Vocabulary

Batholith: a volcanic formation caused bymagma welling up and solidifying before it reaches the surface.
catchment: an area drained by a river and its tributaries.
Dreamtime: the time in Aboriginal belief systems when all living things and the environment were created.
epicormic: a shoot from a dormant bud.
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): the area 200 nautical miles from the coastline over which a country has control of the resources.
geomorphologist: a geographer who studies the formation of landforms.
hemisphere: half of the Earth (the Northern and Southern hemispheres are divided by the Equator, the Eastern and Western hemispheres are divided by the Prime Meridian). isobar: lines on a synoptic chart that join places of equal air pressure latitude: the distance north or south of the Equator measured in degrees lignotubers: starchy swellings that contain dormant buds longitude: the distance east or west of the Prime Meridian measured in degrees lunette: a crescent-shaped dune composed of sand and clay sediments mallee: a vegetation community found in Australia’s semi-arid zone metamorphic: a type of rock changed by great heat and pressure sclerophyll: a plant with thick leathery leaves
sedimentary: a type of rock formed from sediments that was laid down in layers and then compressed tectonic forces: movements causing deformation of the Earth’s crust watershed: the dividing line between catchments xerophyte: a type of plant adapted to drought
population density: how many people per square kilometre.
continental drift: the movement of the Earth's continents in a process
convection currents: currents in the Earth's interior cause tectonic plates to move
glaciation: to cover or become covered with glaciers or masses of iceCentral Lowlands: a physical feature in Australia that is located in QLD, NSW and VIC. It is low laying.
Eastern Highlands: a physical feature in Australia that is located in QLD, NSW, ACT and VIC. It is along the east coast and is a mountainous region.Western Plateau: a physical feature in Australia that is located in WA, NT and SA. It is a flat region and is in the Western regions of Australia. El Nino: The normal circulation pattern in the Pacific Ocean brings rain to Australia. In an El Nino year the circulation reverses and South America receives the rain while Australia remains dry.
La Nina: A cooling of the surface water of the eastern and central PacificOcean, occurring somewhat less frequently than El Niño events butcausing similar, generally opposite disruptions to global weatherpatterns. eucalyptus: any of numerous often tall trees belonging to the genus Eucalyptus,  of the myrtle family, native to australia, having aromatic evergreen leaves that are the source of medicinal oils and heavy wood used as timber.
biodiversity: diversity among and within plant and animal species in anenvironment.
fauna: the animals of a given region or period considered as a whole.
flora: the plants of a particular region or period, listed by species and considered as a whole.
montremes: an egg laying mammal.
cresent-shaped dunes: sand dunes in the shape of cresents.
diprotodon: a large extinct marsupial unique to Australia.
megafauna: auna of a region or period that comprises the larger terrestrial animals.
thylacine: a wolflike marsupial
epheremals: plants that complete their life cycle very quickly when the rain comes, and leave large quantities of seeds lying dormant until the next rain. epicormic: Growing from a dormant or adventitious bud
transpiration: the passage of water through a plant from the roots
acidification: to turn something into acid
aquaculture: the cultivation of aquatic animals and plants
non-renewable: unable to restore or replenish
salinity: of, containing, or resembling common table salt; salty orsaltlike
silvi culture: he cultivation of forest trees; forestry
sustainable: to support, hold, or bear up from below; bear the weight of,as a structure
world heritage: resources of great significance on a national and global scale