Australian Climate
Australian Climate Zones
When looking at the climate of Australia, we can break up the continent into three basic areas of climate. The tropical region containing the northern peninsulas of Australia, as well as the city of Darwin, is hot and extremely wet. Average maximum temperatures range from 30 - 39°C with an average annual rainfall of up to 400 cm. The tropical north is covered with rainforests and is regularly hit by tropical monsoons, hence the extreme amount of precipitation. Secondly, the central deserts and grasslands cover over seventy percent of the inland and receive the least amount of rain, from 12 to 100 cm annually. The maximum temperature ranges from 24°C in the southern deserts to over 36°C in
…show more content…
The high pressure causes divergence, which decreases cloud cover. Therefore, the subtropical high which exists over Australia causes dry and cloud-free weather, atmospheric conditions which are conducive to deserts. The southeast corner of Australia is farthest away from the subtropical high and is moister than the central regions because of this. The northern area of the country is hit by tropical cyclones in the summer; while the southern part of Australia is struck by cold frontal systems from the south. Because the central region only receives the tail end of these systems, minimal precipitation occurs year-round. The driest location in Australia is Mulka Station on the Birdsville Track (in the Outback), which receives less than twelve centimeters of precipitation per year.
Although the subtropical high pressure belt is generally centered over Australia, it shifts from season to season. The high pressure belt causes many changes in weather; from October to March the belt is in the south, carrying moisture from the Pacific into the temperate area in the southeast. During the winter, the belt shifts northward, increasing the amount of precipitation in the tropical regions of the north. When the high pressure system shifts north, the
Firstly, the biome has a low rainfall. In summer the average rainfall is 21 millimetres. In winter, the average rainfall is 39 millimetres. In summer the minimum temperature is 18 degrees and the maximum temperature is that of 34 degrees. In winter, the minimum temperature is 4 degrees and the maximum temperature is 18 degrees. Thirdly, the latitude of the Flinders Rangers is 31.4933 degrees south and 138.4897 degrees east. Furthermore, the semi-arid biome covers a wide area and therefore the climate has vastly differing characteristics. The average rainfall decreases with latitude, with the southern flinders region experiences a higher winter rainfall than the northern region. The northern region also has summer storms that are unpredictable from year to
Even though Australia is known for its beautiful landscape, it is also known for its harsh climates. This includes the Queensland floods, the Victorian bush fires, the South Australian heat waves or the Newcastle earthquake. Henry Lawson highlights the harsh climates of the outback in his poem ‘Up The Country’. The line ‘barren rights, gullies, ridges’ highlights the fact that Lawson is not impressed with the pitiless sky and that the outback is extremely dry. The line ‘dreary land in rainy weather with the endless clouds that drift’ means
Illustrating the actual and potential impacts of climate change this paper seeks to dramatize the impacts climate change could have on Australia’s national security if action to cut carbon emissions is not taken.
122 degrees in the summer months. 90% Of Australian citizens live outside the outback which
The climate is one condition that may vary within different regions. The country extends a long distance from north to south. There is a lack of rainfall to the north. there the air is able to hold much of the moisture.
Earth is not what it was before, it is rapidly changing due to human activity and natural causes. If humans continue these trends by harming the Earth, it would constantly affect the environment, plants, animals, the earth we live in and humanity. In this essay I will be explaining; What climate change is. How does climate change affected the biodiversity on the Great Barrier Reefs. What are some prediction for future effects of climate change. How this will impact biodiversity on the Great Barrier Reef. How it will affect other ecosystems and what locals and global consideration to reduce the impacts of climate change.
