Which occupies most of Australia, located in the western and central parts, and a younger, Paleozoic, folded belt under the general name of the Tasmanian fold-thrust belt, located in the east. The Australian platform consists of two tectonic structures - the shield (West Australian Massif) in the west and the Solomon Plate in the central part. The western part of the platform is older than the central one, since it was formed in the Early Precambrian, that is, it was composed of Archean and Early Proterozoic rocks. In some places, the foundation of the platform comes out on the day surface (very large areas), forming the so-called shields. The best known shields in this region are the Yilgarn and Pilbara blocks in the west, and the Gawler block in the southeast. They are known for the fact that, according to some studies, these are the most ancient places on our planet. So, the age of the Yilgarn block components is estimated at 4150 Ma, the age of the rocks of the Pilbara block is estimated at 3500 Ma. The composition of these rocks includes mainly granites and gneisses. the Yilgarn, Pilbara and other smaller blocks make up the East Australian massif, which is divided into separate horst massifs by narrow hummock valleys.
As for the platform cover of this region, it can be divided into two subunits: Early Precambrian (or protoplatform) and Late Precambrian-Phanerozoic (or platform proper) formations. The proto-platform formation includes the Hamersli protosyneclise located at the southern flank of the Hamersli horst massif. This protosyneclise has a lenticular structure in which large oil reserves are located. The protosyneclise is composed of argillaceous rocks, dolomites, sandy volcanic rocks, and tilloids of origin. The actual platform structures include the MacArthur syneclise (the western coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria), the River (the southern flank of the Pine Creek massif), and the St. Nicholson depression (between the Musgrave and McDonnell spines).
The Solomon Plate is located in the central part of the Australian Platform. The Solomon Plate is subdivided into smaller geostructures - this is the Canning syneclise (in the relief it is expressed in low-lying parts, in which the depression of Lake Eyre is located) and the Perth graben, which stretches from west to east (in the relief it is expressed by the more elevated peneplainized Nalarbor plain).
Most of central Australia is occupied by plains, which are composed of horizontal marine and continental sedimentary deposits. Here the Central is very extensive, which is located to the east and southeast of the Western Australian massif. This structure was formed as a result of tectonic stresses of two tectonically active interacting structures of the west and east, which caused the surface to sag and flood with seas, which occurred in the Mesozoic period. A section of this plain, especially that which is located around the endorheic Lake Eyre, is located below sea level and is the lowest place in all of Australia. This area is rocky with a developed dune system. Uplands can be found in places - the hill of Bar-ir.
The southern part of the mainland, located along the coast of the Great Australian Bight, is occupied by the Nullarbor Plain, which is composed of Tertiary limestones from the surface. Its relief is characterized by a wide development of karst forms.
In the north, around the Gulf of Carpentaria, a lowland stretches, which has risen to a small height in recent geological time. It is represented by loose sediments and is covered with numerous sediments that flow into the bay.
Now let's move on to the terrain
The western part of Australia is occupied by plateaus and plateaus under the general name of the Western Australian Plateau with average heights of 400 - 600 m, however, the outskirts of this massif have been uplifted by recent geological movements, so the highest points are in the east (that is, on the outskirts) where they reach up to 1500 m Heights of 1500 m and above reach the top of Woodroffe located on the Musgrave massif. About the McDonnell massif, which is located to the north, it is separated by a wide graben, in which Lake Amadeus is located. These massifs rise in the form of separate horst islands above the Carnavon Plain and are complicated by ancient granites and Lower Paleozoic folded rocks. As a result of the desert-continental, these mountains have acquired a very bizarre appearance.
Now let's move on to the eastern part of the mainland. The entire eastern half of Australia is occupied by the highest and most extensive mainland - the East Australian Mountains, which are sometimes called the Australian Cordillera. Geologically, this area is called the Tasmanian fold-thrust belt, which was more active in the Paleozoic. The Cordilleras run in the longitudinal direction, starting from the Cape York Peninsula and ending in the extreme southeast of the mainland,. This belt also appears on the neighboring island, occupying its western outskirts. On the continent, the length of the Australian is about 4000 km, and the width is 1500 km. The articulation of the Australian platform with the Tasmanian belt is not very pronounced in the relief, the entire territory, including the belt, is hidden under younger Mesozoic platform formations of sedimentary origin. This upper platform area is called the "Tasman Line" which extends north from the Georgetown Platform Massif and further south where it ends at the Broken Hill Platform Massif. This place is very special! This feature lies in the fact that this is the only place on Earth where this belt is a transitional zone (that is, a shelf) of the ancient ocean. In tectonic terms, the Australian Cordillera is divided into two zones or megazones that are different in time - Western and Eastern. The tectonic development of the Eastern megazone ended in the Paleozoic-Mesozoic period, and the Western megazone - in the initial Paleozoic. And to be more precise, the East Australian mountains are a Paleozoic structure!
