Climate of Australia - Report Example

Running head: Climate of Australia Climate of Australia [Writer’s Name] [Institution’s Name] Climate of Australia Introduction The Australian continent is one of the world’s oldest land areas and has long been cut off from the other continental landmasses. Many unique animals such the kangaroo, the koala and the platypus are found there. The country is a major exporter of wool and mutton as well as beef and wheat. It is an industrialized country. The continent is in the southern hemisphere and its full official name is Commonwealth of Australia. It lies between the Indian Ocean on the northwest, west and south and the Pacific Ocean on the north and east. It is best known for a physical environment to which man has adapted with difficulty. It would seem that a niggardly nature had conspired to make it so. The continent has been deprived of much that attracts man by its position on the globe, its physiographic and, above all, its climate. This has strongly affected the distribution of soils, vegetation and population and, to a considerable degree, the course of economic development. Australia is a remarkably compact land mass because mountain building forces have not been as active in the last several geological periods as on most continents. Mountains that existed during earlier periods have been weathered and eroded to insignificance. The essential character of Australia’s scenery is derived from vast expanses of mountains, plain land and plateau; the more limited areas of rolling areas and dissected tablelands and the sluggish streams that often dry up altogether. The geographic history of Australia resulted in its clear but unequal tripartite physiographic division. Because of the paucity of rainfall and the general lack of relief, there are very few rivers in the interior and those that do exist do not reach the sea (Alden, 1963). Even around the continental margins most rivers are intermittent and vary greatly in their seasonal flow. Climate Man’s activities in Australia have been limited by the climate regime. Lack of moisture is the prime influence, but winds, temperature, changes of season and drought also play major roles. The outstanding feature of Australian climate is the arid centre surrounded by concentric belts with progressively increasing rainfall. Consequently, there is a wide range of vegetation. The climate has changed through the 15th century and the climate change is getting serious day by day and affecting the people. Winds As a compact land mass Australia creates some of its own wind patterns but they yield little moisture. In summer low pressure develops over the northwest attracting the warm moist winds called monsoons. Australia’s southerly winds blow parallel to the west coast (Stokes, 2006) most of the year and it is one of the world’s driest coasts. Highlands often produce substantial rainfall. Occasional tropical cyclones, called hurricanes, sweep in from the north east, bringing much destruction to the east coast between Cook Town and Brisbane. These intense coasts between Derby and Port Heed land here they are known as willy-hilly. In winter cyclonic storms affect the southern fringes of the continent and Tasmania (Singh, 2006). Afro’s seas bring rain to northern Australia. Southerly winds blow parallel to the west coast most of the year and it is the one of the driest coasts. Precipitation Australia’s reputation of a dry continent is well deserved. Nearly 40 percent of the continent receives less than 10 inches (250) mm of precipitation annually (Young, 1985). The driest area centers on Lake Eyre in South Australia where a few thousand square miles receive less than 5 inches 125 mm annually. Over a much larger area in central Australia useful rain may not fall for several consecutive years. The snowfall of the Australian Alps is of considerable economic importance as it stores water that ultimately flows to the snowy mountains hydro electric scheme. Much of the region of Australia receives high variability of rainfall, that is, in any given year, there is likely to be a substantial deviation above or below the average. Snowfalls regularly falls of more than 20 inches 500 mm. It falls only in two areas above 4500 feet – in the Australian Alps of Victoria and the New South Wales – and above 3500 feet in the highlands of Tasmania. Variations above the average may bring local flooding but variations below the norm may be disastrous especially in areas where the annual total is small. Even more severe is the occurrence of rainfall below average since several years. Widespread drought is common in the Australian interior, bringing death to livestock, financial ruin to grazers and destruction even of the xerophytes vegetation. In the far north more than 85 percent of the annual rain may fall during the first three months of the year. Most of the rains come in summer (December-March) (Dawe & Muir, 1983). The drier months may be virtually rainless and grazing animals suffer greatly from lack of feed and water. In winter the rain falls in the beginning of May and the end of September. Rainfall less than 5 inches (125 inches) is expected in desert and sand plains. Rainfall up to 5-10 inches occurs in two regions treeless regions on rocky hills about 20-30 inches falls in grasslands etc. rainfalls occurring greater than 50 inches these include rain forests. Temperature Australia is typically seen as a hot continent; however, as compared to other continental areas its temperature is somewhat cooler along the same latitudes of the southern hemisphere. Seasonal variations in temperature are generally small. The coastal areas along with the highlands, especially those of the southeast, are cooler than interior locations. The north, in particular the northwestern coast, is the hottest region of the continent. During the summer season, between December and March, the temperature across the mainland can rise above 90oF. The coastal areas of the southland east experience heat waves that result from strong winds from the interior which last several days. Although extreme temperatures are uncommon in this continent, there are a few areas which suffer from bouts of frost during the winter. This is especially common in the southeast where frost limits the cultivation of many crops and pasture plants. That being said it has been known that the eastern highlands in New South Wales and Victoria, the Australian Alps and most of Tasmania may have frost at any time of the year (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005). It