Central Lowlands The Central Lowlands are a vast, very flat, low-lying land that contains three large drainage basins : the Carpentaria lowlands in the north, the Lake Eyre Basin in the centre (see FIGURE4 ) and the Murray–Darling Basin in the south. The Great Artesian Basin, one of the largest and deepest underground freshwater reserves, is also in this region. Great Western Plateau The Great Western Plateau covers significant parts of Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory. It is a huge area of tablelands, which are mostly 500 metres above sea level. It includes areas of gibber (stony) desert and sandy desert. There are several rugged upland areas, including the Kimberley and MacDonnell Ranges.
FIGURE4 Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre, the lowest point on the Australian mainland, is part of the Great Artesian Basin. It is 15 metres below sea level. Once a freshwater lake, the region is now the world’s largest salt pan. The evaporated salt crust shows white in the satellite image (a) below. The lake fills with water only three or four times each century, transforming it into a haven for wildlife. Deep water is shown as black in image (b) below.
(a)
(b)
SkillBuilder discussion Geographical inquiry 1. Study FIGURE4 . Where is Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre located? 2. Explain why it only fills with water every three or four times each century. 3. Describe how this place changes from image (a) to image (b).
TOPIC13 Landforms and landscapes – diversity, significance and management 307
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator