Lake Eyre
Encyclopedia
Lake 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, it is the largest lake
in Australia and 18th largest in the world. It is the focal point of the vast Lake Eyre Basin
and is found in South Australia, some 700 km (435 mi) north of Adelaide
.
who was the first European to sight it in 1840. It is located in the deserts
of central Australia
, in northern South Australia
. The Eyre Basin
is a large endorheic system surrounding the lakebed, the lowest part of which is filled with the characteristic salt pan
caused by the seasonal expansion and subsequent evaporation
of the trapped waters. Even in the dry season
there is usually some water remaining in Lake Eyre, normally collecting in a number of smaller sub-lakes within its margins.
During the rainy season
the rivers from the north-east part of the Lake Eyre basin
(in outback
(south-west and central) Queensland
) flow towards the lake through the Channel Country
. The amount of water from the monsoon
determines whether water will reach the lake and if it does, how deep the lake will get.
with a minor or medium flood
drying by the end of the following summer.
In strong La Niña
years the lake can fill. Since 1885 this has occurred in 1886–1887, 1889–1890, 1916–1917, 1950
, 1955, and 1974–1976, with the highest flood of 6 m (20 ft) in 1974. Local rain can also fill Lake Eyre to 3–4 m (10–13 ft) as occurred in 1984 and 1989. Torrential rain in January 2007 took about six weeks to reach the lake but put only a small amount of water into it.
When recently flooded the lake is almost fresh and native fresh water fish, including bony bream
(Nematolosa erebi), the Lake Eyre Basin sub-species of golden perch
(Macquaria ambigua) and various small hardyhead
species (Craterocephalus spp.) can survive in it. The salinity
increases as the 450 mm (18 in) salt crust dissolves over a period of six months resulting in a massive fish kill
. When over 4 m (13 ft) deep the lake is no more salty than the sea
, but salinity
increases as the water
evaporates, with saturation
occurring at about a 500 mm (20 in) depth. The Lake takes on a pink hue when saturated due to the presence of beta-carotene
pigment caused by the algae
Dunaliella salina
.
as an Important Bird Area
(IBA) because, when flooded, it supports major breeding events of the Banded Stilt
and Australian Pelican
, as well as over 1% of the world populations of Red-necked Avocet
s, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
s, Red-necked Stint
s, Silver Gull
s and Caspian Tern
s.
–South Australia
n border with most of it coming from massive floods in the Georgina River
. However the greater proportion soaked into the desert or evaporated en route to the lake leaving less than 4 km3 (0.24 cu mi) in the lake which covered an area of 800 km² (309 sq mi) or 12% of the lake. As the flood did not start filling the lake's deepest point (Belt Bay) until late March little bird
life appeared preferring instead to nest in the upper reaches of the Lake Eyre Basin, north of Birdsville
, where large lakes appeared in January as a result of monsoonal rain
.
who sail on the lake's floods, including recent trips in 1997, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2009. A number of 6 m (20 ft) Trailer Sailers sailed on Lake Eyre in 1975, 1976 and 1984 when the flood depth reached 3–6 m (10–20 ft). In July 2010 The Yacht Club held its first regatta since 1976 and its first on Lake Killamperpunna, a freshwater lake on Cooper Creek. The Cooper had reached Lake Eyre for the first time since 1990.
When full, a notable phenomenon is that around midday the lake surface can often become very flat. The surface then reflects the sky in a way that leaves both the horizon and water surface virtually impossible to see. The commodore of the Lake Eyre Yacht Club has stated that sailing during this time has the appearance of sailing in the sky.
attempts on its salt flats, especially those by Donald Campbell
with the Bluebird-Proteus CN7
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, at approximately 15 m (49 ft) (AHD
Australian Height Datum
The Australian Height Datum is a geodetic datum for altitude measurement in Australia. According to Geoscience Australia, "In 1971 the mean sea level for 1966-1968 was assigned the value of zero on the Australian Height Datum at thirty tide gauges around the coast of the Australian continent...
) below sea level, and, on the rare occasions that it fills, it is the largest lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in Australia and 18th largest in the world. It is the focal point of the vast Lake Eyre Basin
Lake Eyre Basin
The Lake Eyre basin is a drainage basin that covers just under one-sixth of all Australia. The Lake Eyre Basin is the largest endorheic basin in Australia and amongst the largest in the world, covering about 1,200,000 square kilometres, including much of inland Queensland, large portions of South...
and is found in South Australia, some 700 km (435 mi) north of Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
.