As for the relief, there is no more beautiful and powerful place in Australia than this. The Australian Cordilleras are characterized by very strong tectonic and erosional dissection. Faults and valleys divide this belt into separate blocky massifs, complicated by Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary deposits, as well as volcanic crystalline rocks, among which Tertiary basalts, which erupted during the Australonesian orogeny along fault lines, especially clearly predominate.
The eastern and western halves of the Cordillera are distinct in their shape. The eastern slopes of the mountains are steeper, which, coming close to the coast, form steep sections in places. But the western half of the mountains is gently sloping, which, when moving west, gradually turns into a strip of hilly foothills.
It occupies the entire northern half of the mountain system. The north of the ridge is complicated by granites, shales and basalts with very significant reserves of tin ores. The height of this area is about 500 m above sea level. When moving south, this ridge becomes even higher until 1600, which comes close to the coast. The slopes of the mountains, as a rule, are complicated by faults, a lot of cliffs. With further advancement to the south, inland, these mountains lower and the relief becomes hilly. Here in the alluvium of the rivers there are deposits of gold. Then, when the belt of the Great Dividing Range ends, it abruptly breaks off into the so-called pericratonic region, in which rich oil deposits were found. The heights of this belt are not great - about 20 m.
In the south, the pericratonic region begins with a new mountain system, the Likhlan massif. The Likhlan massif is a collection of ridges separated by small faults. The most famous ranges include New England, Liverpool, Blue Mountains, etc. Northern part The Likhlansky massif is overlain by a thick basalt cover, which hides a lowered folded base. Ancient craters are sometimes found here and post-volcanic activity is observed, which indicates a very strong recent activity in this region. Further, to replace the blocky mountains, ridges with table surfaces appear, something resembling a table mountain in. The height of this area is 1000-1600m. These ridges in the west pass into a hilly upland called the downs, which are irrigated by the river system of the Darling and rivers. The eastern foot of the mountains breaks off with a low plain up to 50 km wide, occupied by developed sandstones in which traces of ancient organisms can be found - cotillabs and mallamites.
To the south, the ridges are crossed by a transverse tectonic depression of the river. Hunter, which is filled with Permian-Carboniferous deposits with significant reserves. When moving south, these mesas again appear, but already in the form of the so-called Blue Mountains. These mountains are called blue because ... ... The height of the Blue Mountains reaches about 1200m. The Blue Mountains are known for their deep karst caves overlain by Silurian deposits. The coastal part of the Blue Mountains has very convenient bays, on the banks of which the city is located, which is the largest port east coast Australia.
When moving south, the Likhlan massif passes into a new mountain system- Australian Alps. They are characterized by a horst structure overlain by Paleozoic rocks. The average height of these mountains is about 1500 m and are dissected by deep river valleys. It is in this place that traces of the ancient Quaternary glaciation appear, mostly not deep cara funnels and sheep's foreheads. Here is the most high peak throughout Australia - Mount Kosciuszko (2234 m).
In the extreme south of Australia, the Australian Cordilleras are called Victorian having the appearance of peneplanized plateaus and an array with heights of about 1900m. They end at Port Phillip Bay, on which the port of Australia is located -.
Australia is a unique continent-island.
Most of the territory of Australia was chosen by huge deserts and lowlands. The habitable zone is located mainly along the coast of the ocean.
The Australian landforms are for the most part plains of low elevation. 95% of the Australian continent does not exceed 600 m above sea level.
