What is the Great Australian Desert?
The Great Australian Desert is a collection of deserts and desert regions in the center regions of the Australian continent, although it is technically made up of smaller deserts and other arid regions. About 18% of the continent is covered in desert, with a further 35% covered in what’s essentially deserts due to its extreme aridity. Altogether, around 10 primary deserts make up the Great Australian desert, with each ranging between 0.016% and 4.5% of the surface area of the continent. The largest desert is the Great Victoria Desert, and the smallest is the Pedirka Desert. Central and western Australia have extremely sparse populations, especially in the interior regions. The least populated regions of the Great Australian Desert are some of the most sparsely inhabited places in the world (in regard to humans), although they contain some of the most interesting wildlife.
How Large is the Great Australian Desert?
Altogether, the Great Australian Desert is around 1,000,000 square miles. Officially recognized desert regions make up around 18% of the total surface area of the continent, although a total of 35% of the continent is dry enough to be considered desert in a more colloquial sense. The region is known as the fourth largest desert in the world, behind the Antarctic, the Arctic, and the Sahara. Polar regions are technically considered deserts, although they aren’t hot. Without the Antarctic and the Arctic, the Great Australian Desert is the second largest in the world behind only the Sahara. In addition to the sheer surface area, the Great Australian Desert is one of the oldest and most unchanged regions in the world. Additionally, around 40% of the desert is covered in sand dunes, making the continent one of the most infertile places in the entire world by the surface area of fertile soil.
Where is the Great Australian Desert located?
As the name suggests, the Great Australian Desert is located in Australia. It’s important to know, however, that the desert isn’t a single region, but a group of 10 deserts spread across the center of the continent. The largest portions of the desert are found in the Western Plateau and the interior of the country. Regions covered by some portion of the desert include South West Queensland, the Far West region of New South Wales, Sunraysia in Victoria, Spencer Gulf in South Australia through the Barkly Tableland in Northern Territory, and the Kimberley region in Western Australia. Within the various regions are different geological and biological landscapes. Common geographical regions include mountains, salt pans, stone deserts, red sand dunes, sandstone mesas, rocky plains, salt lakes, and more. The ten deserts that make up the collective region are, from largest to smallest, include:
Climate in the Great Australian Desert
Deserts are created from a lack of water and moisture, and the Great Australian Desert is no different. Even still, the various deserts collectively receive more rain than most other true deserts, but the high level of evapotranspiration that occurs nullifies the extra moisture. Altogether, Australia is the driest overall continent in the world. The average rainfall in the Great Australian Desert is around 9.84 inches a year. For reference, the Sahara receives around 3 inches of rainfall a year. Additionally, the interior of the continent is relatively stable and isn’t as influenced by the wet and dry seasons that are more common to the northern regions. Still, the wet season comes with thunderstorms that sweep across the land from April to September. During the summer, the desert regions of Australia are regularly recorded between 90 and 104 degrees F. Winter brings slightly cooler temperatures, but it is mostly regional. Places impacted by winter can range from 64-73 degrees during the day. At night, the deserts lose much of their heat, dropping to around 43 degrees in many instances. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Australia occurred on January 13th of 2022, coming in at 123.3 degrees F. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Australia was -9.4 degrees F on January 2nd, 1960.
Wildlife in the Great Australian Desert
The Great Australian Desert may be uninhabited by humans, but it is still one of the most diverse places on earth. In fact, the desert is so isolated that it has some of the highest numbers of endemic species found anywhere in the world. The interior of Australia has the world’s largest population of feral camels. Other mammals in the region include dingoes, wombats, wallabies, kangaroos, and more. Reptiles include bearded dragons, thorny devils, frogs, and more. Birds that live in the desert include emus, parrots, cockatoos, owls, and more. Despite the overall aridity and spare population of the Great Australian Desert, the region is home to some of the rarest and most unique creatures found anywhere else. Conservation of the region is extremely important to preserve its immense biodiversity.
What to do and see in the Great Australian Desert
Although the arid desert is extremely dry and hot, some regions have a thriving tourism industry. There are around a million tourists that visit the Northern Territory each year. Within the parks are camping sites, hiking trails, and a lot more. Tours are centered around the natural beauty of the region, as well as the excursions available. Additionally, people come to see wildlife that can only be found in the deserts of Australia. Even more, there are famous fossil sites across the region that tourists and researchers alike travel to see and explore. The most famous tourist destinations in the Great Australian Desert include:
Arkaroola and Wilpena Pound in the Flinders RangesAustralian Stockman’s Hall of FameDevils MarblesKakadu National ParkKata Tjuta (The Olgas)Katherine GorgeKings Canyon (Watarrka)MacDonnell RangesMonkey MiaMount Augustus National ParkUluru (Ayers Rock)Willandra Lakes RegionLake MungoGawler Ranges National ParkGawler Ranges Conservation ParkGreat Victoria Desert Nature ReserveLake Gairdner National ParkMamungari Conservation ParkMunga-Thirri National ParkKarlamilyi National ParkMount Willoughby Indigenous Protected AreaNullarbor Regional ReservePureba Conservation ParkQueen Victoria Spring Nature ReserveTallaringa Conservation ParkWatarru Indigenous Protected AreaYellabinna Regional ReserveYellabinna Wilderness Protection AreaYumbarra Conservation ParkBlack Rock Conservation ParkBon Bon Station Conservation ReserveBunkers Conservation ReserveCaroona Creek Conservation ParkCoongie Lakes Ramsar SiteDanggali Wilderness Protection AreaEdiacara Conservation ParkElliot Price Conservation ParkGawler Ranges National ParkHiltaba Nature ReserveIkara-Flinders Ranges National ParkIronstone Hill Conservation ParkKanku-Breakaways Conservation ParkKati Thanda-Lake Eyre National ParkKinchega National ParkLake Frome Regional ReserveLake Gairdner National ParkLake Gilles Conservation ParkLake Torrens National ParkMount Brown Conservation ParkMount Willoughby Indigenous Protected AreaMunyaroo Conservation ParkMutawintji National ParkNantawarrina Indigenous Protected AreaPandappa Conservation ParkPinkawillinie Conservation ParkPualco Range Conservation ParkSimpson Desert Regional ReserveStrzelecki Regional ReserveSturt National ParkThe Dutchmans Stern Conservation ParkVulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National ParkWabma Kadarbu Mound Springs Conservation ParkWhyalla Conservation ParkWinninowie Conservation ParkWitchelina Nature ReserveWitjira National ParkYalpara Conservation ParkYellabinna Regional ReserveYellabinna Wilderness Protection AreaYumbarra Conservation Park
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