Severe drought ruined crops in the Great Plains and created this term to describe the region during the 1930s because it was named after the dust that constantly flew around and smothered everything. As the horrid conditions continued coupled with poor farming practices, 350,000 farmers whose crops had been ruined migrated to California. These ex-farmers became known as Okies.

No the dust bowl was not shaped like a bowl

No the dust bowl was not shaped like a bowl.

The book about the dust bowl is called Out Of The Dust.

Because the dust bowl is the SOURCE of the dust raised by a dust storm.