| Lake Eyre | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Location | northern South Australia |
| Coordinates | |
| Lake type | endorheic |
| Primary outflows | evaporation |
| Basin countries | Australia |
| Surface area | 9500 km² (max) |
| Average depth | 1. Landsat 7, launched on April 15, 1999, is the latest satellite of the Landsat program. South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country A lake (from Latin lacus) is a Terrain feature (or Physical feature) a body of Liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the An endorheic basin (from Greek endo ‘inside’ + rhein ‘to flow’ also terminal or closed basin) is a closed Drainage basin In Hydrology, the discharge or outflow of a River is the volume of Water transported by it in a certain amount of time Evaporation is the process by which Molecules in a Liquid state (e A drainage basin is an extent of Land where Water from Rain or Snow melt drains downhill into a body of water such as a River, 5 m (every 3 years), 4 m (every decade) |
| Surface elevation | -15 m (-49 ft) |
Lake Eyre (pronounced "air" or "eyre") is the lowest point in Australia, at approximately 15 m (49 ft) (AHD) below sea level, and, on the rare occasions that it fills, the largest lake in Australia. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Australian Height Datum is a Geodetic datum for Altitude measurement in Australia. A lake (from Latin lacus) is a Terrain feature (or Physical feature) a body of Liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the It is the focal point of the vast Lake Eyre Basin and is found some 700km north of Adelaide. The Lake Eyre Basin is a Drainage basin that covers one-sixth of all Australia. Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of South Australia, and is the fifth largest city in Australia with a
Contents |
Geography
The lake was named after Edward Eyre who was the first European to sight it in 1840. The lake is located in the deserts of central Australia, in northern South Australia. South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country The Eyre Basin is a large endorheic system surrounding the lakebed, the lowest part of which is filled with the characteristic playa salt pan caused by the seasonal expansion and subsequent evaporation of the trapped waters. The Lake Eyre Basin is a Drainage basin that covers one-sixth of all Australia. An endorheic basin (from Greek endo ‘inside’ + rhein ‘to flow’ also terminal or closed basin) is a closed Drainage basin Natural salt pans are flat expanses of Ground covered with Salt and other Minerals usually shining white under the Sun. Even in the dry season there is usually some water remaining in Lake Eyre, usually collecting in a number of smaller sub-lakes on the playa.
During the rainy season the rivers from the northeast (in outback Queensland) flow towards the lake through the Channel Country. A wet season or rainy season is a Season in which the average Rainfall in a region is significantly increased Outback or the Outback refers to remote arid areas of Australia, although the term colloquially can refer to any lands outside of the main Urban areas Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern corner of the mainland continent The Channel Country of Queensland, Australia, is located in the remote south west of the state The amount of water from the monsoon determines whether water will reach the lake and if it does, how deep the lake will get. A monsoon is a seasonal prevailing wind which lasts for several months In strong La Niña years the lake can fill. El Niño-Southern Oscillation ( ENSO; commonly referred to as simply El Niño) is a global coupled ocean-atmosphere phenomenon Since 1885 this has occurred in 1886/1887, 1889/1890, 1916/1917, 1950, 1955, 1974-1976 [1], with the highest flood of 6m in 1974. The 1950 rainfall records for the Australian states of New South Wales and Queensland reported probably the most remarkable record high Rainfall Local rain can also fill Lake Eyre to 3-4m as occurred in 1984 and 1989. Wave built shingle terraces on the shore suggest that during the Medieval Warm Period and centuries immediately prior Lake Eyre possibly held permanent water at levels above those of 1974. The Medieval Warm Period (MWP or Medieval Climate Optimum was a time of unusually Warm Climate in the North Atlantic region lasting from about Torrential rain in January 2007 took about six weeks to reach the lake but put only a small amount of water into it. [2]
When recently flooded the Lake is almost fresh and fresh water fish, such as Bream, can survive in it. The salinity increases as the 450mm salt crust dissolves over a period of six months resulting in a massive fish kill. When over 4m deep the Lake is no more salty than the sea and salinity increases as the water evaporates with saturation occurring at about 500mm depth. The Lake takes on a "pink" hue when saturated due to the presence of beta-carotene pigment caused by the algae Dunaliella salina. Beta-carotene is an Organic compound - a Terpenoid, a red-orange pigment abundant in plants and fruits Dunaliella salina is a type of Halophile pink micro- Algae especially found in sea salt fields
Typically a 1. 5 m (5 ft) flood occurs every three years, a 4 m (13 ft) flood every decade, and a fill or near fill four times a century. The water in the lake soon evaporates with a minor and medium flood drying by the end of the following summer. Evaporation is the process by which Molecules in a Liquid state (e
Yacht club
The Lake Eyre Yacht Club is a dedicated group of eccentrics who sail on the lake's floods, including recent trips in 1997, 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2007. A number of 6 m trailer sailers sailed on Lake Eyre in 1975, 1976 and 1983 when the flood depth reached 3-6m.
See also
References
- ^ Allen, Robert J. Lake Eyre National Park is located in South Australia ( Australia) 697 km north of Adelaide. The Lake Eyre Basin is a Drainage basin that covers one-sixth of all Australia. A pluvial lake is a Lake that experiences significant increase in depth and extent as a result of increased precipitation and reduced Evaporation. This list of major or noteworthy Lakes is sorted alphabetically by Continent. Lakes with a surface area of more than 4000 km² listed by area ; The Australasian Summer Monsoon, Teleconnections, and Flooding in the Lake Eyre Basin; published 1985 by Royal Geographical Society of Australasia, S. A. Branch; ISBN 0909112096
- ^ "Lake Eyre flooding attracts yachting club interest", ABC News Online, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 8 March 2007. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly abbreviated to the 'ABC' is Australia's national public broadcaster. Retrieved on 2007-03-08. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1618 - Johannes Kepler discovers the third law of planetary motion.
External links
- NASA Earth Observatory pages on Lake Eyre: [1], [2]
- Lake Eyre Yacht Club website
- Lake Eyre pelican mystery
- Floods of Lake Eyre - Dr Vincent Kotwicki's site
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