Gulf of Carpentaria
A shallow sea off northern Australia with submerged coral reefs.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
The Gulf of Carpentaria is a sea off the northern coast of Australia, enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the eastern Arafura Sea.
- location
- Northern coast of Australia
- maximum_depth
- 69 metres
- tidal_range
- Between two and three metres
Reader's Guide
The Gulf of Carpentaria is significant for its unique geography, climate, and ecological features. It supports the world's largest intact savanna woodlands, known as the Carpentaria tropical savanna, dominated by Eucalyptus and Melaleuca species. The Gulf experiences a hot and humid climate with two seasons: a dry season from April to November and a wet season from December to March, during which many low-lying areas flood. It is prone to tropical cyclones between November and April, averaging three cyclones per year. The Gulf also supports commercial shrimp operations, zinc, lead, and silver mining, and a cattle industry.
Did You Know?
- The Morning Glory cloud appears in the Southern Gulf in September and October, best viewed from the Burketown area.
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