What is special about the Simpson desert?

Answer 1

The Simpson Desert is one of several deserts in Australia, and covers about 180,000 square kilometres in central Australia, spanning the Northern Territory, Queensland and South Australia. It is the fourth-largest desert in Australia. There are no maintained roads across the desert, but numerous 4Wd tracks. In 2008, for the first time, the Simpson Desert was closed to tourists from December 1 until mid-March in 2009. This was because of the high costs of rescuing tourists who foolishly try to cross the desert or take on the sand-dunes in the hottest months of the year. It is also to prevent the deaths that occur from this. However, it is also for the health of the desert - to give the desert some time to "regenerate" from the many tourists also. The Simpson Desert has some interesting things to see. These include: * Dalhousie Springs, where you can enjoy hot springs * Kaliduwarry Waterhole, a permanent supply which stretches for some 30 kilometres * the Birdsville Track * the Old Ghan Heritage Track * Chambers Pillar, a 50m sandstone pillar rising up from the desert plain * the Ewaninga Rock Carvings Conservation Reserve * Poeppel Corner, a remote spot where where three state borders meet * incredible red-orange, rippling sand dunes - there are over 1100 sand dunes all running parallel in a north-south direction * colourful sunrises and sunsets, unlike those you will see anywhere else

Answer 2

Natural features of the Simpson Desert include: * Dalhousie Springs, which are natural hot springs * Kaliduwarry Waterhole, a permanent supply which stretches for some 30 kilometres * Chambers Pillar, a 50m sandstone pillar rising up from the desert plain * incredible red-orange, rippling sand dunes - there are over 1100 sand dunes all running parallel in a north-south direction

Answer 3

The Simpson Desert is located in Queensland, Australia. Plants that grow there include cane grass, acacia, parrot bush, and spinifex grass. Animals found in this desert are the freckled duck, silver gulls, spinifex hopping mouse, rabbits, foxes, and camels.

Answer 4

The Simpson Desert occupies approximately 176 500 square kilometres of central Australia. It is located within, and near the common boundaries of the Northern Territory, South Australia and Queensland states of Australia. It is bounded to the west by the Finke River and Mabel Range, to the north by Adam Range, to the east by the Georgina and Diamantina Rivers, with Lake Eyre to the south. Average annual rainfall is less than 200 mm.

The Simpson Desert is underlain by the Great Artesian Basin, Water from which rises to the surface at numerous natural springs, including Dalhousie Springs, and at bores drilled along stock routes, or during gas and oil exploration. As a result of exploitation by such bores, the flow of water to springs has been steadily decreasing in recent years.

The Simpson Desert is anerg which contains the world's longest parallel sand dunes. These north-south oriented dunes are static, held in position by vegetation. They vary in height from 3 metres in the west to around 30 metres on the eastern side. The most famous dune, Nappanerica, or, more popularly, Big Red(named by Simpson Desert traveller Dennis Bartell), is 40 metres in height.

The explorer Charles Sturt, who visited the region from 1844-1846, was the first European to see the desert, but it was not until 1936 that Ted Colson became the first white man to cross it in its entirety. The name Simpson Desert was coined by Cecil Madigan, after Alfred Allen Simpson, an Australian philanthropist, geographer, and president of the Royal Geographical Society of South Australia.

No maintained roads cross the desert. However, there are tracks that were made during seismic surveys in the search for gas and oil during the 1960s and 1970s. These include the French Line, the Rig Road, and the QAA Line. Such tracks are still navigable by well-equipped four-wheel-drive vehicles which must carry extra fuel and water. Towns providing access to the edge of the Simpson Desert include Oodnadatta to the southwest, and Birdsville in the east. Last fuel on the western side is at the Mount Dare hotel and store. Before 1980, a section of the Commonwealth Railways Central Australian line passed along the western side of the Simpson Desert. Within the Simpson, the ruins at Dalhousie Springs, Dalhousie Springs, Purnie Bore wetlands, Approdinna Attora Knoll and Poeppel Corner (where Queensland, South Australia and Northern Territory meet) are popular landmarks.

Because of the excessive heat and inadequately experienced drivers attempting to access the desert in the past, it has been decided to close the Simpson Desert during the summer of 2008-2009 - to save unprepared "adventurers" from themselves

Answer 5

The name Simpson Desert was named after Alfred Allen Simpson, an Australian industrialist, philanthropist, geographer, and president of the South Australian branch of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia.

Answer 6

The name Simpson Desert was coined by Cecil Madigan, after Alfred Allen Simpson, an Australian industrialist, philanthropist, geographer, and president of the South Australian branch of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia. Mr. Simpson was the owner of the Simpson washing machine company.

Answer 7

The name Simpson Desert was coined by Cecil Madigan, after Alfred Allen Simpson, an Australian industrialist, philanthropist, geographer, and president of the South Australian branch of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia.

Answer 8

The Simpson Desert, which spans parts of South Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory, has an area of approximately 176,500 square kilometres.

Answer 9

The Simpson Desert ss a desert in Australia and not a landform.