Geography Vocab

Geography Vocabulary: Australia - A Unique Continent

Batholith- A volcanic formation caused by magma welling up and solidifying before it reaches the surface
Catchment- An area drained by a river and its tributaries
Dreamtime- The time in Aboriginal belief systems when all living things and the environment were created
Epicormic- A shoot from a dormant bud
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)- The area 200 nautical miles from the coastline over which a country has control of the resources
Geomorphologist- A geographer who studies the formation of landforms
Hemisphere- Half of the Earth( the Northern and Southern hemispheres are divided by the Equator, the Eastern and Western hemispheres are divided by the Prime Meridian)
Isobar- Lines on a synoptic chart that join places of equal air pressure
Latitude- The distance north or south of the Equator measured in degrees
Lignotubers- Starchy swellings that contain dormant buds
Longitude- The distance east or west of the prime Meridian measured in degrees
Lunette- A crescent-shaped dune composed of sand and clay sediments
Mallee- A vegetation community found in Australia's semi-arid zone
Metamorphic- A type of rock changed by great heat and pressure
Sclerophyll- A plant with thick leathery leaves
Sedimentary- A type of rock formed from sediments that was laid down in layers and then compressed
Tectonic forces- Movements causing deformation of the Earth's crust
watershed
Xerophyte- A type of -plant adapted to drought

1.2
Population density- The amount of people in a certain area eg. Australia 

1.4
Continental drift- The movement of the Earth's continents.
Convection currents- Currents in the Earth's interior causing the tectonic plates to move
Glaciation- To cover or become covered with glaciers or masses or ice

1.5
Central Lowlands- Physical features in parts of VIC, NSW, QLD, SA, NT
Eastern Highlands- Physical features in parts QLD, NSW, VIC
Western Plateau - Physical features in parts of WA, SA, NT, QLD

1.6
El Nino- The normal circulation pattern in the Pacific Ocean brings rain to Australia.In an El Nino year the circulation reverses and South America receives the rain while Australia remains dry.
La Nina- Drought occurs in South America and high rainfall occurs in Eastern Australia.
Euclypts- Native Australian  trees that have tall and strong branches where the leaves do not fall off in autumn and can be used for medical purposes.

1.7
Biodiversity- Diversity among and within plant and animals species in an environment
Fauna- Another word for animals used by the Aboriginal 
Flora-Another word for plants used by Aboriginal
Montoremes-Egg-laying mammals.

1.8
Cresent-shaped dunes- Sand dunes in the shape of crescents.
Diprotodon- An extinct megafauna found at Willandra Lakes.
Megafauna- Large animals that can be seen with the unaided eye.
Thylacine- Another name for the extinct Tasmanian tiger

1.9
Epheremals-  plants that complete their life cycle very quickly when the rain comes, and leave large quantities of seeds lying dormant until the next rain.Epicormic- Growing from a dormant or adventitious budTranspiration- The passage of water through the body of the plants from its roots.

1.10
Acidification- To turn something into acid.
Aquaculture- The cultivation of aquatic animals and plants.
Non-renewable- Things that take thousand or millions of years to form and can't be reproduced during our lifetime.
Salinity-Containing, or resembling common table salt; salty orsaltlikeSilviculture-The cultivation of forest trees; forestry.sustainable- Resources that are able to be reformed in our lifetime and able to be uses over and over again.
World Heritage- Resources of great significance on a national and global scale