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This is a draft
format, more to come.
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Looking north |
Looking east |
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Looking south |
Looking west |
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AT THE POINT
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Location:
Degree Confluence 23°S 139°E is in the heart of Channel
Country in western Queensland. The confluence is unmarked, and
located between two branches of the Georgina River, from which the
degree square takes its name. Direct access can only be gained by 4WD
vehicle in dry weather while the river is passable. The closest road
to the point is a dirt track that comes within 4 km to the north. The
nearest settlement is Boulia, approximately 93 km to the east. The
site was visited by a party of RGSQ members travelling in four 4WD
vehicles from Brisbane in May, 2008. |
Camp by the
Georgina River |
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Landscape:
Degree Confluence 23°S 139°E is located on a plain,
between two branches of the Georgina River that are approximately 3km
apart at this location. The view from the confluence shows flat
terrain, with an elevation of approximately 140m. Like many other
nearby points, the ground surface is covered primarily with tussocks
of grass and stones. Trees are also visible in the near distance,
following the course of the Georgina River.
Geological
features of the area include Cainozoic soil and alluvium. Nearby to
the east is Cainozoic limestone, and Paleaozoic calcaranite, dolomite
and sandstone is found to the west (Scanned 250K Geology Maps,
Geoscience Australia). A small outlying dune field of the Simpson
Desert also occurs 8 km to the south-west.
The major site
of drainage is the Georgina River, which is part of the Eyre Basin. |
Point Photo Credits:
Paul Feeney
Point
Information Prepared By:
Jo Grant
IN THE SQUARE
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Google Image:
23°S 139°E |
Google Image:
Confluence 23°S 139°E in between the main course and an arm
of the Georgina River. |
Climate:
The closest weather station to the confluence is at the Boulia
Airport, which is 93km to the east of the degree confluence, and has
an elevation of 162m.
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Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Year |
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Mean
max
(ºC) |
38.5 |
37.4 |
35.4 |
31.4 |
26.7 |
23.3 |
22.9 |
25.7 |
30.2 |
34.2 |
36.9 |
38.6 |
31.8 |
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Mean
min
(ºC) |
24.5 |
24.0 |
21.8 |
17.1 |
12.5 |
8.9 |
7.7 |
9.5 |
13.6 |
17.9 |
21.3 |
23.4 |
16.9 |
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Mean
rain
(mm) |
48.6 |
50.7 |
35.7 |
14.0 |
13.1 |
10.5 |
9.4 |
6.4 |
6.9 |
14.9 |
21.3 |
31.5 |
262.5 |
The highest
temperature recorded was 48.3°C in February 1915, and the lowest
was -1.4°C in August 1906. The greatest rainfall recorded in a
year was 798.6 mm in 1950, and the least was 24.1 mm in 1905.
These and other
climate statistics for Boulia can be found at: Australian Bureau of
Meteorology, http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_038003_All.shtml.
Extremes of Nature:
The area experiences extreme heat throughout much of the year, with
Boulia having an average of 138 days annually that have maximum
temperatures equal to or over 35°C. The hottest months are
November to March, all of which experience on average approximately
20 days or more with temperatures equal to or over 35°C. With a
low average rainfall and only 30 days a year with any rain, very dry
conditions also prevail in the area.
Since 1906
there have been no cyclones to pass within 50 km of the degree
confluence, but 6 within 200 km. 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.
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