Climate of Australia

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

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/climate-of-australia

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 many people live in Climate of Australia?Approximately 26.8 million (as of 2023)
2. How big is Climate of Australia?7,692,024 square kilometers (2,969,907 square miles)
3. What is the capital of Climate of Australia?Canberra
4. What language do people speak in Climate of Australia?English (de facto national language); numerous Indigenous languages are also spoken
5. What is the average annual rainfall?419 mm (16.5 inches)
6. What makes Australia so dry?The subtropical ridge creates dry air that stops clouds from forming, so most of Australia gets less than 600 mm of rain each year.

Subtropical Ridge: A semi-permanent belt of high atmospheric pressure located around 30 degrees latitude, characterized by descending dry air that inhibits precipitation.
Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ): A global belt of low pressure and converging trade winds near the Earth's equator, responsible for seasonal rainfall patterns in tropical regions.
El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO): A recurring climate pattern involving changes in the temperature of the oceans and atmosphere across the Pacific Ocean, significantly influencing global weather, particularly Australia's rainfall.
Aridity: The state of being extremely dry, characterized by a severe lack of available water, often due to low rainfall and high evaporation rates.