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MaxineThe Dust Bowl was primarily caused by a combination of poor farming practices, prolonged drought, and the removal of native grasses that held the soil in place. Over-farming and extensive plowing of the Great Plains led to soil erosion and the formation of massive dust storms during the 1930s.
The Dust Bowl occurred in the Great Plains region from around 1934 to 1940, concurrent with the years of the Great Depression. In places like Oklahoma, many farmers gave up and left, and were referred to collectively as "Okies." They finally settled in camps in places like Bakersfield and Merced in Southern California.
The Dust Bowl was caused by the combination of a years-long drought and poor farming practices. The prairie grasses of the plains had been plowed under, making the soil susceptible to drying and wind erosion. The available irrigation methods were insufficient to maintain crops, so the loose soil turned to dust and blew away in many massive storms, creating desert-like dunes of dirt in some areas. A few individuals died in the storms, and many more lost their ability to grow food. Some of the storms carried dust eastward as far as the Atlantic Coast.
Improved practices include trees or hedges to edge fields, to break up the wind and catch flyaway dirt. Fields follow the terrain of the land when planting crops to reduce erosion. Farmers mix crops and leave fields fallow so they grow grasses and flowers (and even "weeds") which help hold the soil in place and keep organic matter in the soil. Certain plants like clover, alfalfa and crops like legumes (beans, peas), or trees like the acacia actually add nitrogen to the soil indirectly through nitrogen fixing bacteria that live on their roots. This naturally improves the quality of the soil without adding chemical fertilizer which easily washes away, or requires excessive watering.
The unstable temperatures of oceans and drought
The phenomenon was caused by severe drought coupled with decades of extensive farming without crop rotation, fallow fields, cover crops and other techniques to prevent erosion. Deep plowing of the virgin top soil of the Great Plains had killed the natural grasses that normally kept the soil in place and trapped moisture even during periods of drought and high winds
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What caused the dust bowl and what states were most affected by it?
The Dust Bowl was caused by an incredibly severe drought. The states most affected were Texas and Oklahoma.
Did congress start the dust bowl?
The Dust Bowl was primarily caused by a combination of natural drought conditions and poor farming practices, rather than actions of Congress. However, government policies and lack of regulation contributed to the severity of the disaster.
What natural factor caused the dust bowl?
The long drought conditions were just one of the causes for the Dust Bowl- overuse of the land and falling farm product prices also contributed to this disaster.
Why was a dust bowl worse than a dust storm?
Because the dust bowl is the SOURCE of the dust raised by a dust storm.
Which geographic area is most closely associated with the dust bowl of the 1930?
The dust bowl was caused by poor agricultural irrigation systems. It blanketed much of the US at the time and led a large migration to California. The lack of water made living conditions impossible. It also effected the rest of the nation which depended on this food.
