Australia is famous for its blue cloudless skies and bright sun, relatively mild climate and the absence of sudden temperature fluctuations. One of the most interesting and unique countries in the world occupies an entire continent.

Climatic features depend on geography. Australia is located on both sides of the southern tropic, between two giant oceans: the Pacific and the Indian. The shores of the continent are, as it were, elevated, separated by mountains from the body of water, so the influence of the seas is minimal.

Australia is the driest continent on earth. There is very little fresh water here and almost half of the mainland is occupied by tropical deserts known to the whole world: Victoria, Sandy, Gibson. few and almost all dry up. There are not many lakes and they are salty. There are also mountain peaks, but they are rare and not high.

The sheer size of the country results in a variety of climates, from deserts to snowy mountains, from mild, warm coastal zones to tropical evergreen forests.

There are four climate zones in Australia:

• subequatorial
• tropical
• subtropical
• moderate.

Australia is located in the Southern Hemisphere, so the order of the seasons is a mirror image of what we are used to in the Northern Hemisphere. Summer begins in December, and June is the first winter month.

Subequatorial part

Covers the northern and northeastern parts of the mainland. It receives the most rainfall, mostly in summer. Winter is dry, droughts are not uncommon due to hot winds blowing from the middle of the mainland. The temperature throughout the year is even, averaging 23-24 degrees.

Tropical zone of Australia (about 40% of the country)

It is divided into two types of climate: tropical continental - hot with minimal rainfall and tropical humid with thunderstorms in summer.

The continental-tropical climate covers large areas of deserts and semi-deserts in the center and western part of the mainland. The sand in these places has a characteristic red color due to the large amount of iron it contains.

The close occurrence of groundwater provides a fairly rich flora and fauna for deserts.

Acacias and eucalyptus trees grow from solitary shrubs into dense thickets and thickets inhabited by lizards, snakes, ostriches and kangaroos. Here is the hottest region of Australia, almost all summer the temperature does not drop below 35 degrees, in winter - 20-25 degrees.

A narrow strip of tropical rainforest stretches across eastern Australia. Southeasterly winds bring moist air from the Pacific Ocean here. Here is a mild warm climate, favorable for the development of the richest flora and fauna. Eucalyptus, ferns, palms, araucaria and bamboo grow on red ferralite soil. Many forest dwellers are found only in this part of the planet: koala, bird of paradise, marsupial flying squirrel, echidna, platypus and other species.

Subtropics

In turn, they are divided into three types of climate: continental subtropical arid - in the central and southern parts, subtropical humid with uniform precipitation - in the southeast, mixed or Mediterranean - in the east.

The Mediterranean climate is similar to that of Spain and Southern France, covering the most habitable zone of Australia. Summers are dry and hot (average temperature 23-27 degrees), winters are warm (12-14 degrees) with sufficient rainfall. Evergreen beech forests, palm trees, shrubs grow here.

The subtropical continental climate covers the cities of Adelaide and South Wales. It is characterized by low rainfall and relatively large average annual temperature fluctuations.

The subtropical humid climate covers the cities of Victoria and New South Wales. It has a mild climate and high rainfall, mainly in the coastal part. In summer, on average, 20-24 degrees. In winter 8-10 degrees. The climate is favorable for growing various vegetables and fruits. True, in order to get a high yield in the summer, it is necessary to artificially irrigate the soil. A sufficient amount of fodder grasses grows, so local residents breed dairy cows and sheep on vast pastures.

temperate zone

It covers the central and southern part of the island of Tasmania, is characterized by heavy rainfall, due to the influence of surrounding water spaces. It is distinguished by cool summers (8-10 degrees) and warm winters (14-17 degrees). In winter, snow sometimes falls on the island, but it does not lie for a long time. On the lush evergreen meadows of the island, sheep and cows graze all year round.

Climate by season

Spring starts in September and lasts until the end of November. Wildlife flourishes amazingly beautifully on the islands at this time. In spring, the country is neither hot nor cold. The whole continent begins to blossom with violent bright colors.