Geography
The lake was named after Edward John EyreEdward John Eyre
Edward John Eyre was an English land explorer of the Australian continent, colonial administrator, and a controversial Governor of Jamaica....
who was the first European to sight it in 1840. It is located in the deserts
Deserts of Australia
Deserts cover a large portion of the land in Australia. Most of the deserts lie in the central and north-western part of the country. The largest part of Australia is desert or semi-arid...
of central Australia
Central Australia
Central Australia/Alice Springs Region is one of the five regions in the Northern Territory. The term Central Australia is used to describe an area centred on Alice Springs in Australia. It is sometimes referred to as Centralia; likewise the people of the area are sometimes called Centralians...
, in northern South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. The Eyre Basin
Lake Eyre Basin
The Lake Eyre basin is a drainage basin that covers just under one-sixth of all Australia. The Lake Eyre Basin is the largest endorheic basin in Australia and amongst the largest in the world, covering about 1,200,000 square kilometres, including much of inland Queensland, large portions of South...
is a large endorheic system surrounding the lakebed, the lowest part of which is filled with the characteristic salt pan
Salt pan (geology)
Natural salt pans are flat expanses of ground covered with salt and other minerals, usually shining white under the sun. They are found in deserts, and should not be confused with salt evaporation ponds.A salt pan is formed where water pools...
caused by the seasonal expansion and subsequent evaporation
Evaporation
Evaporation is a type of vaporization of a liquid that occurs only on the surface of a liquid. The other type of vaporization is boiling, which, instead, occurs on the entire mass of the liquid....
of the trapped waters. Even in the dry season
Dry season
The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillates from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year...
there is usually some water remaining in Lake Eyre, normally collecting in a number of smaller sub-lakes within its margins.
During the rainy season
Wet season
The the wet season, or rainy season, is the time of year, covering one or more months, when most of the average annual rainfall in a region occurs. The term green season is also sometimes used as a euphemism by tourist authorities. Areas with wet seasons are dispersed across portions of the...
the rivers from the north-east part of the Lake Eyre basin
Lake Eyre Basin
The Lake Eyre basin is a drainage basin that covers just under one-sixth of all Australia. The Lake Eyre Basin is the largest endorheic basin in Australia and amongst the largest in the world, covering about 1,200,000 square kilometres, including much of inland Queensland, large portions of South...
(in outback
Outback
The Outback is the vast, remote, arid area of Australia, term colloquially can refer to any lands outside the main urban areas. The term "the outback" is generally used to refer to locations that are comparatively more remote than those areas named "the bush".-Overview:The outback is home to a...
(south-west and central) Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
) flow towards the lake through the Channel Country
Channel Country
The Channel Country is region of outback Australia located mostly in the state of Queensland but also in portions of South Australia, Northern Territory and New South Wales. The name comes from the numerous intertwined rivulets that cross the region, which cover 150,000 km²...
. The amount of water from the monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
determines whether water will reach the lake and if it does, how deep the lake will get.
Floods
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 a few times a century. The water in the lake soon evaporatesEvaporation
Evaporation is a type of vaporization of a liquid that occurs only on the surface of a liquid. The other type of vaporization is boiling, which, instead, occurs on the entire mass of the liquid....
with a minor or medium flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
drying by the end of the following summer.
In strong La Niña
La Niña
La Niña is a coupled ocean-atmosphere phenomenon that is the counterpart of El Niño as part of the broader El Niño-Southern Oscillation climate pattern. During a period of La Niña, the sea surface temperature across the equatorial Eastern Central Pacific Ocean will be lower than normal by 3–5 °C...
years the lake can fill. Since 1885 this has occurred in 1886–1887, 1889–1890, 1916–1917, 1950
1950 Australian rainfall records
The 1950 rainfall records for the Australian states of New South Wales and Queensland reported probably the most remarkable record high rainfall totals ever recorded anywhere in the continent. Averaged over both of these states, 1950 is clearly the wettest year since adequate records became...
, 1955, and 1974–1976, with the highest flood of 6 m (20 ft) in 1974. Local rain can also fill Lake Eyre to 3–4 m (10–13 ft) as occurred in 1984 and 1989. Torrential rain in January 2007 took about six weeks to reach the lake but put only a small amount of water into it.
When recently flooded the lake is almost fresh and native fresh water fish, including bony bream
Bony bream
Bony bream Nematalosa erebi are a widespread and common, small to medium sized Australian freshwater fish often found in large shoals throughout much of northern and central Australia, and the Murray-Darling basin.-Description:...
