20°S 138°E Camooweal – Queensland by Degrees

AT THE POINT Looking north Looking east Looking south Looking west Location: Degree Confluence 20°S 138°E is approximately 300m east of the Qld-NT border on the Barkly Tableland. At this location the border is marked by a vermin-proof fence. The closest settlement is the town of Camooweal, approximately 15 km NE of the confluence. There is no direct access to the location, although the Barkly Highway runs less than 10 kilometres to the north. An RGSQ expedition visited the site in May 2008, travelling the final part of the trip on two quad bikes across country. Landscape: Degree Confluence 20°S 138°E is located on the Barkley Tableland. The view from the confluence shows a predominately flat surface with an elevation of approximately 200m. The ground surface is largely covered with tussocks of grass; little other vegetation is visible. Extensive grazing occurs at the confluence and surrounding area. The closest watercourse is Western Creek. It is found to the west of the confluence in the Northern Territory, flowing south to eventually reach the Georgina River approximately 50 kilometres distant. The Georgina River is part of the Eyre Basin. Camooweal Caves National Park is about 15km to the east of the confluence. The surface is mainly Late Tertiary to Quaternary black soil over Cambrian dolomite. Degree Confluence 20°S 138°E Border track and vermin proof fence shown running north-south several hundred metres west of confluence Point Photo Credits: Paul Feeney, Mary Comer Point Information By: Jo Grant

IN THE DEGREE SQUARE Climate: The closest representative weather station is at Camooweal Township. It has an elevation of 231 m, and has been recording data since 1891. Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Mean max (ºC) 37.3 36.2 35.3 33.0 28.9 25.9 25.8 28.3 32.3 35.8 37.5 38.1 32.9 Mean min (ºC) 24.3 23.7 21.8 18.0 13.4 9.9 8.8 10.9 15.1 19.5 22.3 23.8 17.6 Mean rain (mm) 99.0 32.4 54.7 14.3 11.1 10.0 5.5 2.9 6.0 14.2 28.8 59.3 398.4 The highest temperature recorded was 46.6°C in December 1990, and the lowest -2.2°C in June 1971. The greatest rainfall recorded in a year was 1003.3 mm in 1974, and the lowest was 100.4 mm in 2001. These and other climate statistics for Camooweal can be found at: Australian Bureau of Meteorology, http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_037010_All.shtml Extremes of Nature: The area is subject to some cyclone impact. The database maintained by the Bureau of Meteorology shows that since 1906, eight cyclones have passed within 200 km of the degree confluence, however none of these came within 50 km. Even distant cyclones bring with them potentially destructive winds and intense rainfall. Cyclone information for this area and all of Australia can be found at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology website, http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/silo/cyclones.cgi. Extreme heat is also a danger. Records show that the Camooweal Station experiences 155 days annually with temperatures 35°C or warmer, 36 days of which can even reach over 40°C. Such extreme temperatures can cause heat stroke and death if appropriate measures are not taken such as avoiding strenuous physical effort, keeping as cool as possible and drinking lots of water. Heat waves kill more people in Australia than all other natural hazards combined. Today: Google Image: Camooweal (Qld), on the Georgina River, 15km north-east of Degree Confluence 20°S 138°E The Barkley Highway is shown running east-west through town; racecourse and landing ground also visible REFERENCES Geoscience Australia, NATMAP Raster Geoscience Australia, Scanned 250 K Geology Maps

Last updated 29 September 2009. Web page done by Hayley Freemantle.  For more information email projectofficer@rgsq.org.au Return to home