The driest and hottest time summer in Australia lasts from December to February. In the center and not far from the deserts, the air warms up over 40 degrees in the shade. There is almost no rain and dry weather lasts almost the entire season.

Golden autumn in Australia it lasts from March to May. Most of the reserves, parks and forests of the country acquire an amazing red-gold hue. Especially unique are the autumn trees in Orange and the misty forests in Yarra. This is the time to harvest from the numerous vineyards of the country.

Winter Australia is the best time of the year. Runs from June to August. The rainy season falls at this time, but they do not come very often. The air temperature rarely exceeds 20 degrees. In winter, nature and the underwater world are especially beautiful in the country.

Holidays in Australia

The variety of climatic zones of the country makes it attractive for tourism and recreation. When it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere, it is summer in Australia and this is the best time to travel to the southern part of the country: the cities and regions of Brisbane, Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Hobart and Perth.

The Australian dry winter is the best time to visit the northern regions of the country: the Barrier Reef, Darwin, Cairns, Kakadu National Park, Kimberley and Broome.

Interesting facts about the climate of Australia

Cloncurry is the hottest place in the country. Here the temperature rises above 50 degrees in the shade.

In the city of Marble Bar in the western part of the country, the maximum average annual temperature was observed - 34 degrees Celsius.

The absolute minimum temperature was recorded in Eastern Australia in the state of Mitchell - 28 degrees.

Average annual precipitation: the minimum recorded in Willpum Creek, in the southern part of the country - 126 mm. The maximum - 3535 mm - is noted in the east at Innisfail.

Australia is the smallest continent on earth. The oceans washing Australia are the Pacific, which is spread in the east, and the Indian - in the northwest. In addition to the oceans, Australia is washed by the Timor and Arafura Seas in the north and the Coral and Tasman Seas in the east.

Eastern Ocean

The waters of the Pacific Ocean are quite deep, in some places the mark drops to a depth of 3000 kilometers. In coastal areas, at a distance of up to 5 km from the coast, shallow water is observed. Due to the diversity of tectonic structures of the ocean floor, it has such an uneven structure. And at the site of the shift of two lithospheric plates, the Pacific and Solomon, formed, the largest formation of living organisms in the world. This reef is a hallmark of Australia.

northern ocean

The Indian Ocean is characterized by two currents off the coast of Australia. The South Trade Wind is a warm current and the West Australian is a cold one. In the area where these currents join, not the best meteorological conditions are observed: heavy fogs, tornadoes, whirlpools, which led to numerous plane crashes and shipwrecks. The people call this place the "devil's triangle", a kind of Bermuda.

Young Pools

Australia is also bordered by four seas. In the north, these are the Timor and Arafura Seas, and in the east, the Tasmanovo and Coral Seas. The seas surrounding Australia are special in their own way and attract many tourists throughout the year.

Timor Sea

The Timor Sea, also called the Orange Sea, gets its name from an island on the other side of the sea from Australia. It is located in the monsoon subequatorial climate zone. Typhoons and cyclones often appear here, which rarely cause damage to coastal areas, and more to open space enterprises. Seismic activity is also observed from time to time. Throughout the winter, the rainy season continues in this area, but the water temperature is always high at +25 degrees Celsius. The Mitchell, Victoria, Daly, King and other rivers flow into the Timor Sea. The bottom is uniform in almost the entire area of ​​the sea and its depth is on average 200 meters, with the exception of rare depressions.
The shallow water area is not rich in flora, but boasts a great abundance of fish. Here tiger sharks, saltwater crocodiles, octopuses and jellyfish pose a danger to humans.
The Timor Sea is a kind of "well of gas sources". Many oil and gas companies have brought their projects to life in this sea. And judging by the mood, they are not going to stop.