(Nematolosa erebi), the Lake Eyre Basin sub-species of golden perch
Golden perch
The golden perch, Macquaria ambigua, is an Australian native freshwater fish, primarily of the Murray-Darling river system. It is not a true perch of the genus Perca....
(Macquaria ambigua) and various small hardyhead
Craterocephalus
Craterocephalus is a genus of small and slender brackish or freshwater fish from Australia and New Guinea in the Atherinidae family.It contains 25 species, some of them as follows:* Darling River hardyhead...
species (Craterocephalus spp.) can survive in it. The salinity
Salinity
Salinity is the saltiness or dissolved salt content of a body of water. It is a general term used to describe the levels of different salts such as sodium chloride, magnesium and calcium sulfates, and bicarbonates...
increases as the 450 mm (18 in) salt crust dissolves over a period of six months resulting in a massive fish kill
Fish kill
The term fish kill, known also as fish die-off and as fish mortality, is a localized die-off of fish populations which may also be associated with more generalised mortality of aquatic life...
. When over 4 m (13 ft) deep the lake is no more salty than the sea
World Ocean
The World Ocean, world ocean, or global ocean, is the interconnected system of the Earth's oceanic waters, and comprises the bulk of the hydrosphere, covering almost 71% of the Earth's surface, with a total volume of 1.332 billion cubic kilometres.The unity and continuity of the World Ocean, with...
, but salinity
Salinity in Australia
Soil salinity and dryland salinity are two problems degrading the environment of Australia. Salinity is a concern in most states, but especially in the south-west of Western Australia....
increases as the water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
evaporates, with saturation
Saturation (chemistry)
In chemistry, saturation has six different meanings, all based on reaching a maximum capacity...
occurring at about a 500 mm (20 in) depth. The Lake takes on a pink hue when saturated due to the presence of beta-carotene
Beta-carotene
β-Carotene is a strongly-coloured red-orange pigment abundant in plants and fruits. It is an organic compound and chemically is classified as a hydrocarbon and specifically as a terpenoid , reflecting its derivation from isoprene units...
pigment caused by the algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
Dunaliella salina
Dunaliella salina
Dunaliella salina is a type of halophile green micro-algae especially found in sea salt fields. Known for its anti-oxidant activity because of its ability to create large amount of carotenoids, it is used in cosmetics and dietary supplements. Few organisms can survive in such highly saline...
.
Birds
The lake has been identified by BirdLife InternationalBirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
as an Important Bird Area
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird Area is an area recognized as being globally important habitat for the conservation of bird populations. Currently there are about 10,000 IBAs worldwide. The program was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International...
(IBA) because, when flooded, it supports major breeding events of the Banded Stilt
Banded Stilt
The Banded Stilt is a nomadic stilt from Australia. It belongs to the monotypical genus Cladorhynchus. It gets its name from the red-brown breast band found on breeding adults, but this is mottled or entirely absent in non-breeding adults and juveniles. Its remaining plumage is pied and the eyes...
and Australian Pelican
Australian Pelican
The Australian Pelican is a large water bird, widespread on the inland and coastal waters of Australia and New Guinea, also in Fiji, parts of Indonesia and as a vagrant to New Zealand.-Taxonomy:...
, as well as over 1% of the world populations of Red-necked Avocet
Red-necked Avocet
The Red-necked Avocet is a water bird found throughout Australia, except for the northern parts of the Northern Territory....
s, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
The Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Calidris acuminata is a small wader.- Taxonomy :More recently, a review of new data has indicated that this bird should perhaps better be placed into the genus Philomachus- as P...
s, Red-necked Stint
Red-necked Stint
The Red-necked Stint is a small migratory wader.- Description :These birds are among the smallest of waders, very similar to the Little Stint, Calidris minuta, with which they were once considered conspecific...
s, Silver Gull
Silver Gull
The Silver Gull also known simply as "seagull" in Australia, is the most common gull seen in Australia. It has been found throughout the continent, but particularly coastal areas. The South African Hartlaub's Gull and the New Zealand Red-billed Gull The Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus...
s and Caspian Tern
Caspian Tern
The Caspian Tern is a species of tern, with a subcosmopolitan but scattered distribution. Despite its extensive range, it is monotypic of its genus, and has no subspecies accepted either...
s.
