- Simpson Desert location
- Desert history
- Natural features of the desert
- Climatic conditions and hydrography
- Video
Who would have thought that distant Australia could compete with Africa in the number of deserts. But this is true: there are many such territories on the Australian continent, albeit less famous than their African counterparts. The Simpson Desert also belongs to the Australian landmarks, it has a total area of about 143 thousand square kilometers.
Simpson Desert location
Most of this desert belongs to the so-called Northern Territory, it also covers a small area in the Australian state of Queensland and in the state of South Australia. Its neighbors on the map are:
- the McDonell Ridge and the Plenty River from the north;
- the Diamantina and Mulligan rivers from the east;
- the famous salt lake Eyre from the south;
- the Finke River, bordering the desert from the west.
So, on the one hand, the water streams seem to be close, but on the other hand, Simpson still belongs to the deserts, therefore it has an appropriate climate, weather, features of the animal and plant world.
Desert history
A significant fact in the history of Australia - in 1845, the desert was discovered by Charles Sturt, a famous English traveler who made many geographical finds on the Australian continent. But in 1926, Griffith Taylor drew a drawing of the area, and this area, together with the Sturt Desert, which bore the name of the famous traveler from Foggy Albion, received a common name - Arunta.
The next place name appeared in 1929 after Cecil Medigen, an Australian geologist, surveyed the desert from the air. He distinguished it from the surrounding area and gave the name in honor of Allen Simpson, who had an important position - president of one of the branches of the Royal Geographical Society.
The Simpson Desert has thus changed its name several times. The second interesting point is that the expedition of Medigen (1939, on camels) and Colson, who claims that his team crossed the desert in 1936, are fighting for the right to be considered pioneers in its territories.
In the second half of the twentieth century, there were rumors that there are rich deposits of oil in the Simpson Desert, and those wishing to get rich went here. Unfortunately for them, the rumors were not confirmed. But the Simpson territory was discovered by tourists, the most popular among modern travelers are not traditional ships of the desert - camels, but more modern means of transportation - four-wheel drive vehicles. After the safari by car in the desert, gorgeous photo and video filming remains as a keepsake.
Natural features of the desert
This desert is characterized by the presence of sandy soils, in addition, almost the entire territory is occupied by dunes, but they have a different composition: in the southeast - sand and pebble; on the shores of Lake Eyre - clayey. The height of the dunes is from 20 to 37 meters, the length can reach 160 kilometers. There is a sparse vegetation; in the valleys between the dunes, spinifex (a cereal plant) has taken root well, it serves to consolidate the soil. Other representatives of the flora kingdom are dominated by eucalyptus and veinless acacia, which grows in the form of a bush.
Rare Australian animals are not at all afraid of the desert, since they have been taught by evolution to survive in very harsh conditions. Of greatest interest is the crested-tailed marsupial mouse, a relative of the marsupial martens and Tasmanian devils. Mice, inhabitants of the desert, were able to adapt to sharp fluctuations in temperature, they do not need water (separately), the amount of liquid they need is obtained from food.
From other representatives of the kingdom of fauna, marsupials are noted - jerboa, bandicoot, mole. Wild dog dingo and wild camel can also be encountered by tourists traveling to the desert on safari.
The acacia thickets, which provide at least some semblance of shade, become a haven for budgerigars, kingfishers, finches, pink cockatoos and black-capped tree swallows. The desert is part of Simpson National Park, and employees say the best time to visit is in the fall (prime).
Climatic conditions and hydrography
The height of summer in the Simpson Desert is in January, the temperature reaches its maximum, on average in the hottest month it is + 29-30 ° С. In winter (in July) the thermometer can drop to + 12 ° С.
The driest region of the Simpson Desert is located in the north, the annual rainfall reaches 130 mm at best, respectively, a few water streams, the so-called screams, are lost in the sands. The largest rivers in the region - Hay, Plenty, Todd, do not have small names. The southern territories of the desert are characterized by the presence of salt lakes, which also dry up during the heat wave.
