen

Mosque Oman Sultan’s Palace

Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates

Museum Doha Qatar Desert

Kuwait Water Towers Kuwait City Oil wells on fire

Section 1 - Landforms & Resources • Peninsulas & Waterways– Peninsula- area of land that is almost completely surrounded by water, except for a small portion connecting it to the mainland – Strait- narrow body of water connecting 2 larger bodies of water

Section 1 - Landforms & Resources • Suez Canal- artificial waterway between the Mediterranean Sea & the Red Sea

Section 1 - Landforms & Resources • Arabian Peninsula- very dry, sandy, & windy – Wadis- riverbeds that remain dry except for the rainy season.

Section 1 - Landforms & Resources • Water is the most important resource in this region – Tigris & Euphrates river valleys supported several ancient societies

Section 1 - Landforms & Resources • Jordan River- provides a natural boundary for Israel & Jordan – Flows into the Dead Sea

Section 1 - Landforms & Resources • Dead Sea- landlocked salt lake – So salty that only bacteria lives in it – Lowest place on the exposed surface of the earth. • 1349 feet below sea level

Section 1 - Landforms & Resources • Oil– Largest reserves in the world (1/2 of all known reserves) – Most prominent resource – Water is still most valuable resource in SW Asia

Section 2 - Climate & Vegetation • Rub Al-Khali (the empty quarter)– Size of Texas – One of largest sandy deserts in world – Surface temps, can reach 150° – 10 years may pass w/out rain

Section 2 - Climate & Vegetation • Salt Flat- flat land made of chemical salts that remain after winds evaporate the moisture in the soil – Common in Iran – Usually uninhabited

Pamukkale is one of the extraordinary natural wonders of Turkey. The great attraction is the white immensity of the cliffs with sculptured basins full of water and congealed waterfalls; they seem done of snow, cloud, or cotton.

The scientific explanation is the hot thermal places that lie under the mount provoke the calcium carbonate spill, that makes the forms as solid as travertino marble.

One can bathe there; the Turks call this place PAMUKKALE, which means "Castle of Cotton".

It is a protecting landscape that fascinates, as the action of the mineral waters that contains calcium oxides left fantastic marks in the structures.

The resultant effect is spectacular: the waters spill on a series of steps, forming solid cascades and pools.

The cascades of calcium carbonate as well as the water itself changes colors in accordance with changes of the solar light that illuminates them, and the effect is breathtaking.

At times white, others blue, or green or other colors. The spectacle is amazing.

The continuous dynamics of the erosion and the transformation of the natural landscape result in an unusual environment.

PAMUKKALE is one of the most unique phenomena in nature.

Section 3 - Human-Environment Interaction • Fresh water supplies are available only in small amounts • Dams are very controversial in this region as they affect multiple countries at once.

Section 3 - Human-Environment Interaction • Water Conservation is a major priority in SW Asia – Drip Irrigation- practice of using small pipes that slowly drip water just above ground

Section 3 - Human-Environment Interaction – Desalinization- removal of salt from ocean water • Very expensive • Can’t meet all needs

Section 3 - Human-Environment Interaction – Fossil Water- water pumped from underground aquifers – Little chance of being refilled in this area because of little rainfall

Section 3 - Human-Environment Interaction • Petroleum- remains of plants & animals, formed from pressure & heat over millions of years. – Oil is not in big pools under the ground, it is trapped in the pores of rocks. – Taken out of ground by pressure

Section 3 - Human-Environment Interaction • Crude Oil- petroleum that has not been processed • Refinery- converts crude oil into useful products like gasoline & kerosene

Section 3 - Human. Environment Interaction • Oil Spills are a risk when transporting oil in narrow straits or around reefs – Largest in U. S. History is the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989