Chapter 1 - Introduction

Chapter 1 Introduction

The Mojave Desert is an arid region of Southern California that also includes parts of Utah, Arizona and Nevada. It is more than 25,000 square miles of land surrounded by mountains.
The elevation can range from the lowest point in United States, 282 below sea level, to
11,049. The temperature can reach 134 degrees in Death Valley and the average rainfall is 5 inches. The temperature can vary from night to day with winds in the afternoon or evening.


The Mojave desert was “once a part of an ancient interior sea, the desert was formed by volcanic action and by material deposited by the Colorado River.” This area is bordered by the Tehachapi, San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains as well as the Sierra Nevada’s. The Mojave is “located in the rain shadow of the Coast Ranges.” This desert has sparse vegetation and the “sand and gravel basins drain to central salt flats from which borax, potash and salt” are mined as well as minerals such as silver, gold and iron. The Mojave is home to the Joshua Tree, a kind of Yucca like plant, which grows only in this area.
The Mojave Desert includes Death Valley National Park, Mojave National Preserve, Joshua Tree National Park and Lake Mead Recreational Area. During WWII military base were built including Edwards Air Force Base. Also, a geothermal energy plant was built in 1978 as an alternate energy source. Environmentalists have been active in protecting the Mojave Desert and about 1,450,000 acres are protected by the Preserve.