1. Ovidijus Kuzminas - Seth Hinton
Causes of the Dust Bowl
Ovidijus Kuzminas - Seth Hinton

2. GIS Research
“There were a number of other factors that may have contributed to dust activity. Livestock had grazed the plains in great numbers and concentration since the 1880s. Soils varied across the region and so did the climate. Specifically, temperatures and precipitation differed from regional averages during the 1930s”

4. Hit Homes Hard
People really took precautions with sealing doors and windows and even wearing masks and long sleeves. At dinner I’ve been told you would eat with two plates. One for the food and the other for covering the food when a cloud passed through.

5. Meteorological and Human Causes
The “dirty thirties,” were caused by a combination of human farming activity and a temporary change in weather patterns. When the settlers first started farming the land of the Great Plains they didn’t practice soil conservation. They clear cut and plowed all of the native trees and grasses that held the topsoil of the Plains intact. With the successive years of planting, the topsoil began to dry out and when no rain came, with no deep rooted vegetation to hold it together, the topsoil became dust in the wind. This additional farming, using the standard clear cutting methods, added approximately 20 million acres to the farming region. For a couple of years everything was looking good, but then the weather changed.
A recent computer simulation run by NASA based on weather patterns over the last 100 years came with a startling revelation about the meteorological component of the dust bowl and the unique weather patterns from 1931 to The simulation determined that, “cooler than normal" tropical Pacific Ocean temperatures and warmer than normal tropical Atlantic Ocean temperatures contributed to a weakened low-level jet stream and changed its course.” The changing of the course of the jet stream left the moisture laden clouds south of the Great Plains. Instead of traveling westward across the Gulf of Mexico and then north up into the Great Plains, the jet stream ran along the coast of Brazil and upwards into central Mexico. The lack of rainfall also led to drier soil conditions which meant less evaporation, leading to even less precipitation, creating a feedback loop that reinforces the lack of rainfall.

8. Timeline The 'black blizzards" begin
Roosevelt addresses the nation in his second inaugural address, stating, "I see one-third of the nation ill-housed, ill-clad, ill-nourished
April 14: Black Sunday. The worst "black blizzard" of the Dust Bowl occurs, causing extensive damage.
In the fall, the rain comes, finally bringing an end to the drought.
Over 6 million young pigs are slaughtered to stabilize prices
The 'black blizzards" begin
The number of dust storms is increasing. 14 are reported this year; next year there will be 38.
The drought is the worst ever in U.S. history, covering more than 75 percent of the country and affecting 27 states severely.
Los Angeles Police Chief James E. Davis sends 125 policemen to patrol the borders of Arizona and Oregon to keep "undesirables" out.
65 percent reduction in the amount of soil blowing. However, the drought continued.

9. Lost Civilizations: Machu Picchu
Town build by Inca in 1450
Official version of abandoning: smallpox from Spanish
Inca engineers created water system

11. Machu Picchu Water System
Collecting rain water Created links to the Machu Picchu

13. Lost Civilizations: Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat was Hindu temple in Cambodia later used by Buddhists
Abandoned in 15th century
Hypothetical abandoning reasons

15. Lost Civilizations: Mesa Verde
Messa Verde is cliff dwellings of Anasazi
Dwellings were abandoned two times:
1st time caused by climate change;
2nd is still mystery

17. Lost Civilizations: Indus Valley
One of the largest civilizations (located in what is now Pakistan and India)
Civilization was based on Indus river
Hypothetical abandoning reasons

19. Impact to civilizations: Past
All early civilizations were based on water supplies (for agriculture)
Roman had modern water distribution systems

21. Impact to civilizations: Past
Only Chinese had drainage system
Europeans understood that it is important to do something with waste water only in 19th century

23. Impact to civilizations: Present
In modern world: diseases coming from water are very rare
Water infrastructure is old worldwide
High usage of water in industry

25. Impact to civilizations: Future
Highest fertility rates are in 3rd world countries
They do not have water systems at all
It could lead to new spreads of illnesses