Arafura Sea

The Arafura Sea is located in the monsoon tropical climate zone. It is called Arafura due to - Alfurs. Periods of drought here alternate with abundant precipitation in the form of rain. On average, the water temperature ranges from +25 to +28 degrees. The bottom of the sea, like that of Timor, is almost smooth and its depth is 186 meters, and the largest depression of the Aru is 3860 meters. In the sea area, typhoons and tornadoes often form, posing a danger only to small yachts and boats that have gone out into the open sea.
The Arafura Sea has a large amount of exotic vegetation, all kinds of algae and corals, and due to the high salinity, the fauna is smaller than in the Timor Sea, but in general they are similar. There are sharks and barracudas, which can be quite dangerous, but also many species of molluscs, echinoderms and crustaceans.

The Timor and Arafura seas are very similar to each other for a simple reason - they appeared relatively recently as a result of the fact that the level of the oceans rose and flooded the land. Because of this, they are also shallow.

The southernmost sea

The Tasman Sea was discovered by the expedition of Abel Tasman in the 17th century. A feature of the water area is its location in two climatic zones. In the temperate zone, the water temperature reaches an average of +19 degrees Celsius, and in the tropical zone it does not fall below +27 degrees. The South Passat Current has a great influence on sea temperature. The bottom relief is represented by many irregularities: depressions, mountain ranges, basins and is considered the deepest - the depth of the depression in the Tasmanian Basin exceeds 6 km.
AT tasman sea there are many coral reefs that have caused more than one shipwreck. And the inhabitants are represented by rare species of mammals, starfish and hedgehogs, and of course large turtles.

Sea of ​​corals

Coral is considered the most beautiful of all the seas surrounding Australia. It has such a name because of the presence of an abundant amount of coral reefs. Among them belongs. The sea is considered to be deep water. There is frequent seismic activity in the Coral Sea. Due to the influence of a warm climate, the lowest temperature mark of the sea is +19 degrees.
The water in the Coral Sea is clear enough to see the bottom at a depth of several meters near the shore. Such exoticism attracts a large number of tourists from all over the world. The fauna is represented by various mollusks, crustaceans and mammals.

Undoubtedly, the seas and oceans of Australia are the most important economic and tourist engines for the development of the entire Commonwealth of Australia.

If you are interested in what oceans wash Australia, then it is worth noting that the Green Continent is located in such a way that its washes two world oceans at once.

Eastern shores of the mainland washed by the waters Pacific, and northwest Australia Indian Ocean. As for the seas, the north of the country is washed by the Arafura and Timor seas, the east coast is the Coral Sea, and the southern coast of Australia is washed by the Tasman Sea.

Pacific Ocean waters washed by the Australian eastern shores.

Feature coasts and these coastal waters in that shallow water is observed closer to the coast, but already 5 km from Australia, depths of up to three thousand kilometers begin in the ocean.

This relief of the seabed of Australia is explained by the presence of different structures of the earth's crust that have joined in one place - the Pacific and Solomon plates. It was this collision that caused formed the Great Barrier Reef.

The ocean that surrounds Australia from the west is Indian Ocean. Two shallow currents approach the shores of the Green Continent - the cold West Australian and the warm South Trade Wind.

Interesting fact! In 1604, at the junction of the South Trade Wind and the West Australian Current, a pirate ship called the Reeves was sunk with several tons of gold on board.

The places where these currents join are the locations of the strongest whirlpools, fogs and tornadoes, which often cause shipwrecks and plane crashes. This place is called the Devil's Triangle. But despite this, many adventurers are drawn to look at it. dangerous natural phenomenon.

Interested in what seas Australia is washed by? Then you worth knowing that this unique continent is washed not only by oceans, but also by the seas entering their vast water areas.

north coast australia they are washed by waters and seas, which are also called twin seas, since they are very similar in flora and fauna.

Feature the seas of Australia in the north is a year-round high water temperature (approximately +28 ° C), which contributes to the development of coral structures.

East Coast Washes Australia. And the southeast of the Green Water Continent. Here the water temperature is much lower than in the northern seas of Australia.

