Chapter 32Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica

The Land, Climate and Vegetation ”Down Under”

http://youtu.be/0E1bNmyPWww

AustraliaThe only place on earth that is a country, an island and a continent.

Mountains and PlateausA chain of hills and and mountains known as the Great Dividing Range interrupts Australia's level landscape on the eastern coast from Cape York Peninsula to the island of Tasmania.

The Western Plateau is an area of low flat land in central and western Australia. It covers almost two-thirds of the continent. It is known as the Outback and few people live there.Great Sandy Desert and Great Victoria Desert, and Gibson Desert are spread across the plateau.The Nullarbor Plain lies south of the Great Victoria Desert. The name is Latin for "no tree". It is a dry virtually treeless land ending in giant cliffs. Hundreds of feet below the cliffs lies the churning Great Australian Bight, part of the Indian Ocean.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uG92Lv28dN0n.

AUSTRALIA

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CENTRAL LOWLANDS

GREAT BARRIER REEF

Located along Australia's NE coast, it is the world'slargest coral reef. It is a World Heritage Site.A string of many small reefs formed from coral -the limestone skeleton of tiny sea animals.

The central lowlands separate the Great Dividing Range and the Western Plateau.It is an arid expanse of grassland and desert that extends across the east central part of Australia.Infrequent rains fill rivers and lakes but they remain dry most of the year.The Murray and Darling Rivers supply water for irrigation.Pressurized underground water is supplied by the Great Artesian Basin located beneath the lowlands. Its' water is too salty for humans but is used to water livestock.

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NATURAL RESOURCES

OCEANIA1000's of islands differing in size and spreading across millions of square miles of the Pacific Ocean form Oceania.Some islands were created by colliding tectonic plates others by volcanic hot spots.

Only 10% of Australia's land can be farmed. Wheat, barley, fruit, sugarcane, and tea are grown near the Darling and Murray rivers.In the arid Outback region ranchers raise cattle, sheep and chickens.Australia has one-fourth of the world's bauxite used in the production of aluminum.Opals here are the world's highest quality and largest quantity.Deposits of coal, iron, lead, zinc, gold, nickel, and petroleum make Australia one of the world's major mining areas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYRjSFedAdk

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Island GroupsMelanesia-"black islands" lie NE of Australia.Micronesia -"little islands" lie north of Melanesia.Polynesia- "many Islands" spans an area larger that either Melanesia or Micronesia from Midway Island in the north to New Zealand in the south.

Island TypesHigh islands- earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. Volcanic soil supports some agriculture. Feature mountain ranges, valleys and coastal plains. Example: Tahiti.Low islands- many are atolls, ring-shaped, formed from coral reefs on the rim of submerged volcanoes. Atolls encircle lagoons, shallow pools of clear water and are only a few feet above sea level. Little soil and few natural resources are in the low islands.

OCEANIA: Island types-continued

Continental Islands- Formed from the rising and folding of ancient rock from the ocean floor. Examples: New Guinea and New Caledonia.Coastal areas have plains, swamps, and rivers. Interior areas include volcanoes, mountains, plateaus, and valleys.Have most of Oceania's mineral deposits.Some larger forested islands support timber processing.

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NEW ZEALAND

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NEW ZEALAND - North Island and South Island. Both islands have sandy beaches, emerald hillsides, and snow-tipped mountains.North Island- northern region has golden beaches, ancient forests, and rich soil. A central plateau of volcanic stone features hot springs and active volcanoes. Mt. Ruapehu is North Island's highest point.The plateau has shining freshwater lakes throughout.

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South Island-towering, snowy peaks of the southern Alps run along South Island's western edge. Aorangi is the highest peak.The Maori people are NZ earliest inhabitants..

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Located in the southern most point of Earth5.4 million square milesFifth largest continentNo indigenous peopleLimited plant and animal life1820 first seen by human eyes

PLANT AND ANIMAL LIFENo trees, only algae, lichen, and mosses.Animal life consists of penguins, whales, and seals.

LAND AND CLIMATETransantarctic Mountains separate the land into East and West.The Antarctic Peninsula and surrounding islands of West Antarctica have the mildest temperatures.-126 F is the lowest yearly temperature.Average temperature in summer (January) is above freezing.

ANTARCTICA - THE LAND OF ICE

ANTARCTIA - THE LAND OF ICE

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ANTARCTIA - THE LAND OF ICENATURAL RESOURCES

Only 1 percent has been surveyed for minerals.Evidence shows the continent is rich in mineral resources such as coal, copper, lead, zinc, silver, gold, oil, and natural gas.Harsh conditions prohibit extraction.Environmental concerns caused restrictions on mining in 1991.

ANTARCTIA - THE LAND OF ICE

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Exploration and Scientific Research

Captain James Cook became the first person to cross the Antaractic Circle. He never saw land but scientists, explorers, and whalers made discoveries in the 1800's.Eventually seven nations laid claim to sections of the continent. Today 27 countries have 43 stations operating. The population of these stations run from 1000 in the winter to 4000 in the summer.

Tourism-Most visit by cruises making short excursions to the mainland. October through February are the summer months for tourism.

Global warming and the Ozone layer. According to the text, printed in 2008 global warming has led to some ice melting. The book claims that the ozone reached it's largest area in 2000. According to scripture only God controls weather, climate change, earthquakes, volcanic erruptions, floods, everything.. None are controlled by man. These theories are a result of what Romans 1:18-26 addresses. Men have rejected God's truth and have become futile in their speculations.

AUSTRALIACLIMATE AND VEGETATIONRainfall determines the climate and vegetation of Australia.Tropical climates are in the northeast.Deserts in the interior.Midlatitude temperate areas of grasslands, scrub, and mixed forests are along the eastern, southern and south-western coasts.

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Steppe Climates encircle Australia's desert region.More regular rainfall causes vegetation to flourish. Eucalyptus and acacia trees and small shrubs grow freely here.From the acacia saplings early settlers made wattle, a strong, interwoven wooden framework used for building homes. Rainfall is only during the wet season and varies from 10-20 inches.Short grasses and irrigated crops can grow here.

CLIMATE AND VEGETATION CONTINUED

COASTAL CLIMATES are a variety of more moist climates.NE coast has a humid subtropical and averages 80 inches of rain per year.In the southern coasts less rain falls in the Mediterranean climate area.The southeastern coastal areas have a marine west coast climate.The coastal areas support most of the agriculture for Australia.

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CLIMATE AND VEGETATION CONTINUED

OCEANIA AND NEW ZEALANDMost islands have a tropical wet climate ranging in temperature from 70 F - 80 F.Seasons are usually either Wet or Dry.Low islands get little rainfall and only shrubs and grasses grow here.Islands with more rainfall grow coconut palms and other trees.Hot, steamy rain forests thrive where heavy rains drench island interiors.

Doldrums, a generally windless band near the Equator where opposing ocean currents meet, cause a calm that can change to violent storms called typhoons.NZ has a Marine West Coast climate in most areas. Mild summers and winters make it an ideal place to live.The North Island's central plateau is sunny and warm during summer, but mountaintops may have snow year-round. Average rainfall is 20-60 inches annually.The Southern Alps on South Island have an average annual rainfall of 315 inches!Unique plant life in NZ. 90% of their indigenous plants are native only to NZ.Manuka, a small shrub covers much of the land where volcanic soil is rich.

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Deforestation caused by clearing forests during early settlement is being reversed by importing several tree species from Europe and North America.

NEW ZEALAND -CONTINUED