The climate of the interior plains is continental, which basically means that the climate is relatively dry with extremely hot summers and cold winters. The weather is very diverse and may change quickly without warning. In the North of the physiographic region, the winters are long and the summers are short and cool whereas in the South, the the winters are harsh with little precipitation and long summers. Although the humid weather and the flat lands create an ideal place to grow crops like wheat and corn, the growing season itself is quite short, even in the southern region due to the lack of precipitation needed for diversified crops to flourish. The flat prairies east to the Rockies is a meeting ground for Arctic, Pacific and
Impact of Urban Density on local climate. Melbourne has an oceanic climate which sees big natural fluctuations in the temperature and weather conditions throughout the year, giving Melbourne the reputation of having “four seasons in one day” (“Melbourne Regional Office”). In any growing city, the urban architecture has a huge impact on the local climate of the city.
The Tropical North Queensland region of Australia is filled with beautiful beaches, scenic views, and endless ways to spend a lazy day. This is just one side of this incredible region but there is another side of this tropical paradise that is filled with unique adventures and those who are true thrill seekers love the many ways to spend their days in Australia as well.
It is not only the weather that the air masses bring that affects the climate of the UK, but also, the complex interactions between the air masses. Most importantly, the interactions between the Polar Maritime and Tropical maritime air masses can lead to the formation of areas of significantly low pressure called depressions. These depressions usually form in the Atlantic Ocean at the boundary between PM and TM air, and bring characteristic cloudy, wet and windy conditions. These depressions are what are responsible for many of the winter storms. They are regular occurrences and so contribute to the overall pattern of weather over a long period i.e. the climate of the British Isles. The interaction between continental air masses often leads to anticyclones which are the opposite of depressions – areas of significantly high pressure. They bring settled weather, with clear skies and light winds. In the summer they can be responsible for temperatures of over 30⁰C. Many say it is the pattern of depressions and anticyclones passing over Britain that is responsible for its
Although the weather is constantly changing, the climate for a general area can sometimes surprise you and change as well, especially in areas where the weather is considered “bipolar” since it changes so much.
Australia is the sixth largest country in the world. It lies in the Southern Hemisphere between 11° and 44° south latitude and 113° and 154° east longitude. The entire area of land is about the same size as the continental United States, or about one and a half times the size of Europe. The mainland of Australia has an area of 2,967,909 square miles. The country is divided into six states: Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia.
Climate change induced coastal hazards in Australia: vulnerabilities, adaptation strategies in development planning and adaptation cost in South Australia
When the Norse arrived in Greenland, the climate was relatively mild (Diamond, 266). Even then, conditions were not good for living the same lifestyle as in Norway. It was colder there with longer winters and the soil was worse. Then, in the 1400s, the Little Ice Age happened, and there was even less hay to feed the cattle. So, the Norse were faced with a second factor in the five-point framework: climate change. In Australia, there was no ice age, but the climate changed too. The first settlers arrived during a number of wet years and thought that was normal. They started raising sheep and cattle expecting rain every year. However, the author states that enough rain falls only in about half of all years in most areas, and in some only during 2 in 10 years (Diamond, 384).
Global warming is a phenomenon leading to climate change. Human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels releases large amounts of greenhouse gases. These gases absorb infrared radiation and cover the atmosphere. More and more infrared radiation is inside the Earth, which becomes warmer. This process is called global warming (Houghton, 2005). Australia is one of the countries, which is suffering from climate change. The average temperature of Australia has increased by 0.7°C since the past century. Average precipitation in the southwest and southeast in Australia will decrease in future decades, while northwest regions will increase in precipitation. Moreover, Australia’s coastlines will suffer from erosion and inundation because it is estimated that there will be an 8–88 cm increasing global sea level (Preston and Jones, 2006). Owing to climate change, Australia’s biodiversity, ecosystems, and natural habitats are destroyed. For example, the habitat of the Great Barrier Reef and coral communities are disappearing (Preston and Jones, 2006). Owing to the effects and it is energy crisis in the future, exploring the renewable energy source feasibility and sustainable development is necessary. Therefore, in the long term, the potential of wind energy and solar energy could be the answer to global warming in Australia and determine the current barriers to renewable energy in terms of the energy industry and the locations in Australia.