Comments on: What would happen if deserts were filled with huge man-made lakes?

By: BL

BL — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 10:47:59 +0000

Water naturally attracts more bugs especially mosquitos in the Southwest. Cases of West Nile Virus would climb significantly. However overall, adding some medium-sized desert lakes isn’t going to change the environment very much.

Sure it’s possible. Man can rework land in almost any fashion given enough time and effort. Technically, craters wouldn’t even have to be dug in many places as many deserts are already large basins. Though, the effects from a large new ocean in the desert could dramatically change the ecosystem. Certainly more moisture in the air and more rain. This change could negatively impact desert plants like cacti and ocotillos.

Almost any place on earth is habitable, though not neccessarily pleasent. Groups of scientists live in Antarctica, Indeginous tribes live in the Amazon, and Bedouin lives in the Sarah. So not doubt, a desert ocean could sustain life.

Nearly all sea life would die. The crust of the ocean floor would rise significantly (called rebounding) due to the release of water weight which held it down. A lot more noxious gas would fill the atmosphere as underwater volcanos would more easily be able to release since there would be much less counter pressure. All fields of scientific discovery would be badly hurt such as medical science which studies many sea creatures for painkillers and treatments. Weather patterns would change signifcantly as there would be no more ocean conveyor belt to move cold water to the equator and warm water to the poles. Such a change would create real havoc.
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By: DaveSFV

DaveSFV — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 10:23:59 +0000

If you look at a map of California and Nevada you will see many "dry" lakes. These were filled with water up until about 11,000 years ago. The changing climate (see, climate change can occur naturally) dried up these lakes and the land became much more arid. The mountains in these deserts when high enough still have the vegetation that formally occupied the lowlands.
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By: ConcernedCitizen

ConcernedCitizen — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 09:48:59 +0000

Those places are already inhabitable. I live in the Arizona desert. There are already many man-made lakes, including at least five large ones in the Phoenix area, but they don’t change the fact that it’s a desert. As Need Advice said, most deserts aren’t completely barren; they’re full of plant and animal life. It’s not just cacti and rattlesnakes. There are trees, shrubs, wildflowers, coyotes, javelinas, birds, ground squirrels, and much more. The desert is just as much a legitimate ecosystem as a forest or grassland.

Bringing in water from the oceans wouldn’t change the climate either. Aruba is an island surrounded by the Caribbean sea and it’s still mostly desert.
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By: Need Advice

Need Advice — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 09:16:59 +0000

What good would having salt water lake be ? would that good outweight the consequences of disturbing the ecosystems presently there.. Deserts are not absolutely barren.
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