13.7.7 Australian grasslands Australia’s top end, stretching from Broom in the west to Townsville in the east, is a tropical grassland or savanna landscape. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have maintained this environment for thousands of years by using cool burns to encourage new plant growth. A distinct wet season corresponds with the monsoon season ( FIGURE10 ). The lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in northern Australia are governed by changes that occur due to the wet and dry seasons.
SkillBuilder discussion Geographical inquiry 1. When is the monsoon season in northern Australia? Support your answer with evidence from the map. 2. What type of weather do you expect during the monsoon season? 3. When do you think cool burns would be used in this region? Justify your answer.
FIGURE10 Australia’s wet and dry seasons are the result of air movements and pressure systems.
In summer
• The land heats up; the air is hot and light. • Hot air rises and cools, creating a low-pressure system. • Air moves in from over the ocean to replace the rising air. • This air is wet and brings rain to northern Australia.
Low ‐ pressure system
a. Summer months
Major wind direction
In winter
• The land cools down. • The air is heavy and sinks,
creating a high-pressure system. • The air is dry as it has passed over the interior of the continent. • Dry air moves to the north, bringing dry weather to northern Australia.
High ‐ pressure system
b. Winter months
Major wind direction
13.7 SkillBuilder Activity GEOGRAPHICAL INQUIRY, COMMUNICATION TABLES1 and 2 contain the climate statistics for Cloncurry in Australian and Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. The lives of Indigenous communities are often governed by the climatic changes that take place throughout the year. TABLE1 Cloncurry Australia 21 ° S Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Temp ° C 3130 29 26 22 191820 232730 31 Rain mm 112 108 61 18 13 15 8 3 8 13 33 69 TABLE2 Serengeti National Park Tanzania 2 ° S Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Temp ° C 2828 28 26 25 252526 272827 27 Rain mm 81 100 121 137 68 23 9 19 34 51 100 97
318 Jacaranda Humanities Alive 8 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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