is estimated that about two thirds of the continent have an average of 300 or more frost free days. Average July temperature in the southeast is around 49oF where as in the north July can see a temperature up to 53°F. A large portion of the Australian land is barren and cannot be used for farming or anything else. This is because the soil lacks the necessary nutrients which are needed for any such activities and is generally infertile. Climate as well as age has been important in fashioning a rough concentric distribution for the Australian soil. Extensive leeching is also another factor that has added to the infertility. Australia experiences an average of six cyclones each year during the months between November and April (Australia, Environment Australia & Csiro, 2002). These generally occur in tropical regions such as the coastal areas of Queensland, the Northern Territory, and Western Australia. Problems & Solutions Global warming is a pandemic that is not only plaguing Australia but is adversely affecting the entire world. On the whole we can see the variety of cyclones and hurricanes that are hitting various parts of the world continuously. However, if we take a closer look at the micro aspect of it we will notice a plight much worse. A study conducted by William Laurence showed that the overall effect of global warming has resulted in the dramatic decline of amphibian life on the eastern side of the continent. The bioclimatic modeling suggests that the temperatures are to blame for this development, i.e. because of the fluctuations in temperature along the tropical latitudes much of the amphibian life has died out. The research further suggests that the situation is only about to get worse and can push the myriad of species into extinction. An estimate also suggests that over 25 percent of the butterflies and as much as 50 percent of the land specifies in the Australian rainforests are at risk. The water situation is another problem for the continent. Since the 1970s the flow into the dams in the Western areas has fallen by over half its overall capacity. Global warming is further predicted to reduce rainfall over the southern side of Australia. Even if the environmental factors are ignored, the effects this will have on the general population in terms of water shortages and the subsequent unemployment caused in this industry will result in a whole host of new problems. Scientists are now pinpointing the drying effect down to global warming as well. It is predicted that Melbourne’s water supply alone would fall by 35 percent over the course of the next four decades. This will result in an increase in the number of tropical diseases to hit the continent. Brisbane and Sydney are said to be at the top of the list of the cities that will be the worst affected if such pandemics were to break out. It doesn’t end there; Australia has a very developed tourism industry which will suffer greatly because of the complete bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef. If they lose that industry it wouldn’t just result in an economic crisis, it will add to the already disruptive world market crash which has dragged the world into a global recession. The matter is made worse by the fact that Australia generates some of the cheapest but dirtiest energy in the entire world. The electricity produced via the coal reserves is high in efficiency and low in costs but is killing the environment slowly and making things worse for the entire world and not just Australia. There have been promises made by the government that something must be done, however, a compromise seems to be the subject of conflict because the government does not want to give up on its economic advantages which give it a competitive edge over the rest of the world. If it were to curb its coal energy or tax it to make it more environment friendly, it will subsequently affect all of the industry of the country and bring costs up, which is not something the government wants to do. The government needs to invest in efficient but clean, renewable sources of energy as soon as possible and try to control its carbon gas emission. It needs to take steps to bring down its pollution levels, which inadvertently are killing various species across the ecological range of the country. The green house effect is by far one of the worst in Australia; there need to be strict awareness programs constructed for the general masses so they can realize what they need to do in order to combat this problem. The government can try all it wants to save its industries but if another hurricane smashes through the area then there will be no industries to save the competitive advantage for. One good way of combating this problem is to start planting more trees. Not only will this be an effective means of combating floods but will also help in bringing rain to areas which are turning into barren lands. This is important for the government to do because Australia has nuclear energy and if a flood crashes into one of the planet great chaos will ensue. The course of a flood cannot be marked or controlled, there is no telling how many lives will be destroyed if something like this were to occur. If more trees are planted, then the topography of the country will allow it to become as it once was, a tropical haven. If nature is allowed to flourish then it will take the ecological problems away as well and all the species that are currently in danger will also cease to be at risk of extinction. References Alden, H. M. (1963). Harper's new monthly magazine, Volume 6. New York: Harper & Brothers. Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2005). Year book, Australia, Issue 87. Aust. Bureau of Statistics. Australia, Environment Australia & Csiro. (2002). Australia, state of the environment 2001: theme reports, Volume 1. Victoria: CSIRO Publishing. Dawe, C., & Muir, B. G. (1983). A Fauna survey of the Hamersley Range National Park, Western Australia, 1980. National Parks Authority of Western Australia. Lawrence, W. (2008). Global warming and amphibian extinctions in eastern Australia. Austral Ecology, 33(1), 1-9. Pittock, B. (Ed). 2003. Climate Change: an Australian Guide to the Science and Potential Impacts. Canberra: Australian Greenhouse Office. Singh. (2006). Geography for The Upsc Civil Services Preliminary Examination. Chennai: Tata McGraw-Hill. Stokes, J. L. (2006). Discoveries in Australia, Volume 2. Charleston, SC: BiblioBazaar, LLC. Young, M. W. (1985). Cities of the World. Florence, KY: Gale. Read More