Grass frog. frog animal
geography teacher
A lesson in problematic and
multi-level
training
Subject:Climate and inland waters Australia
Goals:
1. To form in students a comprehensive understanding of the climate and inland waters of the continent.
2. Develop logical thinking, skills of reasoned evidence, ability to identify cause-and-effect relationships.
3. Educate careful attitude to water resources.
Equipment: physical map of Australia, climate map of Australia, "chips".
During the classes:
Org moment. Check of knowledge:Physico-geographical position of the continent (working with a map)
History of discovery and relief of the mainland (frontal)
3. Motivating students’ activities:
You have already noticed that Australia is an unusual continent.
What component of nature should we talk to you about today, having studied the geographical location of the continent?
What time of year is it now in Australia?
“The gardens there bloom in October,
It's summer there in January, not in July,
Rivers flow there without water,
They got lost in the desert somewhere..."
4. Learning new material:
Climatic features of the mainland
You remember that Africa is the hottest continent. We haven’t studied Antarctica yet, but you can easily say that this continent is the ... coldest. What makes Australia special in this regard?
Let's take a closer look at climate map, especially on the precipitation map. What conclusion comes to mind right away? (Students answer that there is little rainfall there, it is very dry).
Doesn't this conclusion seem strange to you? After all, Australia is a very small continent, surrounded on all sides by ocean waters, so perhaps it should be relatively humid there...? (problematic situation).
Let's try to solve this today "scientific problem"
We set ourselves a goal - prove, that Australia is the driest continent!
Where do we start? We haven't been to Australia... What clue can we rely on? ( Students point to the map. They notice main feature- Australia intersects almost in the middle with the Southern Tropics. This conclusion is associated with the distribution of pressure areas, etc.) In the course of reasoning, a logical chain:
Middle == High == Clear == Low ===DRY!
- Southern pressure sky precipitation
Tropic
(This chain represents cause-and-effect relationships. The teacher suggests “going through” this chain from the beginning, and then from the end.):
We go from left to right - we are looking for consequence. We reason: since Australia is crossed in the middle by the Southern Tropic, there will be an area of high pressure. Since it prevails high pressure, then... (etc.)
We go from right to left - we are looking for reason. Why is Australia dry? – Because there is very little rainfall there. Why is there so little rainfall there? Because.. etc.
Conclusion: thus, working on this “scientific problem” you and I conclusively showed that Australia is the driest continent.
Climate zones
(Students sign on contour map names of belts, working with the atlas map - page 7.
Let us remember the climate features of each zone. One of the students places the “tiles” on the wall map. The chips are cardboard circles with an inscription on the back: for example, “Summer is humid and hot, and winter is hot but dry,” “Precipitation occurs here in winter,” etc.
Rivers and lakes
(The teacher only names and shows on the map three main hydrographic objects - the Murray and Darling rivers, Lake Eyre. Next comes independent work students with cards containing multi-level tasks. Sources of information: atlases, textbook text – pp. 151-152.)
Based on the personal assessment of the class, abilities and capabilities of the children, 3 levels are distinguished: low (weak), medium, high (strong).
Card 1.
1.Locate on the map which sea or bay the Murray River flows into.
2. Is the Darling River a left or right tributary of the Murray?
3.Name from which mountains these rivers begin.
4.What are “screams”?
5.What is the name of the lowland on which Lake Eyre is located?
Card 2.
1. What type of food do the rivers of Australia belong to?
2. At what time of year do they have high water?
3. How do Australians solve the problem of water shortage?
4. Why is Lake Eyre shown lilac on the map?
5. Explain why there are no large deep rivers.
Card 3.
1. Compare the Murray and Darling rivers. Indicate the similarities and differences (in geographical location, mode, flow direction, etc.)
2. Explain why floods on the Murray River come quickly and do not last long.
3. Make a forecast: what changes will occur in the Central Lowlands if Australia's climate suddenly becomes wetter.
5. .Consolidation. Key issues of the topic.
