Ayla Gecekusu

Exploring Erosion: Dust Bowl

Drought hit in 1931, and crops failed, leaving naked, over-plowed farmland exposed. The dirt
began to fly away without the support of deep-rooted grassland grasses. Massive dust storms
resulted from eroding soil, wreaking havoc on the economy.

Crops were ruined and farmlands were forgotten due to a

lack of rainfall and bad farming techniques. This
combination caused dust storms due to wind erosion,
forcing farmers to try new farming techniques.

Residents were forced to flee their homes and travel to

other states where environmental and economic situations
were better due to the disastrous conditions of the Dust
Bowl.
For days, dust hung in the atmosphere, causing respiratory
ailments among inhabitants.

The Dust Bowl of the 1930s was caused by the so-called Dirty Thirties' dryness, erosion, and
dust storms (or "black blizzards"). It was the most serious and long-lasting environmental
calamity in the history of the United States.
But in some places in the world there are huge new dust bowls formed, One is in Africa,
south of the Sahara. Also seeing a huge dust bowl develop in northern and western China.