Future Changes In Australia's Landscape

Australia is known to have a wide variety of landscape including many different aspects that can alter the way these landscapes were formed. From major dust storms forming Haboobs (dust walls) to mountains shaped by plate tectonics. As seen throughout this Australian geography blog, the formations are subject to change through numerous processes that weather produces. All of the processes displayed have already undergone some type of weathering to be formed the way that they are today. Ayers rock could be weathered within the next 1000000 years until there is nothing left of it.

Ayers rock has undergone processes such as salt weathering
which eats away at the rock and can form Tafoni and Alveoli
(large and small holes). The rock also could have had mass
wasting events where large parts of the rock and debris slid
down the side. Ayers rock also could have numerous Joints
that allow the rock to decay. 
Photo Credit:http://cache.desktopnexus.com/thumbnails/1212365-bigthumbnail.jpg  

Australia's landscape has become very vast and differentiates itself from other areas due to the variety of physical geography. There are many rain forests, mountain ranges, rock formations, caves, volcanoes, and weather formations. This variety allows for great predictions on what the landscapes might look like 1000, 10000, and 1000000 years from now. The Imbil State Forest is a prime example to predict what events could change in 1000 years from now. The mountains in this area could have been formed from plate tectonics rising up the land, however, this transport limited landscape may undergo numerous weathering processes. The mountains may experience a mass wasting event where rock and debris break free from the landscape and slide down the mountain. In 1000 years from now this forest and mountain range may be much flatter, also vegetation may become limited due to climate. climate changes 1000 years from now may change the availability to grow certain plants or trees. Australia also has opposite seasons due to its locations south of the equator, which could effect the way vegetation grows 10000 and especially 1000000 years from now.

Imbil State Forest in Australia
Photo Credit:https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbeBYyCIDOIB2OMR3ijvCwuT1vaDDRjKnhrtSSyuqe6TtjoEE6dXUGWloaF7t_ZaCoeRtr2nIekqjD9zxc9CRZid-PVXf91c5GG8-PZMeAT5lq4rd4wwtH_H5oZ-hu_D79s01HoU3ZS0M/s320/Imbil+4.jpg 

Mass wasting event causing land mass to fall down the
mountain side severely changing the landscape. This type
of event can also change the way that vegetation grows due
to the altered landscape. The plants and trees may grow
roots that will now curve to grow straight up.
Photo Credit :http://geology.campus.ad.csulb.edu/people/bperry/Mass%20Wasting/LaConchitaAerialPhota4AllenK.jpg 





  
Koeppen's Climate Classification displaying the current climtates, however,
with many factors Australian climate may change drastically over the next
1000,10000, and 1000000 years from now.
Photo Credit:http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/images/climate_map.gif 

Another landscape of Australia that may have serious physical changes in the coming years would be the numerous caves. The Jenolan Caves of Australia have been formed by dissolution (breakdown in chemicals) of limestone and have carved out landscapes that today are thriving. 1000, 10000, and 1000000 years from now that story may not be true anymore as weathering processes take over and possibly extremely alter these formations. Due to the fact that these caves are produced by (dissolution) there is nothing to stop this process from completely altering the state of the cave years from now. The dissolution may continue until the cave is hollowed out, and in 1000000 years from now could collapse and no longer even exist. Another process that would change the aspects of these caves in the future I predict would be salt weathering. Salt would collect water and expand and contract causing new joints in the cave and within 1000 years from now much of these caves would end up where the visitors are supposed to walk. The salt weathering would cause fissures and crack the landmasses apart. In 1000 years from now these caves would probably be more hallow. In 10000 years from now I predict them to be harder to access and rocks would be breaking apart. In 1000000 years from now I predict that this landscape would cave in and no longer be accessible at all. 

The Jenolan Caves of Australia being accessed today, however, in 1000000
years from now this landscape may completely being caved in.
Photo Credit:http://www.jenolancaves.org.au/images/slider/caves.jpg  

Salt Weathering that may cause the caves
and landmasses to decay and change
dramatically over the next 1000000 years.
Photo Credit:http://www.kwaad.net/Tropez_4jpg.jpg 

The landscapes of Australia as proven above were formed through different types of weathering. Along with the formation of these areas new processes will drastically alter their physical state. These landscapes have evidence that they have changed already from thousands of years past and continue to prove themselves to be changing even more. More events either eat away at these landscapes or build them up. For example although I believe Ayers rock shows evidence that it will decay and weather, the underlying ground may have a change in plate tectonics and raise the rock higher at the same time. The landscapes show substantial evidence of weathering and future change and I believe that 1000,10000, and 1000000 years into the future these land masses will be completely different from what we see today. At the same time new landscapes continue to be formed through the same processes and amazing structures will be revealed through the factors of physical geography.