Geography of Brisbane
The
Geology
Over millions of years, layers of sediment have been deposited into the Brisbane region, which was originally a large marine area below sea level. Due to this continued sediment deposition and gradual metamorphosis, the area rose above sea level with the aid of continental shift. The Brisbane River and estuary was hence created through agents of erosion and weathering thereafter. The region also contains sporadic deposits of volcanic rock, suggesting volcanic activity was a geological event in the past.[2]
The region is underlain by a series of different rock types, generally dependent on the differing points of elevation around the floodplains. To the southern parts of the area, mesozoic sedimentary formations form the rolling hills that characterise the region. The relatively flat residential regions consist of volcanic and sedimentary formations upon older basement rock such as jurassic basin sediments, and largely consist of fine-grained sediments. This includes shales, siltstones, sandstones and some minor rhyolites and tuffs. Moreover, the areas of higher elevation to the north west of the Brisbane region are built on resistant basement rocks consisting of greywacke, phyllite, schist, quartzite, chert, shale and sandstone. These underlying basement rocks are from the Palaeozoic era.[2]
Much of the rock upon which Brisbane is located is the characteristic Brisbane tuff, a form of welded ignimbrite,[3] which is most prominently found at the Kangaroo Point Cliffs at Kangaroo Point and the New Farm Cliffs on the Petrie Bight reach of the Brisbane River. The stone was used in the construction of historical buildings such as the Commissariat Store and Cathedral of St Stephen, and the roadside kerbs in inner areas of Brisbane are still manufactured of Brisbane tuff.
Rivers
The Brisbane River travels 344 kilometres (214 mi) across the Queensland state from Mount Stanley to Moreton Bay, therefore being the longest river in South East Queensland.[1] Its headwaters originate 140 kilometres north-east of central Brisbane with numerous tributaries, primarily the Stanley River, Cooyar Creek and a host of smaller streams running off the Blackbutt Range. The river and its tributaries cover an area of 13,500 square kilometres across the catchment area, whilst also joining several other river systems that transport the water coastwards.[4]
As the river runs its course through the city, it passes the city's original settlement location, Brisbane's
The Brisbane River is a wide
The metropolitan area is also traversed by several other rivers and creeks including the
Ecology
Brisbane is home to a larger number of plant, animal and insect species than any other capital city in Australia.[6] This is primarily a result of the strong floral presence of the city, particularly in urban areas, contributing to the subtropical landscape and biodiversity. Both native and exotic species are common and a tree canopy covers 44% of the 1,338 square kilometre government area. This 'urban forest' stores an estimated 1.9 million tonnes of carbon, removing 1.45 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. This is the equivalent of 10% of the city's annual emissions. Moreover, the city's 2500 species of flora are home to more than 550 fauna vertebrate and many invertebrate species.[7] Specifically, the area is home to the Australian magpie, the masked lapwing, torresian crow and noisy miner, all of whom have swooping tendencies and are irritants to residents of the city.[8] Moreover, the Australian bush turkey is a feature of the city's fauna, preying on insects and grubs in woodland habitats and suburban gardens and spreading native flora vegetation through their faeces.[9] This native bird contrast the White Ibis, an increasing public nuisance due to increasing populations living in the swampy, water-covered wetlands of Moreton Bay.[10] Another feature of Brisbane's ecological landscape is the flying-fox, the largest flying mammal in the world. Often mistaken as bats, they are a nocturnal native species to Australia who are integral to the reproduction, regeneration and dispersal of plant seeds in the Brisbane catchment area. There are three species of flying-fox in Brisbane: the black flying-fox, little red flying-fox and grey-headed flying-fox.[11]
Brisbane is located within the South East Queensland
Brisbane is home to numerous bird species, with common species including rainbow lorikeets, galahs, Australian white ibises, Australian brushturkeys, Torresian crows, Australian magpies and noisy miners. Common reptiles include common garden skinks, Australian water dragons, bearded dragons and blue-tongued lizards. The Brisbane River is home to many fish species including yellowfin bream, flathead, Australasian snapper, and bull sharks. The waters of Moreton Bay are home to dugongs, humpback whales, dolphins, mud crabs, soldier crabs and Moreton Bay bugs.
Topography
Although Brisbane is dominated by low-lying flood plains throughout Moreton Bay, a number of the city's suburbs are situated on large hills. The western edge of the Brisbane area sits atop the Herbert Taylor Range, including suburbs around and including Mount Coot-tha, Enoggera, Moggill and Chapel Hill. Mount Coot-tha in particular is 300 metres above sea-level and is a dominant landmark for the area, providing a clear view of most of the city and floodplain.[1]
The city of Brisbane is hilly.
Regions and parklands
Brisbane is part of the South-East Queensland region.
Brisbane's metropolitan area is broadly and colloquially divided into the 'northside' and the 'southside', with the dividing line being the Brisbane River,[14] as crossing one of the fifteen bridges across the river is required to travel to the opposite side by land transport. This results in many areas which are south of the CBD being classified as located in the 'northside', and vice versa, as a result of the river's winding trajectory. In addition to being classified as located on the 'northside' or 'southside' there are further broad and colloquial regions such as the 'westside' for some areas to the southwest of the CBD and the 'bayside' for areas located on the coast of Moreton Bay.