1) Western part of the continent is a Western Australian plateau, having an average height of 400-500 meters and elevated edges. In the north, the Kimberley massif, reaching a height of up to 936 meters. To the east is the Musgrave Range (its highest point is Mount Woodroffe at 1,440 meters) and the McDonnell Range (its highest point- Mount Zil: height 1510 m). To the west is the Hamersley sandstone ridge, which has mostly flat tops. Its height reaches 1226 meters. In the southwest is the Dargling Range, reaching a height of 582 meters above sea level.
2) 
Center of Australia busy central lowlands in the Lake Eyre area. It has a height for the most part no more than 100 meters.
In the southwestern part is the Flindersea Mount Lofty Range. The lowest point on the continent is in the Lake Eyre region. It is approximately 12 meters below sea level.
3) 
Eastern part of Australia occupies the Great Dividing ridge- These are low mountains of Hercynian folding. Its eastern slope is decently dissected and steep, while the western slope is gently stepped.
The ridge has an average height, mostly flat tops, as well as the so-called downs, turning into hilly foothills.
Highest point in Australia:
In the Australian Alps, Australia's highest point is Mount Kosciuszko. The height of its peak reaches 2230 m above sea level.
The most famous deserts of Australia are: Great Sandy and Great Victoria Desert.
East of Victoria is semi-desert Great Artesian Basin.
Australia is the only continent on which there are no active volcanoes and modern glaciation.
The history of the formation of the Australian relief and its types
The relief of Australia since Precambrian times has practically not changed and tectonic shifts.
For a very long time, it was subjected to a cumulative process of transfer, as well as demolition (wind, water, ice, as well as the regular action of gravity) of crushing products by forces rocks to low-lying areas. There they accumulated. It's called denial
Peneplain appeared on the ledges of the foundation during denudation - spacious plains with insular mountains. In the trough zone of the center of the continent, as well as in the syneclises and Meso-Cenozoic, due to the intensive accumulation of sediments, large accumulative-lacustrine and stratal plains were formed. In the places of the largest subsidence of the platform, there are the Alluvial-lacustrine plains of the Central Basin. Layered plains, located in higher regions, are formed on the slopes of syneclises and saddles between them, as well as in the northwestern and southern parts of the Western Australian Plateau.Terrain and climate
In the east of the mainland is the system of the Great Dividing Range. On its eastern slopes, a serious amount of precipitation falls, brought along with the trade winds. Having crossed the ridges and descended into the well-heated inner plains of the continent, they heat up and then move away from the saturation point, which makes precipitation impossible. This is one of the main reasons dryness of australia the driest continent on earth. Only a third of the continent receives sufficient or excessive moisture.
Relief and minerals of Australia
The Australian mainland is very rich in a variety of minerals. This makes Australia one of the largest commodity powers of the planet.
The Australian platform in the west of the country has rich deposits gold near the towns of Coolgardie, Wiluna, Kalgoorlie and Northman. Smaller deposits of this precious metal are found throughout the continent.
In West Queensland and other parts of the mainland, there are significant deposits of polymetallic and uranium ores , but also bauxite. The deposits of the latter have been explored on the peninsulas of Arnhem Land (the local deposit is called Gov) and Cape York (with the Weipa deposit). Bauxite reserves have been explored near the Darling Range at the Jarradale deposit.
In the west of Australia, in the sedimentary Proterozoic cover, there is the Hamersley Range, where there are serious deposits gland- Mount Newman, Mount Goldsworth and others. There are also iron ore reserves at the Iron-Knob deposit and inkh. Iron ore is also mined in South Australia near the Middleback Range.
In the desert western parts of New South Wales, the large Broken Hill field is producing polymetallic ores, lead zinc, copper and silver. Near the Mount Isa deposit (Queensland) there is a large-scale center where non-ferrous metals, copper, lead and zinc are mined. Deposits of copper ore have also been explored in Tennant Creek (Northern Territory), as well as other parts of the continent.
Australia has major deposits chrome in the states of Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia (Gingin, Dongara and Mandarra deposits).
coal deposits located in the eastern part of the country, in the Upper Paleozoic and later formations.
Even on the territory of the mainland in sedimentary deposits, various ages have been explored oil and gas fields. They are found on the coast of Victoria, in the Great Artesian Basin, in Western Australia, as well as the Amadies trough.
