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22°S 143°E Winton – Queensland by Degrees |
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AT THE POINT
Location: Degree Confluence 22°S 143°E is located on the working property, Lana Downs, after which the degree square is named. The site is in western Queensland, approximately 43 km north of Winton. While the confluence itself is unmarked, a GPS was used to find the exact location. The journey to the point was mostly made under the direction of property owner, Sam Foxwell, on dirt tracks, excepting the last 800 m, which was across country by 4WD. The site was visited in the early afternoon by a party of RGSQ members travelling from Brisbane in June, 2009. Landscape: Elevation at the degree confluence is 203 m, and the view shows flat terrain. The surface at the point is comprised completely of browning grass, although scattered trees (height to 4-5 m) are visible along the line of Cooindah Creek. Cattle, kangaroos and birds were all seen at, or nearby the point. The geology of the area is primarily Lower-Upper Cretaceous Winton Formation sandstone, claystone, siltstone and limestone, excepting along the course of nearby creeks (including Cooindah) which are comprised of Cainozoic alluvium. This landscape is typical of much of the surrounding country.
Drainage occurs along the gullies of Cooindah Creek, which is visible just to the north and east of the confluence. The course of Cooindah Creek flows to the south-west, to join Wokingham Creek and eventually the Diamantina River, which is part of the Eyre Basin. Numerous bores and dams are also found in the nearby countryside.
Tributaries of Cooindah Creek to the west and east of degree confluence 22°S 143°E. (Google Earth Image) Point Photo Credits: Paul Feeney, Mary Comer Point Information By: Paul Feeney, Jo Grant, Mary Nowill
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IN THE DEGREE SQUARE
Climate: The closest representative weather station is at the Winton Post Office, which is 43 km to the south of the degree confluence, and has an elevation of 182 m. The site has been recording data since 1884.
The highest temperature recorded was 46.8°C in December 2006, and the lowest was -1.7°C in both June 1971 and July 1968. The greatest rainfall recorded in a year was 1 171.1 mm in 2000, and the least was 52.6 mm just two years later in 2002. These and other climate statistics for Winton can be found at: Australian Bureau of Meteorology, http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_037051_All.shtml. Extremes of Nature: Despite the area's relatively inland location, it is still subject to the impact of some cyclones. The database maintained by the Bureau of Meteorology shows that nine cyclones have passed within 200 km of the confluence since 1906, one of which passed within 50 km (an unnamed TC in 1951, TC Althea in 1971, TC Winifred in 1986, and TC Aivu in 1989). 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. Like most places in the Australian tropics, extreme heat is also a danger. Records show that the Winton Station experiences 138 days annually with temperatures 35°C or warmer, 31 days of which 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. REFERENCES Geoscience Australia, NATMAP Raster Geoscience Australia, Scanned 250 K Geology Maps
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Last updated 29
September 2009. Web page done by Hayley Freemantle. |
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