Brisbane's major parklands include the riverside City Botanic Gardens at Gardens Point, Roma Street Parkland, the 27-hectare Victoria Park at Spring Hill and Herston, South Bank Parklands along the river at South Bank, the Brisbane Botanic Gardens at Mount Coot-tha and the riverside New Farm Park at New Farm.
There are many national parks surrounding the Brisbane metropolitan area. The D'Aguilar National Park is a major national park along the northwest of the metropolitan area in the D'Aguilar Range. The Glass House Mountains National Park is located to the north of the metropolitan area in the Glass House Mountains and provides green space between the Brisbane metropolitan area and the Sunshine Coast. The Tamborine National Park at Tamborine Mountain is located in the Gold Coast hinterland to the south of the metropolitan area.
The eastern metropolitan area is built along the
There are a number of neighbourhoods, locations, districts and areas that divide the city's urban areas. These include the
Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay is one of Queensland's most important natural resources that stretches 125 kilometres from Caloundra in the north to Surfers Paradise in the south. It is the entrance to the Brisbane River and is separated from the Coral Sea by Moreton Island, North Stradbroke Island and South Stradbroke Island, all of which are located off the east coast of the Brisbane area. The bay itself is 35 kilometres across at its widest point contains 360 small islands, including protected intertidal wetlands, muddy inhabitants on the west side, sandy inhabitant on the east side as well as coral and seagrass beds throughout. Furthermore, the bay area supports more than 25% of Australia's bird species, making the bay an Important Bird Area (IBA) as classified by BirdLife International.[1]
The waters of Moreton Bay are relatively calm, being sheltered from large swells by Moreton, Stradbroke and Bribie islands, whereas unsheltered surf beaches lie on the eastern coasts of the bay islands and on the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast to the north and south. The southern part of Moreton Bay also contains smaller islands such as St Helena Island, Peel Island, Coochiemudlo Island, Russell Island, Lamb Island and Macleay Island.
The Scenic Rim
Located to the south west of the Brisbane city area, the
Climate
Brisbane has a humid
Statistics | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Annually |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mean Maximum Temperatures (Degrees Celsius) | 29.4 | 29.0 | 28.0 | 26.1 | 23.2 | 20.9 | 20.4 | 21.8 | 24 | 26.1 | 27.8 | 29.1 | 25.5 |
Mean Minimum Temperatures (Degrees Celsius | 20.7 | 20.6 | 19.4 | 16.6 | 13.3 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 10.3 | 12.9 | 15.8 | 18.1 | 19.8 | 15.7 |
In terms of precipitation, thunderstorms are extremely common with severe weather such as hail storms, torrential rain and destructive winds occurring annually. The region averages 124 clear days a year, with an average rainfall of 142 millimetres per annum.[17] Despite this, the floodplain has also been subject to prolonged periods of extreme drought, such as between 2001 and 2010 when dam levels dropped to 16.7% in August 2007. Residents were forced to obey level 6 water usage restrictions causing per capita water usage to fall below 140 litres per day, the lowest usage per person of any country in the developed world at that time.[18] This severe dry period was broken in January 2011 when a low pressure system crossed Brisbane's northern area, saturating the catchment area and causing flash flooding.[19] In general, the region consistently receives rainfall, with the longest period without recorded rainfall occurring in November 2011 for 22 days.[20]
Statistics | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Annually |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mean Rainfall (mm) | 159.6 | 158.3 | 140.7 | 92.5 | 73.7 | 67.8 | 56.5 | 45.9 | 45.7 | 75.4 | 97.0 | 133.3 | 1148.8 |
Mean Number of Days of rain > 1mm | 8.4 | 8.8 | 9.4 | 6.8 | 5.8 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 5.9 | 6.5 | 7.7 | 76.4 |
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Brisbane Geography – Living in Brisbane – Brisbane Australia". www.brisbane-australia.com. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- ^ a b "geoscape brisbane". geoscape brisbane. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^ "Brisbane Tuff". Windsor and Districts Historical Society. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
- ^ a b "Brisbane River System | Queensland Places". queenslandplaces.com.au. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ "Flood-proof road destroyed in deluge". ABC News. Archived from the original on 6 July 2014.
- ^ "Wildlife in Brisbane". www.brisbane.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ "Brisbane's urban forest". www.brisbane.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ "Swooping birds". www.brisbane.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ "Brush turkey". www.brisbane.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ "Australian White Ibis". www.brisbane.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ "Flying-foxes". www.brisbane.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ "Get out and explore Brisbane's top jacaranda trees hotspots". Visit Brisbane. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
- ISBN 978-1-74173-011-1.
- ^ "North v South: Brisbane's Watery Divide". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
- ^ "Brisbane Districts: Brisbane, Queensland – QLD, Australia". www.world-guides.com. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ "Brisbane Weather, Climate & Weather Forecast". www.travelonline.com. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^ a b c d e "Climate statistics for Australian locations". www.bom.gov.au. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^ "Brisbane residents best water savers in world: Newman". ABC News. 27 August 2007. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^ "Raging floods bear down on Brisbane". ABC News. 11 January 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^ "Dry run to end with a drenching". www.couriermail.com.au. 21 November 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2019.