The influence of the seas and oceans on the climate

The seas and oceans of Australia significantly affect the climate of the Green Continent. It is the effect of ocean currents, especially the dipole of the Indian Ocean, leads to periodic droughts in Australia.

Interesting fact! The climate of Australia, and more specifically the island of Tasmania, is affected by the cold West Australian Current, which prevents cyclones from forming, so the climate in this state of the country is moderate.

In addition, the oceans and seas that surround Australia affect precipitation. on the mainland. For example, seasonal tropical low pressure forms cyclones in the northern part of the country, which causes precipitation. This period is called the wet season and is characterized by high humidity and high temperatures.

Gifts of the seas and oceans

In addition to the fact that the waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans washing Australia are ideal for relaxation, they also allow the Green Continent to be one of the world's leading suppliers seafood.

In the seas and oceans that wash Australia, live a variety of marine animals.

Some of them are found only off the coast of the Green Continent. These are eels from Fitzroy, and mussels from Brie Island, and Tasmanian salmon, and crustaceans from Moreton Bay, as well as the famous Sydney oysters and barramundi fish, which is found exclusively in northern Australian waters.

The oceans washing Australia, as well as the seas, allow this continent to have unique flora and fauna, as well as varied climate. Holidays on the islands located in the oceans and seas surrounding Australia are very popular with locals and tourists from all over the world.

secluded corners with unique flora and natural world, as well as white beaches are real paradises, and a vacation on the Coral Sea, in the waters of which you can go diving, will leave an unforgettable experience.

Australia is the smallest continent in the world. Together with the adjacent islands, it is entirely located in the southern hemisphere. The name of this continent, discovered and settled later than others, comes from the Latin word "australis" - "southern". There are no active volcanoes and modern glaciation in Australia, however, in recent geological time, such phenomena have been observed, as evidenced by the craters of extinct volcanoes located throughout Australia and traces of glacier activity, which we will talk about later.

Australia is traversed by the southern Tropic of Cancer. The southern tropic crosses so that to the north of it lies a smaller part of the mainland, to the south - a large one.

Extreme points of the mainland:

• in the north - Cape York (10 ° 40` S),
• in the south - Cape Yugo-Vostochny (39 ° 08` S),
• in the west - Cape Steep Point (113 ° 09` E),
• in the east - Cape Byron (153° 39` E).

The length of Australia from north to south is about 3200 km, from west to east about 4100 km, the area is 7630 thousand km2

Australia is washed by the waters of the Pacific seas and is not connected by land with any other continent. Therefore, Australia, also referring to its small size, is sometimes called the "mainland-island".

In the northwest direction from the coast of Australia are the islands of the Malay Archipelago. These islands are part of the once former Australian land, like an isthmus between Australia and that existed until the Quaternary period. This territory is only half flooded by a not very deep sea, washing the continental platform, within which there are such seas as the Timor and Arafura, as well as the bays of Carpentaria and Joseph Bonaparte.

The southern and eastern coast of Australia, which is washed by the Indian Ocean, is mostly shallow. The continental shelf is quite clearly developed (the width of the shelf is about 300 km, and the depth does not exceed 200 m). In some western coastal parts, 30-40 km from the coast, there is a network of Australian guyots. In total, there are 69 of these guyots, 68 guyots are located under water, and only one of them comes to the surface. And from a height it seems that this is the crater of an extinct volcano. However, it is not. In fact, these are Milloborean coral structures that developed very actively in the Paleozoic (Vendian age). This area was called Milliborea, which was separated from Australia by the Flinder fold system, which is now represented by the Flinders Range in the present period.

In the Indian Ocean, two currents approach the coast of Australia, one is the cold West Australian Current, the other is the warm South Trade Wind Current. At the place of their convergence, in the off-season, rather powerful whirlpools form, which the majority of sailors called the "Ponamari Devil's Triangle". A lot of ships sank here, thick and water tornadoes are very frequent. But when planes fly over this area, there is a bumpiness due to a powerful turbulent flow. This place attracts many adventurers, because according to them, the famous pirate ship "Reeves" was sunk here in 1604, which transported a lot of gold, which now lies at the bottom and, according to legend, is guarded by the Ponamari Devil, who has a human head and hands, and everything else is the structure of the fish.