:6. Summing up the lesson. Evaluation of student work.
7. Homework: paragraph 36, climatograms on page 152.
Awarded the status of the driest continent on Earth. The climate and topography of the continent are quite monotonous, which cannot be said about the animals and flora. The bulk of Australia receives Not a large number of atmospheric precipitation, and the main watershed is located east of the center of the continent. This explains strange shape drainage systems.
Climate of Australia
The main part of the continent is located on the Australian Plate. The relief was formed during the Archean folding. For this reason there is almost no mountain ranges. Climatic conditions resemble those African continent. While there is snow in Eurasia, Australia is in the grip of a hot summer. average temperature in the center of the continent - about 35 ºC. Winter period starts in June and lasts until September. The average air temperature is about 10 ºC. IN dark time Frosts are possible for days. Most of the territory receives no more than 250 mm of precipitation throughout the year.
The Australian continent is located in three natural areas: tropical, subtropical and subequatorial. About 44% of the area is occupied by deserts, of which there are 8. South part continent is characterized by hot and dry in summer, and winter, on the contrary, is rainy. Northern Australia is influenced by the South Trade Wind Current. Here in the summer heavy rains, and in winter it is clear and dry.
Tectonics
Most of the continent's mountain systems disappeared as a result of weathering processes over several billion years. The highest peak in Australia is Mount Kosciuszko. The main part of the hills has a height of less than 200 m. About 40 million years ago, the Great Dividing Range was formed. It is significantly deformed mountain system, and also the only one here.
The mainland is far from the contact points tectonic plates. This circumstance explains the fact that there are no volcanoes in Australia. The junction is located in Oceania. There is high volcanic activity in this place.
Australia's inland waters: at a glance
Small figure on the continent Main quantity water arteries dries out. The rivers, starting on the eastern slopes of the Dividing Range and located in Tasmania, are year-round. Australia's inland waters in the west dry up during the summer heat. Most of the territory has streams and rivers flowing inland. The boundaries of the basins collecting water are poorly defined.
Rivers
The inland waters of Australia, photos of which are in the article, are presented main river- Murray. It has three large tributaries that collect moisture from an area of over 1 thousand km 2. The sources of the main tributaries are located 200 km from eastern shore continent. As the current flows, they unite into large watercourses flowing along winding channels towards the sea. The length of the Murray is 2575 km. The lower reaches are navigable for 970 km from the mouth.
An obstacle for a large water transport are sandbanks. Due to their location near the mouth sea vessels can't walk on Murray. The Murrumbidgee is a tributary of the continent's largest river. Its length is about 1690 km, the river originates in the Kuma region. " Snowy mountains"- a hydroelectric power station that regulates the joint flow of these two rivers.
The Darling is the second major tributary of the Murray, collecting water from western slopes Watershed Ridge. The length of this river is 2740 km. In its bed and on some tributaries there are dams that regulate the flow all the time, except for severe droughts.
Water mode
The features of Australia's inland waters are not limited to this. The main part of the continent has a separate drainage or belongs to internal basins. An example of such a zone is the Western Plateau. In numerous channels, water appears rarely and for a short period of time. The drains lead to dry lakes or wetlands.
A huge territory, the area of which is 1143.7 thousand km 2, belongs to the lake basin. Air, one of the ten largest on Earth. The basin includes the Cooper Creek, Diamantina and Georgina streams. Their angle of incidence is very small, the channels are winding and intersect in places.
Explores Australia's Inland Waters Year 7 secondary school. From curriculum It is known that the river beds of the basin are almost always dry, and flows of water appear in them only after heavy rainfall. At this time the width water flows reaches several kilometers. However, they almost always disappear before reaching the lake basin. Water appeared in it for the first time only in 1950, during the entire period of observation by Europeans who arrived on the mainland.
