South Australian gulf drainage division
Encyclopedia
The South Australian gulf drainage division is the area surrounding the Gulf St Vincent and Spencer Gulf
and a sliver of country to the immediate north. It includes 75,000 square kilometres of mostly moderately flat territory, broken only by the Mount Lofty Ranges
which reach 932 metres at their highest point. It is bounded by the Murray-Darling Basin
to the east, the Lake Eyre Basin
to the north, and the Western Plateau
to the west.
While waters falling to the north and west flow inland and dissipate into the sands and ephemeral salt lakes of the central Australian deserts, waters falling on the South Australian gulf drainage division flow south to the sea. Rainfall over the area varies between 200 and 750 mm (8 to 30 inches) per year, tends to be concentrated on the highest and most southerly districts, and primarily occurs in winter.
There are no permanent fresh water lakes in the region and the rivers are short. The best-known of them is the River Torrens
, which flows through the capital of South Australia
, Adelaide
.
Spencer Gulf
The Spencer Gulf is the westernmost of two large inlets on the southern coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia, facing the Great Australian Bight. The Gulf is 322 km long and 129 km wide at its mouth. The western shore of the Gulf is the Eyre Peninsula, while the eastern side is the...
and a sliver of country to the immediate north. It includes 75,000 square kilometres of mostly moderately flat territory, broken only by the Mount Lofty Ranges
Mount Lofty Ranges
The Mount Lofty Ranges are the range of mountains just to the east of Adelaide in South Australia.-Location and description:The Mount Lofty Ranges stretch from the southernmost point of the Fleurieu Peninsula at Cape Jervis northwards for over before petering out north of Peterborough...
which reach 932 metres at their highest point. It is bounded by the Murray-Darling Basin
Murray-Darling Basin
The Murray-Darling basin is a large geographical area in the interior of southeastern Australia, whose name is derived from its two major rivers, the Murray River and the Darling River. It drains one-seventh of the Australian land mass, and is currently by far the most significant agricultural...
to the east, 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...
to the north, and the Western Plateau
Western Plateau
The Western Plateau is Australia's largest drainage division and is composed predominantly of the remains of the ancient rock shield of Gondwanaland. It incorporates two thirds of the continent; 2,700,000 square kilometres of arid land including large parts of Western Australia, South Australia,...
to the west.
While waters falling to the north and west flow inland and dissipate into the sands and ephemeral salt lakes of the central Australian deserts, waters falling on the South Australian gulf drainage division flow south to the sea. Rainfall over the area varies between 200 and 750 mm (8 to 30 inches) per year, tends to be concentrated on the highest and most southerly districts, and primarily occurs in winter.
There are no permanent fresh water lakes in the region and the rivers are short. The best-known of them is the River Torrens
River Torrens
The River Torrens is the most significant river of the Adelaide Plains and was one of the reasons for the siting of the city of Adelaide, capital of South Australia. It flows from its source in the Adelaide Hills near Mount Pleasant, across the Adelaide Plains, past the city centre and empties...
, which flows through the capital of 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...
, 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...
.
See also
- Australian south-west coast drainage division
- Indian Ocean drainage division: see Pilbara region of Western AustraliaPilbara region of Western AustraliaThe Pilbara is a large, dry, thinly populated region in the north of Western Australia known for its vast mineral deposits, in particular iron ore...
- Timor Sea drainage division: see Top EndTop EndThe Top End of northern Australia is the second northernmost point on the continent. It covers a rather vaguely-defined area of perhaps 400,000 square kilometres behind the northern coast from the Northern Territory capital of Darwin across to Arnhem Land with the Indian Ocean on the west, the...
and Kimberley region of Western AustraliaKimberley region of Western AustraliaThe Kimberley is one of the nine regions of Western Australia. It is located in the northern part of Western Australia, bordered on the west by the Indian Ocean, on the north by the Timor Sea, on the south by the Great Sandy and Tanami Deserts, and on the east by the Northern Territory.The region... - Gulf of CarpentariaGulf of CarpentariaThe Gulf of Carpentaria is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea...
- Australian north-east coast drainage divisionAustralian north-east coast drainage divisionThe north-east coast drainage division is the area of Queensland between the Great Dividing Range and the ocean. It lies between Torres Strait and an arbitrary line drawn along the Queensland - New South Wales border.-See also:...
- Australian south-east coast drainage divisionAustralian south-east coast drainage divisionThe south-east coast drainage division is the very long, narrow area of southern Australia between the Great Dividing Range and the sea. It includes the small part of south-eastern South Australia which lies to the east of the Murray-Darling Basin, and all of coastal Victoria and coastal New South...
- Murray-Darling BasinMurray-Darling BasinThe Murray-Darling basin is a large geographical area in the interior of southeastern Australia, whose name is derived from its two major rivers, the Murray River and the Darling River. It drains one-seventh of the Australian land mass, and is currently by far the most significant agricultural...
- 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...
- Western PlateauWestern PlateauThe Western Plateau is Australia's largest drainage division and is composed predominantly of the remains of the ancient rock shield of Gondwanaland. It incorporates two thirds of the continent; 2,700,000 square kilometres of arid land including large parts of Western Australia, South Australia,...
- Geography of TasmaniaGeography of TasmaniaThe geography of Tasmania is rugged and varied. Tasmania is an island of temperate climate, so similar in some ways to pre-industrial England that it was referred to by some English colonists as "a Southern England". The bigger settlements are however located in regions where the rainfall is much...