1.1 What makes Australia unique?
Australia’s physical environment:
- ¬diversity of landscape: Uluru and Great Barrier Reef
- diversity of flora and fauna: kangaroo, koala, platypus and echidna; eucalyptus and acacia trees
Distinctive human and cultural environments:
- occupation by Aboriginal people
- settlement of Europeans
- beach lifestyle + wide range of outdoor activities
- high standard of living
One of a kind: world’s lowest continent, geologically stable, driest inhabited continent, few large rivers and little runoff, nutrient-poor soils, fire-prone, rich in minerals, world’s largest island, world’s largest coral reef, world’s largest sand island, biologically diverse, vegetation dominated by eucalyptus and acacia, globally significant (ancient rainforests), unique mammal fauna.
1.2 Australia’s location, size and shape
Location: b/w Indian and Pacific Oceans; 10¬¬041’S and 43039’S; 113009’E and 153039’E
Most Northerly Point: Cape York Peninsula
Southerly: South Point on Wilsons Promontory
Westerly: Steep Point
Easterly: Cape Bryon
Nearest Neighbours: N – Papua New Guinea; SE – New Zealand; NW – East Timor & Indonesia; E – Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and New Caledonia
Size: 7,682,300 square kilometres
Shape: compact, no significant bodies of water inland
2.1 Climate graphs and weather maps
Climate graphs: average temp (line) + rainfall (bar graph)
Weather maps:
- Air pressure: hPa
- Wind: from direction which they are blowing from
- Cold front: occur when mass of cold, dense air pushes in under a mass of warm air, forcing it to rise. As warm air rises, it cools and condensation takes place. Leads to lower temperatures.
- Warm front: when warm parcel of air overtakes colder, denser parcel of air. Rain results as air rises. Rainfall lasts longer and less intense. Not common in Aus.
- High pressure system: gentle winds, clear skies, little chance of rain. Air pressure increases towards centre. Air flows out anticlockwise.
- Low pressure system: unstable weather, cloudy skies, rain, relatively strong winds. Air pressure decreases towards centre. Air flows in an anticlockwise direction in Northern hemisphere; clockwise direction in Southern hemisphere.
3.2 Australia’s landforms and drainage basins
Eastern highlands:
- great dividing range
Coastal plains:
- eastern edge of continent
- most densely settled part of Australia
- Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne all located on coastal plain
Central lowlands:
- occupy 1/4 of landmass
- low-lying, largely featureless plain
- composed of sediments deposited on the floor of ancient inland sea
- The Simpson Desert + Flinders Ranges
- Lake Eyre + Murray Darling
Western Plateau:
- western 2/3 of continent
- ancient igneous rock
- flat and low
- Tanami Desert + Great Victoria Desert + Nullarbor Plain
3.4 Australia’s pattern of weather and climate
Main features of climate pattern:
- hot-wet zone in tropical north
- hot-dry zone in centre + west coast
- moderate temperatures and rainfall on eastern + southern coasts
Why is Australia so dry?
- cold ocean currents off the west coast of Australia = low rates of evaporation
- flatness = no orographic rain
- dominance of high pressure systems
- shape of continent: no significant bodies of water extend far inland
Darwin + Cairns: moist tropical, wet summer, dry winter
Alice Springs: arid interior
Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra: moist temperate with hot summer. Rain all year round – orographic rain
Perth + Adelaide: semi-arid, wet winter, dry summer
3.7 Australia’s natural resources
Mineral Resources: Gold, bauxite, iron. Others include copper, lead, zinc, diamonds, mineral sand. More than 80% of minerals exported.
