- General information
- Relief of the Great Sandy Desert
- Desert water
- Desert temperature regime
- Geology and flora
- Development of the Great Sandy Desert
- Video
Man is actively exploring new territories and lands on the planet, but the most difficult thing is to settle in deserts that do not want to rent a single square meter. But a person still manages to use them in one way or another.
The Great Sandy Desert, also called Western, occupies significant areas on the Australian continent. By its nature, it belongs to sandy-saline formations. The second name is directly related to the geographical location - the desert is located in the state of Western Australia. It should come as no surprise that a state with this name is located in the western part of the continent.
General information
Scientists report the following data on the area and location: the area of the Great Sandy Desert - 360 thousand square kilometers; length from west to east - 900 kilometers; length from north to south - 600 kilometers.
From the west, it starts from the beach, called the Eighty Mile and is located on the coast of the Indian Ocean, and extends to the Tanami Desert. In the north of the continent, you need to look for the beginning in the Kimberley region, the southern territories merge with the Gibson Desert.
Relief of the Great Sandy Desert
On the maps of this desert, you can see that there is a gentle depression to the west and north: if in the south the height in some places reaches 500 meters (above sea level), then in the north it does not even 300 meters. The relief is dominated by sand dunes, located in ridges, the maximum height of the dunes reaches 30 meters, on average - about 10 meters. The length of the ridge can be up to 50 kilometers, their location and elongation are explained by the trade winds prevailing in these territories.
Desert water
The Great Sandy Desert has its own sources of water, of a different plan, first of all, salt marsh lakes in a sufficiently large number and rivers: Lake Makkai (in the east); Lake Disappointment (in the south); Sturt Creek River.
Mackay belongs to a group of dry lakes, which are quite common in Western Australia, its length, both in length and in width, is equal to about 100 kilometers. In the photo, the lake stands out with a white surface color, since mineral salts in a specific Australian climate are carried to the surface due to evaporation, creating a white film.
The name of the lake Disappointment is translated from English rather ridiculously - "disappointment". The name was given in 1897 by the traveler Frank Hann, who studied the Pilbara region and did a lot for the development of the region. He discovered a large accumulation of streams and hoped very much that, thanks to them, there would be a lake with fresh water in this region. Unfortunately and disappointingly, the lake turned out to be salty, for which it got its name, but salt water does not at all interfere with waterfowl living in this region.
Desert temperature
This region holds the record for the highest temperature in Australia, in summer, which lasts in this region from December to February, the thermometer can reach + 35 ° C, in winter (by mid-July) it drops to + 15 ° C.
The amount of precipitation is irregular, different for the northern and southern regions of the desert. Most often, rain is brought in by the equatorial monsoons, which are typical for summer. In the north, the amount of precipitation can reach 500 mm, in the south - only up to 200. Heavenly moisture either immediately evaporates or seeps into the sand.
Geology and flora
The main coating is sand, moreover, they have a characteristic brick-red color. The dunes are separated by plains, their composition is clay and salt marshes.
Due to this structure of local soils, the desert is not very rich in plants. On the dunes there are xerophytic grasses, on the plains - acacias, mainly in the southern regions, and eucalyptus, moreover, undersized, in the northern territories of the desert.
Why xerophytes appeared here is quite understandable: these are drought-resistant representatives of the flora kingdom, they are able to endure high temperatures and lack of moisture for a long time. In the process of evolution, they have adapted to survive in such conditions. Extreme periods are experienced in the form of spores, seeds that instantly germinate after precipitation. They have a shortened period of growth, flowering and ripening of seeds, therefore, they come prepared for the new dry season (having given the harvest), and are in a state of so-called dormancy until the next season of precipitation.
Development of the Great Sandy Desert
On the territory of the desert, you can find only a few groups of nomadic aborigines, including representatives of the Caradyeri and Nigina tribes.
Scientists have put forward the assumption about the presence of minerals in the depths of this desert, but the search and development of them is not economically profitable yet. Currently, these areas are of interest to tourists, for example, Rudall River National Park, or Uluru-Kata Tjuta - another park included in the UNESCO list.
