Bass Strait

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/bass-strait

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How deep is the Bass Strait?Approximately 50 meters (164 feet)
2. What is the geological formation?Formed approximately 8,000 years ago due to post-glacial sea-level rise
3. What is the named after?George Bass (1771–1803), English explorer and naval surgeon
4. Why is Bass Strait important for Tasmania and mainland Australia?It is the only waterway that lets ships travel between the Great Australian Bight and the Tasman Sea, and it is the only way to reach Port Phillip Bay and Melbourne by sea. It also helps move goods, oil, gas, and people between Tasmania and the mainland.
5. How did Bass Strait form?Around 8,000 years ago, when the ice from the last big winter melted, sea levels rose and flooded the land that used to connect Tasmania to the mainland. This created the strait we see today.

Geomorphological Feature: A naturally occurring landform or body of water shaped by geological processes.
Holocene Sea-Level Rise: The increase in ocean water levels that has occurred since the end of the last ice age.
Insularity: The state of being an island; being surrounded by water.
Bathymetry: The measurement of the depth of water in oceans, seas, or lakes.