The continent is surrounded by the sea on all sides, but there is an arid desert in the middle, how did the contrasting geology come about?
Among the geographical wonders of the planet, Australia's central desert is undoubtedly a striking landscape, and the existence of this region is often puzzling, that is, Australia is an island nation surrounded by the sea like Britain and Japan, but it has such a vast desert area in its middle.
Geographical features of the Central Desert
Australia is a continent surrounded by the sea and is known for its colourful natural landscapes, from coral coastlines to lush rainforests to dry deserts, the diversity of the land is breathtaking. It is in this country of natural diversity, there is also an incredible place whose existence seems to be contrary to the surrounding sea, and that is the huge desert in its middle.
This region occupies most of the inland area of the Australian continent, with a total area of about 176,000 square kilometres, making it one of the largest deserts in the world. The desert has large expanses of red dunes, exposed rocks, and dense desert vegetation. The climate conditions in the desert are very harsh, with temperatures reaching as high as 50 degrees Celsius in summer and dropping below zero degrees Celsius in winter.
The desert also has very limited annual precipitation, averaging less than 250 mm, resulting in a prolonged drought in the region. Meanwhile, part of Australia's Central Desert is located in the South Pacific monsoon belt, which means there are monsoon rains in the summer. Still, there is relatively little precipitation, and some seasonal rivers also pass through this area, but most of the time they dry up.
Despite its arid and extreme climatic conditions, Australia's Central Desert is home to a unique ecological diversity, including a wide variety of plants and wildlife such as koalas, kangaroos and a variety of desert plants. Together, these geographical features create a unique and impressive landscape in the Australian Central Desert that attracts scientists, explorers, and nature lovers to explore and study.
Diversity of climates
The ecosystems of Australia's Central Desert are unique and able to adapt to extreme environments. Plants in deserts often have special mechanisms for adapting to drought, such as long root systems in order to obtain groundwater sources. The flora of the central desert region includes herbaceous plants, low shrubs, and cacti, among others.
Australia's Central Desert is also home to some unique and rare wildlife, including kangaroos and koalas, and carnivores such as Australian lions and Australian camels. These animals have adapted to the dry and hot climate of the desert and are able to live and reproduce normally in extreme environments.
Despite the hot desert, the area is home to a wide range of birds, including some migratory birds. During the short rainy season, some lakes and rivers will have some water storage so that they may become a habitat for a large number of birds, such as pelicans, bird-billed sandpipers and other waterfowl.
Like other desert regions around the world, Australia's Central Desert region is home to a variety of reptiles, including snakes, lizards and turtles. Some snakes and lizards have evolved special physiological mechanisms to adapt to high temperatures. Insects are also quite biodiverse, and although they can survive in extreme climates, many insects will only be active at night to avoid the high temperatures of the day.
How was the Central Australian Desert formed?
First of all, the deserts in central Australia mainly include the Simpson Desert, Tanami Desert, Greater Victoria Desert, etc. Located inland on the Australian continent, hundreds to thousands of kilometres from the east and west coasts, these desert areas are typically plateaus, basins and sand dunes with relatively low terrain and a surface made up mainly of sand and rocks.
This geographical feature creates an exceptional dry climatic condition that helps to maintain the desert state in these regions. Secondly, one of the keys to the mystery of the Central Desert lies in the climatic conditions, with the central region of Australia largely under the influence of a high-pressure system that causes the air to sink.
The sinking air usually warms up and does not absorb moisture, so there is very little rainfall in these areas. The main rainfall in Australia usually occurs near coastlines, such as Queensland on the east coast and Perth on the west coast, which directly leads to dryness and desertification in the outback.
In addition, the Central Desert is also affected by the so-called rain shadow effect, when a moist air stream rises from the ocean and over the mountains, it cools and releases rainfall, but on the leeward side of the mountains, the Central Desert region, the air flow drops and becomes dry. Together, these geographical and climatic conditions contributed to the formation and maintenance of the Central Desert.
In modern times, the threat of climate change to the central desert is also increasing, drought events are becoming more frequent and severe, and a series of problems such as poor soils, reduced vegetation, and ecosystem destruction are occurring. Therefore, the existence of the Central Desert is not only related to geography and climate, but also closely linked to human activities and climate change.
The mystery of Australia's Central Desert, surrounded by the sea, reveals the complex interplay of geographical, climatic and ecological factors on Earth, while reminding humanity of the unity and interconnectedness of the Earth's climate system.