Australian platform- A platform that occupies a large (western) part of Australia and the island of New Guinea. Australian platform consists of two Precambrian massifs: sowing. - exciting sowing. part of Australia and the southern part of the island of New Guinea and the south - located in the south-west. parts of Australia. Between the arrays - from the river. Fitzroy in the north-west. coast through McDoniel to the hall. Spencer - the Caledonian fold zone stretches, in which great power reach deposits of the Cambrian and Ordovician. Along the east coast Australian platform bordered by the Hercynian folded zone. Sev. The massif is composed of Archean and Proterozoic crystalline schists and gneisses NW. strike, intruded by Proterozoic granites. The southern massif is composed mainly of Precambrian granites exposed on the surface, and to a lesser extent - crystalline schists and gneisses of the north-west. prostrations. Judging by the similar structure of the Precambrian of both massifs, the latter in the Archean–Proterozoic probably constituted a single massif, which at the beginning of the Paleozoic was divided by the Caledonian geosyncline that arose on the platform. Starting from the Cambrian time, the development of both massifs went in different ways. Sev. The massif experienced subsidence during the Paleozoic, as evidenced by the Cambrian and Silurian marine formations lying on the eroded surface of most of the massif. Then came a long break, and only in the Cretaceous and Tertiary time did sedimentation again become significant; development. The subsidence of the southern massif began in the Devonian and did not extend to its entire area. This is proved by the fact that marine Devonian, Carboniferous, Permian, Jurassic and Cretaceous deposits low power developed mainly along the west. coast of Australia. In the area of B. Australian Hall. Tertiary deposits are widespread over a large area. Middle and Upper Paleozoic Australian platform formed a single continent with the African and Indian platforms - Gondwana. In the Upper Carboniferous and Permian, a powerful glaciation developed on the area of this continent, traces of which have been preserved in Australia.
read also
The relief of Australia is quite simple. It can be divided into three parts - the Western Australian Plateau, the Central Lowlands and the East Australian Mountains. Each of these parts has its own characteristics and unique landforms.
Most of the Australian platform is occupied by the Western Australian Plateau, which geologically corresponds to the shields of Western Australia. The edges of the Western Australian Plateau often rise above 1000 m in the form of blocky massifs, flat-topped remnant mountains and small mountains. They reach their maximum height in the east within the Musgrave and McDonnell folded-block mountains, which are based on Precambrian folded structures. In the southeastern part of the plateau, there are numerous ancient lake basins, which have now turned into clay-saline plains. In the south of the Western Australian Plateau, the largest karst region of Australia stands out - the Nullarbor Plain, composed of limestones.
In the zone of the meridional trough of the basement of the Australian Platform, there is an area of Caledonian folding, represented in the relief by a strip of lowlands (Central Lowland). They are slightly elevated above sea level (150 m on average), although there are separate sections, having marks below sea level (Lake Eyre - -12 m). 100 million years ago, the Central Lowland sank below the ocean level and for a long time was a strait separating the western part of Australia from the east. In the east, the Central Lowland rises to 300-400 m, turning into downs (foothills).
East End mainland from the Cape York Peninsula in the north to Tasmania in the south is occupied by the East Australian folded region. In the relief of this folded area corresponds to the Great Dividing Range. The eastern slopes of the mountains, cut off by faults, are steep, the western slopes are gently stepped, gradually passing through the downs zone into the plains of central Australia. The mountains of the northern part are low and medium-high, elongated in the meridional direction, divided into separate flat-topped ridges. The southern part of the Great Dividing Range is characterized by a significantly higher height and zonality. The meridional direction of the ridges is preserved within the state of New South Wales, in the Victorian mountains it changes sharply to the latitudinal direction. The mountains are composed of Paleozoic and Mesozoic crystalline rocks, sedimentary rocks, as well as volcanic rocks (alpine age basalts). Basalt outpourings form the Liverpool Ridge and occur in the New England Mountains. There are many deep karst caves in the mountains, the Blue Mountains are especially distinguished by their karst content. The Blue Mountains are low (up to 1200 m), but cut through deep canyons, are very steep in the east and descend in steps to the west. In the western part of the mountains, deep karst caves called Genolenas were discovered. For a long time, the Blue Mountains were impregnable. The first convenient passage was found only in 1813. Now the Blue Mountains do not present a difficult obstacle: they are crossed by a highway and railways. The Blue Mountains are one of the most popular places in Australia. More than 800 thousand people visit them every year. The extreme southern part of the Blue Mountains is the Victorian Alps. They are elongated in the latitudinal direction in the form of a plateau and individual massifs with a maximum height of 1900 m. They border Port Philip Bay. 64 km east of Melbourne, behind the town of Hillsville begins a popular area of mountain resorts with crystal clean rivers and lakes, waterfalls, forests of giant eucalyptus trees.
highest height The Great Dividing Range reaches into the Australian Alps (Snowy Mountains). The highest point in Australia, Mount Kosciuszko (1228 m), is also located here. The Australian Alps are a horst composed of Paleozoic rocks and dissected by deep river valleys.
