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Painted Desert (South Australia)
Encyclopedia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, distinct from Painted Desert
Painted Desert, Arizona
The Painted Desert is a area of badlands located in Northern Arizona in the United States. The Arizona desert stretches from the Grand Canyon National Park into the Petrified Forest National Park and runs roughly astride and just north of the Little Colorado and the Puerco Rivers...
in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, is just as spectacular with its multi-hued terrain. The effects of erosion on the residue from an ancient inland sea and the leaching of minerals in the soil, together lend the myriad colours one sees today. Located towards the north-east of Coober Pedy
Coober Pedy, South Australia
Coober Pedy is a town in northern South Australia, 846 kilometres north of Adelaide on the Stuart Highway. According to the 2006 census, its population was 1,916 . The town is sometimes referred to as the "opal capital of the world" because of the quantity of precious opals that are mined there...
, Painted Desert is just a few miles away from Arkaringa and is notable also for its distinctive mesa
Mesa
A mesa or table mountain is an elevated area of land with a flat top and sides that are usually steep cliffs. It takes its name from its characteristic table-top shape....
s, mountains and geological formations. Not far from here on the way to Oodnadatta
Oodnadatta, South Australia
Oodnadatta, South Australia, is a small town surrounded by an area of with cattle stations in arid pastoral rangelands close to the Simpson Desert, north of Adelaide and 112 m above sea level. It can be reached by an unsealed road from Coober Pedy or via the unsealed Oodnadatta Track from...
you would also see large areas of ground covered with mica
Mica
The mica group of sheet silicate minerals includes several closely related materials having highly perfect basal cleavage. All are monoclinic, with a tendency towards pseudohexagonal crystals, and are similar in chemical composition...
. The entire region is desolate and made up of soft, fragile "rock".
External links
- Review of Painted Desert Scenic Flight - on the Road Less Travelled Blog
- Bombs away as painted hills debut - Sydney Morning Herald Article (March 31, 2007)
- Discovery of the Painted Hills - Sydney Morning Herald Article (October 15, 2006)