AUSTRALIAN TRAGEDY At five o'clock on Friday afternoon, mother and daughter left the bakery together and prepared to go home. The daughter, taking the bicycle she had left at the entrance, told her mother: “You go straight home through the park, and I will ride around.” Approaching the house, Linda Kingi was sure

Australian depression

Australian History In May 1938, Australia decided not to buy the Blenheims, rightly considering them obsolete. An alternative was required, and Beaufort was recommended in August. In December, the British Air Mission visited Australia, and on 23

The relief of Australia is unique. 95% of the mainland has a height of no more than 600 meters above sea level. Mostly they are plains. Mountains occupy only 5% of the entire territory of the mainland.

Forms and main indicators of heights

The relief of Australia has not changed much since Precambrian times, there were no serious tectonic movements.

Once Australia, like Africa, was part of the large mainland of Gondwana. The separation of Austria from Gondwana occurred in the Mesozoic.

The relief of the mainland was greatly influenced by such a process as denduation - this is the process of transfer, demolition (under the influence of the forces of nature) of the products of crushing rocks to low-lying areas. It was during this process that peneplain appeared - spacious plains with low island mountains.

Fig 1. Relief map of Australia

The basis for a relatively flat relief was the Precambrian Australian platform, which, in turn, is part of the Indo-Australian lithospheric plate, and the relatively young Epi-Hercynian platform. Some experts note that the Hindustan platform also serves as the basis for the even relief of the mainland (it is also part of the Indo-Australian lithospheric plate).

Briefly describe all the forms of the Australian relief, indicating the heights, using the table.

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Figure 2. Mount Kosciuszko in Australia

There are no active volcanoes and manifestations of modern glaciation in Australia. In some places, the cones of the oldest extinct volcanoes have been preserved, but tectonic activity is not observed, although, most likely, in the past this continent was one of the centers of tectonic activity on the planet.

Relief and minerals of Australia

The relief of the mainland and, especially, its peculiar formation, influenced the amount of minerals found here. The Australian mainland is very rich in minerals and is one of the largest resource pools on the planet.

On the mineral map of Australia, the regional binding of certain resources is clearly visible. In a condensed form, this can be presented as a table from which you can understand which minerals of Australia are concentrated in a particular region of the mainland:

Figure 3. Minerals map of Australia

Many deposits in Australia lie at shallow depths, which is why they are mined in an open way.

Australia currently occupies:

• 1st place in iron ore mining;
• 1st place in the extraction of bauxite, lead and zinc;
• 2nd place in uranium mining;
• 6th place in coal production.

It should be noted that currently Australia ranks first in the world in diamond mining. The country's largest deposit is located in the area of ​​Lake Argyle.

Among other things, Australia is actively working on the development of deposits of clay, sand and limestone.

What have we learned?

The characteristic of the relief of Australia is simple. There are practically no high mountains on this mainland, in terms of area this mainland is more like a large island, the coastline is quite flat, a large area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe mainland is occupied by plains and plateaus. But, despite this, Australia is the world leader in raw materials.

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Which occupies most of Australia, located in the western and central parts and a younger, Paleozoic, folded belt under the general name of the Tasmanian fold-thrust belt, located in the east. The Australian platform consists of two tectonic structures - the shield (West Australian Massif) in the west and the Solomon Plate in the central part. The western part of the platform is older than the central one, since it was formed in the Early Precambrian, that is, it was composed of Archean and Early Proterozoic rocks. In some places, the foundation of the platform comes out on the surface (in very large areas), forming the so-called shields. The best known shields in this region are the Yilgarn and Pilbara blocks in the west, and the Gawler block in the southeast. They are known for the fact that, according to some studies, these are the most ancient places on our planet. So, the age of the Yilgarn block components is estimated at 4150 Ma, the age of the rocks of the Pilbara block is estimated at 3500 Ma. The composition of these rocks includes mainly granites and gneisses. the Yilgarn, Pilbara and other smaller blocks make up the East Australian massif, which is divided into separate horst massifs by narrow hummock valleys.