Answer left Guest
Tectonic structures are regularly repeating forms of rock occurrence.
Tectonic structures are formed as a result of internal processes occurring in the solid geospheres of the Earth: tectonic movements, magma breakthroughs, etc.
The relief of Africa is dominated by plains, plateaus and plateaus. Mountains occupy a small part of the territory.
The plains are dominated by high plains, plateaus and plateaus. (Africano - Arabian platform and areas of ancient and ancient folding)
It distinguishes ancient and young platforms and folded areas of the Baikal, Caledonian and Hercynian epochs of mountain building. The ancient West Australian platform consists of a plate and several crystalline shields that together form the foundation of the West Australian Plateau.
The young East Australian platform is attached to the ancient platform from the east, obstructed by several orogenic basins and foredeeps, and forms the basement of the Central Lowland. The Caledonian and Hercynian folded regions are located in the extreme east of the mainland and together form the foundation of the East Australian Mountains.
Baikal folding forms a local area in the south of the mainland and forms the foundation of several mountain ranges.
Australia, the smallest continent on Earth, is located in the eastern part of the Southern Hemisphere. Its area with islands is 7,687 thousand km2.
Australia is washed by the waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Off its northeast coast is the largest coral formation on the planet, the famous Big barrier reef, stretching for more than 2 thousand km and has a width of up to 150 km.
The average height of the mainland is less than 300 m, the highest is Mt.
Kosciuszko (2,228 m), the smallest is the level of Lake Eyre (-16 m from sea level).
Relief of Australia: description, characteristics, individual landforms
In the west of the continent is the Western Australian Plateau, formed on the Precambrian platform. To the east of the plateau there are structures of a younger Paleozoic platform, some parts of which were formed during the era of Baikal, Caledonian and Hercynian folding. At the heart of the Central Lowland is a Paleozoic plate covered with a platform cover. The Great Dividing Range is the result of the mountain-building processes of the era of the Caledonian and Hercynian folding.
In the south of the Central Lowland there is a mountain rise, which was formed in the era of Baikal folding. In the southeast, the Great Dividing Range is called the Australian Alps due to the picturesque landscapes and a certain resemblance to the European Alps.
A significant part of the mainland is occupied by deserts. The river system is poorly developed. Almost 60% of the mainland area is drainless areas where only dry channels extend - crusts, which are filled with water only after rare rains.
The largest in Australia in length - Mt.
Darling (2,740 km), the most full-flowing - the city of Murray (2,570 km). The southwestern part of Australia is the land of small lakes (the largest is Eyre), but they are all salty. Therefore, the significant reserves available here are of great importance. groundwater. There are no high young mountains on the mainland, so there are no volcanoes and modern glaciation.
Australia is divided almost in half by the line of the Southern Tropic.
Therefore, it is a very warm and arid continent. It is influenced, along with other factors, warm currents. Under warm water conditions, Coral reefs(Timor, Arafura, Coral Seas). The southern coast of the mainland is cooled by current westerly winds, and the southwestern one is the current that forms Antarctica
Question no. forty-fifth Relief of Australia
Relief and PI Australia
Australia is dominated by a flat zone with a range of balancing surfaces ranging from the Lower Paleozoic to the neonate.
More than half of the continent and the adjacent continental basins of the Arafura Sea, the Great Australian Gulf and others.
they have a foundation built on the scale of the Archean and Lower Proterozoic period, which relate to alloys, uranium, polymetallic ores, bauxites. The bases come to the surface in the west, in the central part and in the north of the continent, where ancient crystalline shields stand out.
In the rest of the territory, it is hidden under the sedimentary cover of the Proterozoic and Paleozoic eras.