Australia's climate and inland waters are interconnected. The consequence of low rainfall was the instability of most of the continent's rivers. For this reason, they cannot be used for human benefit. There are few areas suitable for the construction of dams, especially in the central part of the mainland, where the problem of water supply is very acute. To solve it, many full-flowing reservoirs are needed.
In the driest areas, large amounts of water simply evaporate. Only in Tasmania do Australia's inland waters have stable year-round flows.
Lakes
Australia's topography, climate and inland waters have caused a large number of dry lakes. The bottom of these basins is covered with clay rich in salts. In some cases, there are lakes filled with water. However, they are saturated with salts and silt at shallow depths. Most of them are in the western part of the continent, and the largest are in the southern part (Eyre, Frome, Torrens, etc.).
In the southeast of the mainland there are many lagoons with salt-rich water, which are separated from the sea by sand barriers. Tasmania is a region where you can find the most big lakes continent with hydroelectric power stations built on some.
The groundwater
Australia's groundwater inland water is a vital resource. Most rural settlements supplied from this source. The areas occupied by underground pools are huge (over 3240 thousand km 2). Most of them contain dissolved solids which are unsuitable for irrigation. However, this water can be used for livestock farms.
Under the ground of the continent is the largest on the planet, the Great Artesian Basin. Its area is 1751.5 thousand km 2. The waters located underground contain large amounts of salts. However, without this source of moisture, the mainland would be at risk. There are smaller artesian basins in other areas of the continent.
You already know that most of Australia is located in tropical zone Therefore, a tropical dry climate prevails there. Only 1/3 of the territory receives sufficient or excessive rainfall. Australia experiences higher temperatures and less rainfall than South Africa. What explains this? The significant extent of the continent from west to east, due to which continental air masses are formed in Australia. The low altitude of the continent above ocean level is also important.
How is precipitation distributed on the mainland? To do this, you can look at the climate map and conventional signs find out how much precipitation falls and where. But in order to explain the reasons for the distribution of precipitation, it is necessary to remember what air masses and what winds prevail in each climatic zone. Northern Australia is in subequatorial belt, here it is formed subequatorial climate, as well as a similar climate in Africa. Dry formation tropical climate you know. In the east of the tropical and subtropical zones there are areas humid climate. The eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range are under the influence of sea waters all year round. air masses, coming from Pacific Ocean. The saturation of air with moisture increases under the influence of warm ocean current. Therefore, heavy rainfall falls on the mountain slopes. The south of the mainland is in the subtropical zone.
There are no large deep rivers in Australia. More than half of the continent's area does not drain into the ocean. The internal desert and semi-desert parts of the continent are characterized by a network of temporary drying rivers - creeks. Full-flowing rivers throughout the year are found only in the east of Australia, where there is a lot of rainfall. Naturally, the rivers are fed only by rain and from groundwater.
The biggest river system Australia - Murray s major influx Darling. These rivers originate on the Great Dividing Range. IN downstream During drought, the Darling dries up and breaks up into separate bodies of water. Murray does not dry out, but its level changes dramatically. During rains, the river floods heavily across the flat plain. High water on the Murray usually comes quickly and does not last long.
Due to sharp fluctuations in water levels on the Murray and Darling, navigation on them is difficult. River waters are used to irrigate fertile but arid lands. For this purpose, reservoirs were built on them.
Most of Australia's lakes have no drainage and are saline. Many lakes are filled with water only during the wet season. The largest of them is Lake Eyre, which lies 12 m below sea level. During the rains, the cries flowing into the lake bring a lot of water, it overflows, and its area increases greatly. In the dry season, Eyre breaks up into small bodies of water, and the dry areas are covered with a crust of salt.
Poor surface waters, which is associated with the dominance of dry tropical conditions on the mainland and the absence high mountains with snow and... there are few rivers and lakes, about 60% of the continent's territory does not flow into the ocean. No other continent has such a relatively large area.