The temperature of the water in the Indian Ocean gradually decreases to the south under the influence of the already described cold West Australian Current. However, this current is weak and the water off the coast of Australia is warmer than at the corresponding latitudes off the western coast and, as you know, cold currents flow here.

The Indian Ocean forms many bays off the coast of Australia. In the northwest - King, in the west - Shark, in the southwest - the bay, in the south - the Spencer bays and, as well as the very wide and little protruding into the land - the Great Australian Bight. There are also islands, the largest is, which is separated from the mainland by the Bass Strait. Most of Novaya Island also belongs to the Indian Ocean basin and is separated from the mainland by the Tores Strait.

Small islands include - Melville, Grote Eyland, Bathers - in the north; King, Flinders and Kangaroo, in the south; Derk Hartog is to the west.

Now let's move on to the Pacific coast. It is already known that Australia is washed in the east. Here, in contrast to the Indian coast, the continental shelf is not so pronounced, the shelf stretches for 5 km, after which depths of more than 3000 km follow. This is characterized by the fact that in this place there is a collision of two different types of structures of the earth's crust: the Solomon Plate, which is an integral part of the Indo-Australian platform and the Pacific. At the place of their contact, a marine trench called Lahlansky is formed, which stretches from north to south for 2500 km. On the edge (the edge of the continental shelf) there is a reef structure, which in some places comes to the surface of the sea. The surface of the reef is uneven and dissected by erosion, the surface of which is filled at the time of the tides. In some places, the reef is divided into parts by narrow and winding channels through which small boats can pass to the mainland. This place was named - which is the most powerful coral structure in the world. Reef formation is favored by good climatic conditions. Here, the water temperature throughout the year is kept at 25 ° C, as a result of which coral growth is observed. And so, the Pacific coast includes the Timor, Arafura and Coral seas, the depth of which exceeds 5000 km, and separated by shallow areas (coral islands - no one lives on them, they used to be very actively used for military purposes (atomic bombs were dropped for study purposes, forcibly Russians and execution), and now some coral islands of the Pacific Ocean are bought by oligarchs). But in addition to coral islands, there are also continental and volcanic islands. The latter are the most. The totality of these islands is called Oceania. In its origin and development of the organic world, Oceania is closely related to Australia, but we will talk about the organic world later.

And now, my dear guests, we will describe Oceania. But did you know that the area of ​​the islands of Oceania is about 1.3 million km2. Oceania can and should be divided into several parts, namely Melanesia, and. Polynesia includes the Society, Line, Hawaiian and other islands. Melanesia includes the largest islands - New Guinea, New Caledonia and others. The remaining small islands lying north of Melanesia and west of the meridian 177 ° E. (, Caroline, Mariana and others) are called Micronesia. Stop! But what about the island? But as for the island, it belongs to a completely different special group.

Such a division of Oceania is based on cultural, historical and ethnographic features, which does not quite coincide with the division of Oceania according to physical and geographical features.

Currents:

Benguela Current- cold Antarctic current.

Arises south of the Cape of Good Hope as a branch of the Western Winds and heads north. Reaches the Namiba region in Africa.

West Australian Current- cold current in the southeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It flows along the western coast of Australia and from south to north, represents the northern branch of the Western Winds. In the tropical zone of the Southern Hemisphere, part of the West Australian Current passes into the South Equatorial Current, and part dissipates in the Timor Sea.

The current speed is 0.7-0.9 km per hour, salinity is 35.5-35.70 grams per liter. The water temperature along the course varies from 19 to 26 °C in February and from 15 to 21 °C in August.

Madagascar Current- warm surface current of the Indian Ocean off the eastern and southern shores of the island of Madagascar; branch of the South Tradewind Current.

