Southwest Asia: Human Environment Interaction

Unit 7: Chapter 21, section 3

Pages 495-499

Today’s Objectives

The student is expected to:

1. Examine the procurement and distribution of water resources in Southwest Asia.

2. Describe the formation, production and movement of oil in the region.

Main Ideas• Water is critical to

regional physical survival and economic development. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qanat

• Discovery of oil increased the global economic importance of Southwest Asia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:ShellMartinez-refi.jpg#file

Fresh Water

• Most critical resource in region

• Available in small amts & w/o consistent supply

•Sound: http://www.grsites.com

Dams & Irrigation Systems

• Lg. pop. Lg. scale farming

• Farming requires irrigation

• H2O for irrigation comes from man-made lakes created by dams

• Dams also provide hydroelectricity

Ataturk Dam, Turkey http://www.adiyamanli.org/ataturk_dam.htm

Controversy Over Water

• Countries downstream from the dam lose the use of the water for irrigation or hydroelectricity.

• Land is lost by rising water behind the dam

• Land downstream no longer receives river’s sediment

http://www.adiyamanli.org/ataturk_dam.htm

Water Systems

• Drip Irrigation: small pipes/hoses that slowly drip water just above the ground to conserve water used for crops.

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drip_irrigation

Water Systems

http://en.wikipedia.org

Irrigation canal

Qanatunder-ground brick-lined tunnels

Noria water wheel used to lift water from river to fields

Modern Water Technology

• Desalinization: removal of salt from ocean water, done at a technically sophisticated water treatment plant.

• However, some desalinated water may be too salty for irrigation, so it’s used in sewage systems & industrial uses.

• http://www.gewater.com/images/multimedia/desal/main_ie.html (intro only)

Oil from the Sand

• SW Asia contains ~1/2 of all the world’s petroleum reserves.

• Petroleum products are an important part of the world’s economy.

• SW Asia is a VERY important region economically.

http://maps101.com/Application/Catalog/Product.aspx?cid=60&pid=1100

Forming Petroleum

• Formed millions of years ago when an ancient sea covered SW Asia.

• Microscopic plants & animals lived in the sea & died in the water.

• Remains sank into the mud below.

• Pressure & heat transformed the material into hydrocarbons, the chemical basis of oil & natural gas.

• Oil & nat. gas are trapped in the microscopic pores of rock.

• Middle East All-Operations Facts: http://www.chevron.com/operations/middle_east/map.asp• 1: Saudi Arabia — Company recorded first Saudi Arabia oil discovery in 1938.• 2: Kuwait — Discovered Kuwait's Burgan Field, world's second-largest, in 1938. Technical Services Agreement

assures continued technology progress. • 3: Saudi Arabia and Kuwait — In the onshore Partitioned Neutral Zone between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, crude

oil total production has reached 3 billion barrels.4: Saudi Arabia — At Al Jubail, built the Kingdom's first privately financed major petrochemical plant

• 5: Bahrain — Bahrain's first oil discovery in 1932.• 6: Qatar — Qatar activities include world-scale polyethylene complex and five-year onshore exploration.

Transporting Oil

• Crude Oil pumped from the ground must be moved to the refinery.

• Pipelines transport the crude oil to refineries or ports where oil is refined.

• Lines are located near existing ports or other transportation markets, especially the Persian Gulf, Red Sea and Med. Sea.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pipeline_transport

Risks of Transporting Oil

• 1991January 26 - KUWAIT - An estimated 240 million gallons of oil were spilled from terminals, tankers and oil wells during the final phase of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.

• http://www.marinergroup.com/oil-spill-history.htm; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_spill

Check for Understanding

Copy & answer these questions:

1. What is the most critical resource in SW Asia?

2. What are some ways water is supplied?

3. Why might transporting oil be risky?