Are they like, places where there was a lake, before the climate changed?
2007-12-18 13:40:09 · 8 answers · asked by Jennifer'sSister 3 in Travel ➔ Australia ➔ Other - Australia
"Wadi" is an Arabic word and means a dry watercourse or ravine that has flowing water when it rains. It is seen in the Middle East.The term is not used in Australia.
There are many dry lakes, often called ephemeral lakes, in Australia. The largest is Lake Eyre in the north of South Australia. Most of the time they are salt flats but when rain falls in the river catchments, water flows into the lake. Lake Eyre is fed by Cooper Creek into which the Diamantina and Georgina rivers flow draining western Queensland - when there is rain to drain.
When Lake Eyre fills, brine shrimp eggs hatch producing millions of brine shrimp - food for the fish that come down into the lake from the rivers and food for wading birds. The fish provide food for the thousands of pelicans that come to breed on the lake, following the rain and the flooding rivers to the inland sea.
2007-12-18 15:20:08 · answer #1 · answered by tentofield 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
They are salt lakes, formed by the evaporation of water over thousands of years. Some have a little water in them, but most are completely dry and you can drive a car or land a plane on them.
Here's a photo I took a few weeks ago of the airport at Norseman in Western Australia which is on their salt lake:
http://www.chapelhill.homeip.net/Photos/2007-11-Perth/2007_11_24/index.php?image=100_1358.JPG
Here's another in South Australia:
http://www.chapelhill.homeip.net/Photos/2007-11-Perth/2007_11_18/index.php?image=100_0725.JPG
2007-12-19 07:05:10 · answer #2 · answered by kr_afol 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The definition for desert is that it has under 250mm/10 " of rain per year .Most of the year , the desert is dry , but when it rains , it will creat rivers that drain into lakes.
2007-12-18 22:33:44 · answer #3 · answered by Brainteaser 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
the centre of australia is basically all desert.
most of the lakes and streams shown will only flow when there has been lots of rain.
It is not recomended to rely on these watercourses for water.
the centre of Australia is a inhospitable place where people can and do perish if they are ill prepared for thier journey
2007-12-18 23:46:32 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are probably lakes, but only when there is enough rainfall they fill up. They probably dry out very easily. This is true with lots of deserts in africa as well.
2007-12-18 21:44:30 · answer #5 · answered by jared g 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Those are called Waddi(s). When it does rain, they fill with water. Deserts get up to 10 inches of rain a year. Waddi(s) are dormant sand traps most of the year.
2007-12-18 21:46:03 · answer #6 · answered by Max 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
lakes?? they are only lakes if water is present
2007-12-18 21:42:54 · answer #7 · answered by craftsmanunltd 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
nuh, the tide was out when they took the satellite image.
2007-12-19 14:14:37 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