ephemeral river
Ephemerality (from the Greek language, Greek word , meaning 'lasting only one day') is the concept of things being transitory, existing only briefly. Typically the term ephemeral is used to describe objects found in nature, although it can desc ...
in the Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, ...
of Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
located in northeast Central Australia
Central Australia, also known as the Alice Springs Region ( aer, Mparntwe Ampere), is one of the five regions in the Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory ...
. It is the only major tributary of the Georgina River
The Georgina River is the north-westernmost of the three major rivers of the Channel Country in Central West Queensland, that also flows through a portion of the Northern Territory, in Central Australia, central Australia. Part of the Lake Eyre ...
that does not rise in western
Western may refer to:
Places
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*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
Queensland
Queensland ( ) is a state situated in northeastern Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the ...
. Instead it flows from the eastern Macdonnell Ranges
The MacDonnell Ranges, or Tjoritja in Arrernte, is a mountain range
A mountain range is a series of mountains
ranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity ...
, northward to enter the Georgina near Urandangi
Urandangi (formerly also spelled Urandangie) is an outback
The Outback is a remote, vast, sparsely populated area of Australia. The Outback is more remote than Australian bush, the bush, which includes any location outside the main urban are ...
. The highest point in the catchment is Bald Hill at , but it enters the Georgina at altitudes below .
Course and features
The ephemeral Sandover River is usually dry except when the northern monsoon moves unusually far south into the continent. The average annual rainfall in thecatchment area
In human geography
Human geography or anthropogeography is the branch of geography
Geography (from Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece
Greece ( el, Ελλάδα, , ), officially the Hellen ...
is typically around but varies greatly: in dry years like 1928 the total may be as low as , but in very wet years like 1974, 2000, 2001 and 2010, it can be as high as . Most of this rain falls in the summer: between December and March monthly totals have on several occasions exceeded the mean annual rainfall. Flows in the Sandover often fail to reach the Georgina, instead drying out in waterholes well west of Urandangie. However, in very wet periods, such as 1920–1921, 1973-1977 and 1999–2001, water from the Sandover may not only reach the Georgina, but actually flow (via a circuitous route) into Lake Eyre
Lake Eyre ( ), officially known as Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre, is an endorheic lake
An endorheic lake (also called a sink lake or terminal lake) is a collection of water within an endorheic basin
An endorheic basin (; also spelled endore ...
in South Australia
South Australia (abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Austral ...
.
The river is reported as passing through the localities of Costello and Sandover, Northern Territory, Sandover. Both the Sandover Highway and the Sandover Stock Route are named after the river because their respective alignment follow that of the river.
History
The river was named in 1878 after William Sandover, the then President of the Legislative Council of South Australia, reportedly by the explorer and botanist. Charles Winnecke.See also
*Rivers of Australia#Northern Territory, List of rivers of Northern Territory *Sandover HighwayReferences
External links
* * * Rivers of the Northern Territory, Sandover {{NorthernTerritory-river-stub