As for the platform cover of this region, it can be divided into two subunits: Early Precambrian (or protoplatform) and Late Precambrian-Phanerozoic (or platform proper) formations. The proto-platform formation includes the Hamersli protosyneclise located at the southern flank of the Hamersli horst massif. This protosyneclise has a lenticular structure in which large oil reserves are located. The protosyneclise is composed of clayey rocks, dolomites, sandy volcanic rocks, and tilloids of origin. The actual platform structures include the MacArthur syneclise (the western coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria), the River (the southern flank of the Pine Creek massif), and the St. Nicholson depression (between the Musgrave and McDonnell spines).

The Solomon Plate is located in the central part of the Australian Platform. The Solomon Plate is subdivided into smaller geostructures - this is the Canning syneclise (in the relief it is expressed in low-lying parts, in which the depression of Lake Eyre is located) and the Perth graben, which stretches from west to east (in the relief it is expressed by the more elevated peneplainized Nalarbor plain).

Most of central Australia is occupied by plains, which are composed of horizontal marine and continental sedimentary deposits. Here the Central is very extensive, which is located to the east and southeast of the Western Australian massif. This structure was formed as a result of tectonic stresses of two tectonically active interacting structures of the west and east, which caused the surface to sag and be flooded by seas, which occurred in the Mesozoic period. A section of this plain, especially that which is located around the endorheic Lake Eyre, is located below sea level and is the lowest place in all of Australia. This area is rocky with a developed dune system. Uplands can be found in places - the hill of Bar-ir.

The southern part of the mainland, located along the coast of the Great Australian Bight, is occupied by the Nullarbor Plain, which is composed of Tertiary limestones from the surface. Its relief is characterized by a wide development of karst forms.

In the north, around the Gulf of Carpentaria, a lowland stretches, which has risen to a small height in recent geological time. It is represented by loose sediments and is covered with numerous sediments that flow into the bay.

Now let's move on to the terrain

The western part of Australia is occupied by plateaus and plateaus under the general name of the Western Australian Plateau with average heights of 400 - 600 m, however, the outskirts of this massif have been uplifted by recent geological movements, so the highest points are in the east (that is, on the outskirts) where they reach up to 1500 m Heights of 1500 m and above reach the top of Woodroffe located on the Musgrave massif. About the McDonnell massif, which is located to the north, it is separated by a wide graben, in which Lake Amadeus is located. These massifs rise in the form of separate horst islands above the Carnavon Plain and are complicated by ancient granites and Lower Paleozoic folded rocks. As a result of the desert-continental, these mountains have acquired a very bizarre appearance.

Now let's move on to the eastern part of the mainland. The entire eastern half of Australia is occupied by the highest and most extensive mainland - the East Australian Mountains, which are sometimes called the Australian Cordillera. Geologically, this area is called the Tasmanian fold-thrust belt, which was more active in the Paleozoic. The Cordilleras run in the longitudinal direction, starting from the Cape York Peninsula and ending in the extreme southeast of the mainland,. This belt also appears on the neighboring island, occupying its western outskirts. On the continent, the length of the Australian is about 4000 km, and the width is 1500 km. The articulation of the Australian platform with the Tasmanian belt is not very pronounced in the relief, the entire territory, including the belt, is hidden under younger Mesozoic platform formations of sedimentary origin. This upper platform area is called the "Tasman Line" which extends north from the Georgetown Platform Massif and further south where it terminates at the Broken Hill Platform Massif. This place is very special! This feature lies in the fact that this is the only place on Earth where this belt is a transitional zone (that is, a shelf) of the ancient ocean. In tectonic terms, the Australian Cordillera is divided into two zones or megazones that are different in time - Western and Eastern. The tectonic development of the Eastern megazone ended in the Paleozoic-Mesozoic period, and the Western megazone - in the initial Paleozoic. And to be more precise, the East Australian mountains are a Paleozoic structure!

As for the relief, there is no more beautiful and powerful place in Australia than this. The Australian Cordilleras are characterized by very strong tectonic and erosional dissection. Faults and valleys divide this belt into separate blocky massifs, complicated by Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary deposits, as well as volcanic crystalline rocks, among which Tertiary basalts, which erupted during the Australonesian orogeny along fault lines, especially clearly predominate.

The eastern and western halves of the Cordillera are distinct in their shape. The eastern slopes of the mountains are steeper, which, coming close to the coast, form steep sections in places. But the western half of the mountains is gently sloping, which, when moving west, gradually turns into a strip of hilly foothills.