2009
The 2009 Lake Eyre flood peaked at 1.5 m (5 ft) deep in late May which is a quarter of its maximum recorded depth of 6 m (20 ft). 9 km³ (2 cu mi) of water crossed the QueenslandQueensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
–South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
n border with most of it coming from massive floods in the Georgina River
Georgina River
The Georgina River is the north-westernmost of the three major rivers of the Channel Country in western Queensland that flow in extremely wet years into Lake Eyre.-Geography:...
. However the greater proportion soaked into the desert or evaporated en route to the lake leaving less than 4 km3 (0.24 cu mi) in the lake which covered an area of 800 km² (309 sq mi) or 12% of the lake. As the flood did not start filling the lake's deepest point (Belt Bay) until late March little bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
life appeared preferring instead to nest in the upper reaches of the Lake Eyre Basin, north of Birdsville
Birdsville, Queensland
-External links:*...
, where large lakes appeared in January as a result of monsoonal rain
Rain
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface...
.
2010
The high rainfall in summer sent flood water into the Diamantina, Georgina and Cooper Creek catchments of the Lake Eyre basin, with the Cooper Creek reaching the lake for the first time since 1990. The higher rainfall has prompted many different birds to migrate back to the area for breeding.2011
Heavy rain in early March filled the southern end of the lake, with the north of the usually-dry salt pan about 75 per cent covered with water continuing to inflow from local creeks.Yacht club
The Lake Eyre Yacht Club is a dedicated group of sailorsSailors
Sailors is the plural form of Sailor, or mariner.Sailors may also refer to:*Sailors , a 1964 Swedish film*Ken Sailors , American basketball playerSports teams*Erie Sailors, baseball teams in Pennsylvania, USA...
who sail on the lake's floods, including recent trips in 1997, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2009. A number of 6 m (20 ft) Trailer Sailers sailed on Lake Eyre in 1975, 1976 and 1984 when the flood depth reached 3–6 m (10–20 ft). In July 2010 The Yacht Club held its first regatta since 1976 and its first on Lake Killamperpunna, a freshwater lake on Cooper Creek. The Cooper had reached Lake Eyre for the first time since 1990.
When full, a notable phenomenon is that around midday the lake surface can often become very flat. The surface then reflects the sky in a way that leaves both the horizon and water surface virtually impossible to see. The commodore of the Lake Eyre Yacht Club has stated that sailing during this time has the appearance of sailing in the sky.
Land speed record attempts
Lake Eyre has been a site for various land speed recordLand speed record
The land speed record is the highest speed achieved by a wheeled vehicle on land. There is no single body for validation and regulation; in practice the Category C flying start regulations are used, officiated by regional or national organizations under the auspices of the Fédération...
attempts on its salt flats, especially those by Donald Campbell
Donald Campbell
Donald Malcolm Campbell, CBE was a British speed record breaker who broke eight world speed records in the 1950s and 1960s...
with the Bluebird-Proteus CN7
Bluebird-Proteus CN7
The Bluebird-Proteus CN7 was a technologically advanced wheel-driven land speed record-breaking car, driven by Donald Campbell, built in 1960 and rebuilt in 1962.- Design :...
.
See also
- Lake Eyre National ParkLake Eyre National ParkLake Eyre National Park is located in South Australia , 697 km north of Adelaide. It contains both the North and South sections of Lake Eyre as well as sections of the Tirari Desert....
- Lake Eyre BasinLake Eyre BasinThe Lake Eyre basin is a drainage basin that covers just under one-sixth of all Australia. The Lake Eyre Basin is the largest endorheic basin in Australia and amongst the largest in the world, covering about 1,200,000 square kilometres, including much of inland Queensland, large portions of South...
- Pluvial lakePluvial lakeA pluvial lake is a landlocked basin which fills with rainwater during times of glaciation, when precipitation is higher. Pluvial lakes that have since evaporated and dried out may also be referred to as paleolakes.-Geology:...
- List of lakes
- Lists of lakes:
- By area
- By depth
- By volume
- Named after people
- Prehistoric lakes
External links
- NASA Earth ObservatoryNASA Earth ObservatoryNASA Earth Observatory is an online publishing outlet for NASA which was created in 1999. It is the principal source of satellite imagery and other scientific information pertaining to the climate and the environment which are being provided by NASA for consumption by the general public...
pages on Lake Eyre: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=10841, http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=11763 - Lake Eyre Yacht Club website
- Lake Eyre pelican mystery
- Floods of Lake Eyre - Dr Vincent Kotwicki's site
- GSL Aviation - Lake Eyre Scenic Flights