Directed to the south and southwest at a speed of 2-3 km / h. The average water temperature on the surface for the year is up to 26 ° C. The salinity of the water is more than 35 ‰. In the southwest, it partially connects with the warm current of Cape Agulhas.

Mozambique current- warm surface current in the Mozambique Channel, in the western part of the Indian Ocean; branch of the South Tradewind Current. Directed south along the coast of Africa, where it passes into the Current of Cape Agulhas.

North trade wind- warm surface current in the Mozambique Channel, in the western part of the Indian Ocean; branch of the South Tradewind Current. Directed south along the coast of Africa, where it passes into the Current of Cape Agulhas.

Speed ​​up to 2.8 km/h (from November to April). The average water temperature on the surface for the year is up to 25 ° C. Salinity 35 ‰.

North equatorial current- a warm sea current in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

In the Pacific Ocean, the North Equatorial (North trade wind) current arises as a result of the deviation of the California current and flows between 10 ° and 20 ° north latitude in a westerly direction until, before the east coast of the Philippines, it undergoes a deviation and passes into the warm Kuroshio Current.

In the Atlantic Ocean, it arises from the Canary Current and flows between 10 ° and 30 ° north latitude in a northwest direction, being one of the sources of the Gulf Stream.

In the Indian Ocean, the direction of the North Equatorial Current depends on the season. During the winter months, during which the rainy season falls from the northeast, it is a weak westward current along the Equator. In the summer months, when the rains come from the southwest, the Somali current intensifies, flowing in a northeasterly direction along the coast of Africa and turning east, bypassing India.

Somali Current- current in the Indian Ocean of the peninsula of Somalia. The fastest current in the open ocean, can reach speeds of 12.8 km/h

Changes its direction with the seasons, caused by monsoon winds. During the summer monsoon (July - August), with a southwest wind, it reaches a width of about 150 km and a thickness of about 200 m in a stream. In summer, water rises from a depth along the eastern coast of Somalia. The water temperature sometimes drops to 13° (on the surface). In winter, the northeast monsoon interrupts the Somali current and turns it to the southwest. The rise of water from the depth practically stops.

The course of Cape Agulhas, or the Agulhas Current- a warm western boundary current in the Southwest Indian Ocean, which is part of the westward South Equatorial Current. Mostly runs along the western coast of Africa. The current is narrow and fast (on the surface the speed can reach 200 cm/s).

equatorial countercurrent- a powerful countercurrent in the interval between the North trade wind current and the South trade wind current, observed in the equatorial region around the entire globe in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.

Surface inter-trade countercurrents in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans have been known since the 19th century. These currents are directed to the east against the prevailing winds and against the movement of the main surface currents. Intertrade countercurrents are caused by the transverse unevenness of the prevailing winds (trade winds), so their speed and flow fluctuate significantly, up to disappearance, depending on the strength and uniformity of the winds.

In the middle of the 20th century, subsurface and even deep countercurrents were discovered. Including powerful equatorial subsurface countercurrents, the Cromwell Current in the Pacific and the Lomonosov Current in the Atlantic Oceans. Subsurface equatorial currents are caused by a pressure gradient and move as a narrow stream to the east under the westward trade wind current.

During the weakening of the trade winds, subsurface countercurrents can “come out” to the surface of the ocean and be observed as surface currents.

South Equatorial Current- named after the prevailing winds in the region - trade winds blowing from east to west - a warm current in the World Ocean, passing through the southern tropical latitudes.

In the Pacific Ocean, it begins not far from the coast of South America, approximately in the region of the Galapagos Islands, and goes west to the shores of New Guinea and Australia.

The northern boundary of the current ranges from 1 degree north latitude in summer to 3 degrees south latitude in winter.

Near the western coast of the Pacific Ocean, the current is divided into branches - part of the current turns to the east, joining the Equatorial countercurrent. Another major branch of the current is the East Australian Current, which begins off the coast of Australia.