Australian Drought Julie Dunbar Kali Brocklehurst Classification category: Atmospheric

Consequences/ Aftermath Exceeded $3 billion in damages Many sheep were in great danger of starvation & drowning Bush fires from the drought killed 72 people and left 8000 homeless 70% of kangaroo populations in commercial shooting zones died Death of livestock resulted in a massive job loss in rural areas February 8 th 1983 dust storm hits Melbourne and sent soil all the way to New Zealand

Potential Natural Hazards Faced by Australia Bush fires Floods Severe storms Earthquakes Landslides

Population/Death & Injury 1982 population of Australia was 15 million 180 fires across Victoria and South Australia that resulted in 75 deaths due to dry air/areas

6 Factors FREQUENCY: Droughts are likely to occur in Australia quite often and they expect to get a bad drought once every 18 years. DURATION: The drought lasted 12 months; from February of 1982 to February of 1983 EXTENT: Victoria, South Australia and most of Southeast Australia were effected SPEED OF ONSET: The drought built slowly, leaving Australia hot and dry for a long period of time, the worst period was January and February of 1983 because the land had been so dry for so long.

6 Factors Cont’ SPATIAL DISPERSION: Events such as drought are expected to occur in Australia because it is hot/dry to begin with, also because of the natural fluctuations in the climate cycle. TEMPORAL SPACING: These sort of hazards occur within a cycle in Australia because the climate change happens in a cycle which takes the moisture from that area.

Bibliography ught shtml ught shtml N/Figures/adrought.html N/Figures/adrought.html icles/naturaldisasters/ icles/naturaldisasters/