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Dust Bowl

Definition

The Dust Bowl was an environmental disaster that took place in the Midwest during the 1930s. Severe drought conditions coupled with poor farming practices led to soil erosion resulting in dust storms that stripped away topsoil.

Analogy

Think of your skin as fertile land. When it's healthy, it can grow things like hair (crops). But if you don't take care of it - say you scrub too hard (poor farming practices) - you could damage it. Now imagine if hot air (drought) constantly blew over your damaged skin; it would dry out even more, causing flaking or peeling off (dust storms).

Related terms

Great Depression: The severe worldwide economic depression that took place mostly during the 1930s, beginning in the United States.

Soil Conservation: Various practices used to prevent soil erosion, maintain fertility, and improve the soil's condition.

New Deal: A series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939.