The main part of the continent, especially its interior desert and regions, is characterized by temporary drains - cries. Water appears in them only after rare rains and on a short time. The remaining rivers of the mainland belong to the Indian and. The rivers of the basin are short, shallow, and often dry up during the dry season. The Pacific Ocean basin includes rivers flowing from the eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range. These rivers are full of water throughout the year, as there is a lot of rainfall here; short and rapids. Most of the continent's rivers are fed primarily by rain, while others are mixed.
Australia's most significant river system is the Darling River. The Murray (2570 km long) originates in the Australian Alps and is fed not only by rainwater, but also partly by snow water. In summer the river is full of water, during the rainy season it often overflows its banks, and in winter it becomes shallow. The main tributary of the Murray is the Darling, Australia's largest (2740 km). But this river is shallow. The water level varies greatly depending on the seasons (up to 8 m above low water). In the dry season, the Darling does not always carry its waters to the Murray and breaks up into separate reservoirs.
There are about 800 lakes in Australia. Most of them are relict lakes, the basins of which were formed during wetter geological eras. Many of the modern lakes of Australia (Torrance, Frome, Amadies, etc.) are dry basins filled with loose clay-salt marsh silt, covered with a crust of salt or gypsum. They fill with water only after rare rainfalls, which occur once in Western Australia for several years.
The most large lake Australia - drainless salt Lake Air. It lies in a depression 12 m below sea level. In the dry season, Lake Eyre splits into many separate lakes, and during the dry season torrential rains turns into immeasurable body of water with an area of about 15 thousand km2.
Against the backdrop of a sparse and almost complete absence of fresh lakes, the amazing wealth of Australia is striking. The area of all artesian basins occupies 1/3 of the continent's territory. More than 15 artesian basins are confined to basement syneclises
Australia is the most arid continent Earth. It receives 5 times less precipitation than and 8 times less than. This is why there are no large deep rivers in Australia. More than half of the continent does not drain into the ocean. However, this does not mean that rivers are completely absent in Australia. Since the climate of the continent remains hot throughout the year, the predominant type of nutrition for its rivers remains rainwater. As you remember from the climate topic, greatest number precipitation falls in the southeastern part of the continent. That is why the largest ones are concentrated here: first of all, this is the largest river of the mainland, the Murray, with its tributary Darling. Originating on the peaks of the Great Dividing Range, these rivers do not dry out completely; moreover, the Murray remains deep and suitable for navigation throughout the year, as it is also fed by the melting snows of the Great Dividing Range. At the same time, the Darling, whose source is located much further north, in more low mountains where there is no snow, in to a large extent depends on the rainy season and becomes very shallow during the dry season.
The interior of desert areas that do not have drainage into the ocean are characterized by special temporary periods that completely dry out in hot season year watercourses called creeks, the most famous of which is Cooper Creek.
The lakes of Australia are characterized by significant salinity. There are very few large lakes on the mainland; these include only reservoirs located in the Central Lowlands: Lakes Eyre and Torrens. The lakes of Australia do not have clear permanent shores, as they dry out greatly during drought. Thus, Lake Eyre (pictured) turns into a network of small lakes, but fills up again with the arrival of the rainy season in northeastern Australia - from the overflow of the rivers that feed Lake Eyre. It is worth noting that water penetrates into hinterland mainland with a long delay. So the rainy season begins in Australia in the middle of summer, that is, in January, and the lake overflows already at the end of autumn - the beginning of winter: April, May, June.
Groundwater is of great importance to Australia. In some places it comes very close to the surface, sometimes it has to be mined from a depth of more than a kilometer. Use of Australia's groundwater for economic use difficult because they contain large amounts of sulfur, however, this is often the only way to get water. Fortunately, Australia’s groundwater reserves are enormous; deep under its surface, the Great Artesian Basin stretches from north to south of the continent. But even these reserves are gradually drying up, and today Australia faces a huge ecological problem conservation and conservation of underground artesian waters of the continent.