The greatest strength was achieved in the old syneclises in the north and west of the continent (Canning, Kimberley, Perth, etc.). In the south, in Eucli, young people, and in the east, in the basin of the Great Artesian Pool, layers of Mesozoic-Kenozoic marine deposits.
The deposits of the Proterozoic cover contain iron ore (Hamersley region) in younger deposits - coal and oil and natural gas. The prevailing types of terrain, that part of the base plains of Australia by increasing 400-600 m, that the land according to the age of denudation added layers of old weathering crust; combined with stratified plains in the distribution of the Upper Proterozoic and Paleozoic cover.
On the western edge of the continent, and in its central part, which means, in areas of modern tectonic activity, the rise of the mountain block: Hamersley - in the northwest of Stirling and Darling - Southwest McDonnell and Musgrave - in the very center of the continent. The system of young youth deformation is the corresponding formation and accumulation of high and low plains (Nullarbor, central plain, Murray-Darling plain, coastal plain of the Gulf of Carpentaria, the plain in southern New Guinea).
The eastern and southeastern edges of the continent and Tasmania, as well as the area to the west and northwest of the Murray plains, are occupied by medium and low folded-block mountains formed as a result of the Neogene-Quaternary growth of Baikal, Early Paleozoic and upper leveled structures.
Polymetals, copper, tin and gold have been found in rock formations in eastern and southeastern Australia.
At the foot of the Paleozoic stacked structures are concentrated rich rocks and brown coal, as well as some oil and gas reserves.
The base of the relief over eastern Australia is a large division of area, reaching its maximum width north of 28°S.
The highest peaks are found in the Blue Limestone Mountains and the Australian Alps (over 2000 m). In the upper part of the latter, forms of mountain-glacial relief are presented.
At the foot of the mountain from the sea and at the bottom of a large fault are young clusters.
Many regions of the continent are characterized by volcanic relief of different ages.
In the northwest, as a result of Paleozoic volcanism, an antimony plateau was formed.
The volcanic forms of the Canadian era (plateaus, volcanic mountains) are mostly limited to mountainous structures in the east.
For the islands of New Guinea and New Zealand, there is a typical distribution of young folded and grouped mountains, combined with volcanoes and volcanic plains (mainly New Zealand) and small accumulation plains.
slide 2
What lies at the base of the mainland of Australia?
Australia is the smallest continent and the most big Island in the world. At the base of the relief of the mainland lies the Australian platform. The western part of the platform is raised. Here is located the Western Australian plateau 400-600 m high, on the surface of which there are crystalline rocks.
slide 3
Major landforms of Australia
Most of the country's territory is occupied by vast deserts and lowlands. Notable Deserts: Great Sandy Desert, Great Victoria Desert. To the east of the Victoria Desert lies the semi-desert of the Great Artesian Basin.
slide 4
In the east of the mainland there are heavily destroyed, low mountains of the Hercynian folding - the Great Dividing Range with maximum height on South. Faults and river valleys divide the mountains into separate massifs. The tops of the mountains are dome-shaped. The eastern slopes of the mountains drop steeply to the sea, the western slopes are more gentle. Australia is the only continent where there is no active volcanoes and modern glaciation.
slide 5
What rocks make up the surface of the continent?
In the relief of Australia, differences in the structure of the surface of the western and eastern parts of the mainland are clearly distinguished. At the base of almost the entire continent lies an ancient platform composed of crystalline rocks, which are only in places overlain by sedimentary rocks of marine and continental origin. The platform formed the Western Australian Plateau and the Central Lowland. Later, a mountainous region, the Great Dividing Range, joined the platform from the east. In the west, plains, low plateaus and plateaus predominate, and in the east there are medium-altitude folded-block mountains.
slide 6
Minerals of Australia
Australia occupies a vast area. Therefore, in this country there are many mineral resources. Australia ranks first in the world in bauxite and zirconium reserves. One third of the world's uranium reserves are located here. There are small deposits near the northwestern and northeastern coasts of the continent. natural gas and oil. The largest deposits of iron ores are located in the northwestern part of Australia. In the state of New South Wales there are large deposits metals such as copper, zinc with an admixture of silver and lead. In the state of Queensland there is a center for the extraction of lead, copper and zinc. Non-ferrous metals are also mined on the island of Tasmania.