Geog 1 dly
1. What is the purpose of the “hundred and twenty bowl-shaped excavations that resemble football stadiums” described on page 192?
2. How frequent are major (“exceptional”) debris flows along the San Gabriel foothills? Every year? Every decade? Every century? And why does this matter?
3. What do the locals call “Flood”? (NOTE: I am not asking the question, “What is a flood?”)
Longer questions
4. Why is Southern California, particularly its foothill communities, at such high risk to “mudslides” (debris flows)? What role does geology play? What role does climate play? What is the significance of chaparral vegetation and fire?
5. What happened to Bob and Jackie Genofile and their home? How sympathetic are you to their story? Why? More generally, who seems to be more at risk from these debris flows, wealthier people or poorer people? Does that influence your level of sympathy toward their situation, and your level of support for public (i.e., taxpayer-funded) flood-control efforts?