It occupies the entire northern half of the mountain system. The north of the ridge is complicated by granites, shales and basalts with very significant reserves of tin ores. The height of this area is about 500 m above sea level. When moving south, this ridge becomes even higher until 1600, which comes close to the coast. The slopes of the mountains, as a rule, are complicated by faults, a lot of cliffs. With further advancement to the south, inland, these mountains lower and the relief becomes hilly. Here in the alluvium of the rivers there are deposits of gold. Then, when the belt of the Great Dividing Range ends, it abruptly breaks off into the so-called pericratonic region, in which rich oil deposits were found. The heights of this belt are not great - about 20 m.

In the south, the pericratonic region begins with a new mountain system, the Likhlan massif. The Likhlan massif is a collection of ridges separated by small faults. The most famous ridges include New England, Liverpool, the Blue Mountains, etc. The northern part of the Likhlan massif is covered by a thick basalt cover, which hides a lowered folded base. Ancient craters are sometimes found here and post-volcanic activity is observed, which indicates a very strong recent activity in this region. Further, to replace the blocky mountains, ridges with table surfaces appear, something resembling a table mountain in. The height of this area is 1000-1600m. These ridges in the west pass into a hilly upland called the downs, which are irrigated by the river system of the Darling and rivers. The eastern foot of the mountains breaks off with a low plain up to 50 km wide, occupied by developed sandstones in which traces of ancient organisms can be found - cotillabs and mallamites.

To the south, the ridges are crossed by a transverse tectonic depression of the river. Hunter, which is filled with Permian-Carboniferous deposits with significant reserves. When moving south, these mesas again appear, but already in the form of the so-called Blue Mountains. These mountains are called blue because ... ... The height of the Blue Mountains reaches about 1200m. The Blue Mountains are known for their deep karst caves overlain by Silurian deposits. The coastal part of the Blue Mountains has very convenient bays, on the coast of which the city is located, which is the largest port on the east coast of Australia.

When moving south, the Likhlan massif passes into a new mountain system - the Australian Alps. They are characterized by a horst structure overlain by Paleozoic rocks. The average height of these mountains is about 1500 m and are dissected by deep river valleys. It is in this place that traces of the ancient Quaternary glaciation appear, mostly not deep cara funnels and sheep's foreheads. Here is the highest peak in all of Australia - Mount Kosciuszko (2234 m).

In the extreme south of Australia, the Australian Cordilleras are called Victorian having the appearance of peneplanized plateaus and an array with heights of about 1900m. They end at Port Phillip Bay, on which the port of Australia is located -.

The smallest and concurrently the most ancient on the planet is mainland Australia. It is located in the southern hemisphere of the planet and, one might say, separates the icy Antarctica and the equatorial archipelagos of Indonesia. The relief of Australia is also unusual and unique. Everyone who has visited this land claims that such stunning landscapes are not found anywhere else in the world. Well, we will also consider what landforms of Australia exist and how different parts of the continent differ from each other.

Geographical position

To begin with, let's decide what the geographical position of this continent is. It is located in the eastern part of the Southern Hemisphere, stretches along the tropical and subtropical belt. It is washed by the waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, as well as the numerous seas that adjoin it. The area of ​​the continent is 7,659,861 square kilometers. The exact coordinates of Australia are determined by its extreme points. To the south is the South East Cape, 43 degrees S. sh.; in the north - Cape York, 10 degrees S. sh.; in the east - Cape Byron, 154 degrees E. d.; in the west - Cape Steep Point, 114 degrees E. e. Australia is surrounded by numerous islands, among which the largest are New Guinea and Tasmania. Also here is the famous Great Barrier Reef, consisting of a unique breed of corals.

General data on the geology of the continent

The relief of Australia is predominantly flat. It consists of plateaus that rise slightly above sea level. At the same time, they rise in the coastal area, and in the center of the mainland there is a significant lowering of the soil, that is, a depression. The contour map of Australia also clearly shows us that there are mountains here. However, this is just one ridge, located in the east of the mainland, which has a very low height compared to other mountain systems in the world. From a geological point of view, the smallest continent in the world is usually divided into three parts: eastern, western and central.