Energy resources: vast reserves of coal and natural gas. 2/3 of coal mined is exported. Also has extensive reserves of uranium, but mining of uranium is controversial.
like i said, i deemed a lot of stuff useless *cough*
left out a lot in chapter 3, cause a lot of it comes up again in focus area 3. so not going to repeat
wondering if i should type up stuff on natural hazards.. i reckon it'd be so much more productive for everyone to dig up their ppts and contribute.. what do you ppl say? you could send them all to me and i could upload them on blog or something on one of the pages.. yup.
hope these notes are useful =] more to come xD took me 1 hour, so BE THANKFUL =P
Australia’s physical environment:
- ¬diversity of landscape: Uluru and Great Barrier Reef
- diversity of flora and fauna: kangaroo, koala, platypus and echidna; eucalyptus and acacia trees
Distinctive human and cultural environments:
- occupation by Aboriginal people
- settlement of Europeans
- beach lifestyle + wide range of outdoor activities
- high standard of living
One of a kind: world’s lowest continent, geologically stable, driest inhabited continent, few large rivers and little runoff, nutrient-poor soils, fire-prone, rich in minerals, world’s largest island, world’s largest coral reef, world’s largest sand island, biologically diverse, vegetation dominated by eucalyptus and acacia, globally significant (ancient rainforests), unique mammal fauna.
1.2 Australia’s location, size and shape
Location: b/w Indian and Pacific Oceans; 10¬¬041’S and 43039’S; 113009’E and 153039’E
Most Northerly Point: Cape York Peninsula
Southerly: South Point on Wilsons Promontory
Westerly: Steep Point
Easterly: Cape Bryon
Nearest Neighbours: N – Papua New Guinea; SE – New Zealand; NW – East Timor & Indonesia; E – Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and New Caledonia
Size: 7,682,300 square kilometres
Shape: compact, no significant bodies of water inland
2.1 Climate graphs and weather maps
Climate graphs: average temp (line) + rainfall (bar graph)
Weather maps:
- Air pressure: hPa
- Wind: from direction which they are blowing from
- Cold front: occur when mass of cold, dense air pushes in under a mass of warm air, forcing it to rise. As warm air rises, it cools and condensation takes place. Leads to lower temperatures.
- Warm front: when warm parcel of air overtakes colder, denser parcel of air. Rain results as air rises. Rainfall lasts longer and less intense. Not common in Aus.
- High pressure system: gentle winds, clear skies, little chance of rain. Air pressure increases towards centre. Air flows out anticlockwise.
- Low pressure system: unstable weather, cloudy skies, rain, relatively strong winds. Air pressure decreases towards centre. Air flows in an anticlockwise direction in Northern hemisphere; clockwise direction in Southern hemisphere.
3.2 Australia’s landforms and drainage basins
Eastern highlands:
- great dividing range
Coastal plains:
- eastern edge of continent
- most densely settled part of Australia
- Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne all located on coastal plain
Central lowlands:
- occupy 1/4 of landmass
- low-lying, largely featureless plain
- composed of sediments deposited on the floor of ancient inland sea
- The Simpson Desert + Flinders Ranges
- Lake Eyre + Murray Darling
Western Plateau:
- western 2/3 of continent
- ancient igneous rock
- flat and low
- Tanami Desert + Great Victoria Desert + Nullarbor Plain
3.4 Australia’s pattern of weather and climate
Main features of climate pattern:
- hot-wet zone in tropical north
- hot-dry zone in centre + west coast
- moderate temperatures and rainfall on eastern + southern coasts
Why is Australia so dry?
- cold ocean currents off the west coast of Australia = low rates of evaporation
- flatness = no orographic rain
- dominance of high pressure systems
- shape of continent: no significant bodies of water extend far inland
Darwin + Cairns: moist tropical, wet summer, dry winter
Alice Springs: arid interior
Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra: moist temperate with hot summer. Rain all year round – orographic rain
Perth + Adelaide: semi-arid, wet winter, dry summer
3.7 Australia’s natural resources
Mineral Resources: Gold, bauxite, iron. Others include copper, lead, zinc, diamonds, mineral sand. More than 80% of minerals exported.
Energy resources: vast reserves of coal and natural gas. 2/3 of coal mined is exported. Also has extensive reserves of uranium, but mining of uranium is controversial.
like i said, i deemed a lot of stuff useless *cough*
left out a lot in chapter 3, cause a lot of it comes up again in focus area 3. so not going to repeat
wondering if i should type up stuff on natural hazards.. i reckon it'd be so much more productive for everyone to dig up their ppts and contribute.. what do you ppl say? you could send them all to me and i could upload them on blog or something on one of the pages.. yup.
hope these notes are useful =] more to come xD took me 1 hour, so BE THANKFUL =P