The Nature of Droughts in Australia

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Natural Hazards

Droughts in Australia

The Nature of Droughts in Australia

A drought is a lengthened dry period where there is not a sufficient amount of water for users’ standard requirement. Australia is the driest continent. The main explanation is that our country lies in a region of high atmospheric pressure and an inconsistent rate of rainfall. During a drought, streams and rivers dry up whilst plants and animals die. This is because they lack water and there tends to be less food to eat. Droughts in Australia tend to occur in areas away from the coast, but still, each state or territory is prone to droughts. South Australia is the driest state in Australia and is vulnerable to frequent droughts.

The Geographical Processes Involved

The Geographical Processes Involved

Causes

El Nino

El Nino is one of the main causes of droughts. An El Nino changes the relationships between the wind, ocean currents and atmospheric temperatures, which causes global impacts to weather conditions. Across the Pacific there

Areas being affected by El Nino. is a mass of warm water that is driven towards Australia. This warm water leads heavy rainfall to the north of Australia and some surrounding countries and islands. Whilst on the other side of the ocean, South America is going through drought. But when an El Nino event occurs, the ocean and the winds reverse orientations. This brings droughts and dry weather towards Australia.

Southern Oscillation

The southern oscillation is the weather patterns between the Pacific areas and Asia that causes rain variation in Australia. The Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) is used to compute the alternation of air pressure betwe...

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...ole by distributing millions of dollars to the Australian Government Envirofund. Also, the government helps out farmers and rural communities to help support their income and employment. The state government establish water restrictions so that water can be conserved. The local government provide public work and services to assist communities being affected by drought. Farmers must reduce the amount of land beneath their crops, to save water. Also, farmers must learn alternate farming techniques and systems that helps them maintain their crops and livestock. However, due to droughts many individuals choose to leave their farms and head to urban areas. This causes decrease in population in rural areas.

Responsibility of the Community

Managing a drought is a responsibility shared by individuals, community groups and governments in order get through a drought.

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