Eastern elevations

Mountains and hills are by no means the main landforms of Australia, but in the east they occupy the vast majority of the territory. The local landscapes are made up of the Great Dividing Range, the highest point of which is Mount Kosciuszko, 2228 meters high. The ridge itself is divided into four longitudinal zones. The first is coastal mountain ranges that stretch along the shores of the Pacific Ocean. The second - intermountain lowlands, reaching levels below sea level. They are followed by zones with major mountain ranges. Well, in fourth place are the downs - foothills with a hilly surface in the west of the ridge.

Orography of the Dividing Range

Any contour map of Australia clearly shows that the main range of the continent is divided into two parts: the mountains of New South Wales and the mountains of Queensland. In the first part, the parameters of the belt are narrowed, but the height of the shafts is very significant. Local depressions gradually turn into coastal plains of the accumulative type. The closer to the south, the less hills are found. The second part of the ridge, Queensland, occupies a larger area, but the terrain does not have too large elevation changes. This zone is called a typical middle mountain. Also here all four bands are very pronounced.

A rarity of geology: the west and its historical heritage

The western relief of Australia is presented in the form of high plains, approximately 300-500 meters. This height decreases to the level of the World Ocean only in the southwestern part, where the Nullarbor Plain is located. Closer to the center of the mainland are small ridges. They were formed as a result of platform uplifts in recent times. The heritage of the region is the area with the most ancient breed on the planet. It has not been destroyed here since the Neogene era. It was at this time that a dry windy climate was established, which still prevails on the mainland. Paradoxically, it was the wind that was the cause of the destruction of many rocks on Earth for thousands of years. And here it seems to strengthen the soil, preserving its originality and originality.

Lowlands of the center

As we said above, the main landforms of Australia are lowlands, and it is in the central part that they are most clearly represented. The height above sea level here is on average 150 meters, the closer to the geographical center, the lower. The Central Plains stretch from north to south from the Gulf of Carpentaria to the Great Australian Bight. Within these limits are the main lowland plateaus of the continent. First the plain of Carpentaria, followed by the low-lying region of the Great Artesian Basin. The Murray-Darling Plain is characterized by elevation changes. Within its limits is the most extensive and full-flowing river of Australia - Murray. Lake Eyre is also located in the central part of the continent. Its depth is the lowest point in Australia - fifteen meters below sea level.

The deserts of Australia are the "horse" of local landscapes

It is precisely because the relief of Australia is predominantly flat and low-lying that many desert territories have formed here, which are strewn with sands of various rocks. Deserts occupy the central and western parts of the continent and smoothly turn into either savannahs or mountain ranges. Mostly all the sands that cover the territory of Australia have a non-standard brown or coral hue. This effect is created for two reasons. Firstly, here the soils really have a red pigment, which slightly “tints” the sand and makes it unique. Secondly, the position of the sun affects the shade of the Australian deserts. It is on this continent that it shines at such an angle that at sunrise and sunset it makes the already red sand even darker and more saturated. Therefore, it is recommended to inspect the local sand dunes and dunes in the evening (or in the morning) in order to see them in all their unique beauty, under the light of the slanting rays of the setting sun.

tropical jungle

Surprisingly, in this abyss of red sands and terrible monsoon winds, there are also very wet areas filled with dense green vegetation. We are talking about the northern part of the region, which is located in the tropical zone. Here the maximum amount of precipitation is concentrated, a very high level of humidity and slight temperature fluctuations. In the north of Australia, various palm trees, eucalyptus, ferns and acacias grow, unique animals live. Among them are flying squirrels and foxes, koalas, possums, huge bats and unique lizards.

tropical shores

The description of Australia would be incomplete if we did not talk about its most tidbit - the resort areas. They include two main areas - the Gold Coast and the Great Barrier Reef. The first is located near Brisbane, in the Gulf of the Pacific Ocean. This is one of the most famous surf spots in the world. Gold Coast is a unique place where the progress of modern cities and the primeval nature of the local nature are combined. The barrier reef is a real treasure, it stretches along the northeast of the continent. It consists of almost a thousand islets surrounded by bright turquoise water. Diving is popular here, as the marine life living in corals is incredibly beautiful and interesting.