- Flora and fauna of the desert
- World Opal Mining Center
- Lakes
- Caves
- Settlements
The sandy-saline desert of Australia, with an area of 424 thousand square kilometers, is bordered by the Gibson Desert in the north, and the Nullarbor Plain in the south. The Victoria Desert covers nearly 40 percent of Australia's land area and is located in two states. The temperature in summer is +40 degrees, in winter -23 degrees.
Victoria is Australia's largest desert. A vast expanse of brownish-red, yellowish, ash and lilac sand stretches from the Salt Lakes of Western Australia to Nullarbor, under the limestone mass of which ancient granites and crystalline shales are hidden. The Victoria Desert has an elongated oval shape, reaching 550 kilometers in the eastern part. In the period from 1955 to 1963, the British tested nuclear weapons in an area called Maralinga.
Flora and fauna of the desert
In the sands of the desert, stunted eucalyptus trees, spinifex, kangaroo grass, feather grass, hodgepodge, saltwort, kochia and acacia grow. Of the desert dwellers, the kangaroo rat, the echidna, the dingo dog and the bandicoot are better known. From birds - emu and budgerigars. A large number of reptiles, especially lizards, among them the spiny moloch is known. A large number of snakes, the most dangerous of which is the taipan - a huge three-meter aggressive snake of the aspid family, with a very fast attack (death occurs in 4-6 hours).
There is practically no water in the desert, which makes it difficult not only to live, but also to explore it. On the outskirts of the desert, a protected Mamongari park has been created, where you can watch birds, some rare animals and plants.
World Opal Mining Center
The Victoria Desert is the world capital of opals (30 percent of the world's reserves), rich deposits of which are located near the town of Coober Pedy, famous among tourists for its underground dwellings. The caves were equipped by workers in the worked-out drifts. Coober - Pedy translated from the Aboriginal language means "white man underground." In underground dwellings, a temperature of 22 degrees is maintained year-round. When the inhabitants yearned for trees, they made the first "plantings" of iron.
Lakes
Maurice, Jubilee, Day-Day, Serpentine are salt lakes, the level of acidity in which, according to scientists, is similar to what may be on Mars. In the lakes, bacteria were found that could survive in conditions of high salinity, and are now being studied by scientists.
On the shores of the lakes, gypsum dunes and special relief structures - lunettes are formed. Lunettes are formed from especially loose layers of gypsum with sand interlayers and having a month-like shape. Wind-carried salts are deposited well beyond the limits of lakes and contribute to soil salinization. In those areas where surface sandy deposits are blown away by winds, ferrous crushed stone creeps out to the surface.
In areas with lunettes, there are salt marshes called playa. Some of them have lakes. Playa is the remnants of ancient water systems covered by sands. During the rainy season, they are filled with water. turning into a temporary network of lakes. When dry, their surface is covered and scabbed. Erosional basins (pens) and clayey ones with a non-saline surface - klipens have unlimited distribution. In the depressions between the barnacles, a stand of eucalyptus, casuarina and malga is formed.
Caves
- Malamulang, 12 km long, filled with water.
- Koklebiddi (length 6, 5 km) - an underwater cave, just a godsend for experienced diving enthusiasts.
- Kunalda is famous for the rock paintings of the aborigines, whose age is twenty thousand years. In this cave, ancient people mined limestone for the manufacture of tools and fingerprints were preserved in the once soft rock.
Settlements
Alice Springs - Olive Pink Botanical Garden, Devil's Balls, Henbury Meteorites, Wattarka and Finke Gorge National Parks, Araluen Reptile and Arts Centers. Central Australian museums, aviation, Aboriginal Australia Cultural Center, Gondwana Gallery.
Kargoorlie - The Kalgoorlie Boulder Museum, which houses a huge collection of gold nuggets and jewelry. In the Hall of Fame, visitors have the opportunity to descend into the mine and observe the process of washing the golden sand from the side. Visit the Goldfields War Museum, the Goldfields Art Center Gallery, the Luplin Railway Museum.
In the Victoria Desert, the films "Mad Max 3: Under the Dome of Thunder", "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert", "Black Hole" and others were filmed.
