Geology and Geomorphology of the Alpine region.

Forces that have shaped landscapes

The Australian alps associate mountain ranges between Canberra and Melbourne along the
Great Dividing Range and encompass unique geological and geomorphological
characteristics. There are three distinct landscapes that are passed through on the Long Walk
trip these include the Alpine High range (Kosciusko to Round Mountain), the Sub Alpine
Environment (Cascade, Pilot and Chimneys area) and the Snowy River Low lands. The
landscape of the Victorian alps includes a range of rolling peaks, forested valleys and low
foothills. Different to the mountainous ranges elsewhere in the world, the Victorian alps are
formed by a series of faulting, uplift, and warping to form the unique alpine landscapes.
Unlike the steep craggy slopes of the Himalayas for example the Australian alps are not very
steep or high and have shallow rolling peaks known as Peneplains. The reason for this is due
to the lack of extreme recent uplift caused by tectonic plate movements and collisions
(Muller, Flamant , Matthews, Williams, & Gurnis, 2016). Australia in centralised on the IndoAustralian plate meaning it does not lie on the tectonic plate boundary and is less subject to
the impact of divergent, convergent and transform movements between plates (see image).
Another reason the Australian alps has a relatively unique structure is due to the lack of
recent large ice sheets and glaciers. The impact of glacier power erodes sharp-edged peaks
and cuts deep valleys (Slattery, 2015) in the landscape instead the Alpine region in
conjunction with its watershed, slowly erode the landscape with wide river erosion. The
snowy river has been changing and carving out its course over the past 20 million years to its
present day course that is still not static in the landscape.

The timeline of events that shaped the land are:

520-440mya- during the Ordovician period mud and sand covered the ocean floor resulting in
sandstone and mudstone. A series of volcanic island chains formed in what is now New South
Wales erupting basalt and andesite lava. These rocks today are evident in Kiandra and
Jagungal regions.
From 440-360mya (Silurian and Devonian periods) faults occurred due to the collision of
small tectonic plates which thickened the crust layers. Some sediments were buried deep in
the crust and metamorphosed (i.e slate). folding sedimentary and volcanic rocks above the
sea and moving blocks of crust tens of hundreds of kilometres along the faults.
Volcanos during the Devonian and Silurian periods erupted forming clouds of hot ash which
formed ignimbrite this type of rock is evident in the lower snowy river region
Small seas a range of islands developed coral reefs along their edges, which became
limestone. This rock commonly has fossils of coral and shells. Because limestone is soluble
in slightly acidic water it creates caves and gorges as seen in blue water holes in NSW.
(Slattery, 2015)
As Australia was a part of a super continent of Gondwana about 340mya entered a 200milion
year episode where geologically not much happened, in this period mountain ranges were
worn down slowly to a low lying plain.
300-250mya the earth encountered a global ice age, ice sheets covered majority of the
mountain ranges and glacial deposits are preserved in the alpine ranges. Tarns were created
by large ice melt events examples include; club lake, blue lake and small U-shaped valleys
near Mt. Kosciuszko (Mason, 2013)

Soil mountains in relation to the Snowy Mountains

Australia compared to other mountainous ranges around the world is a result of old sediment
laid down in the form of a peneplain. As a result, sediment has been eroded from the peaks
and has slowly moved down the mesic gullies and into larger valleys. This can be described
as peatlands, and as a result of having moist peat soils in the landscape there is a higher
diversity of flora species. The soil mountains of the Australian alps are a contrast to other
Rocky Mountains around the world as they are steeper and have rocky slopes in with the soils
parent material has only been available for much shorter periods of time. In addition, the soil
development in the Australian mountains is related to the weathering and high rate of
biological activity in the soil (Slattery, 2015). Soil plays a vital role in the construction of an
ecosystem, it is an anchor for plants and also holds and transports nutrients and water along
with providing a habitat for microorganisms and invertebrates (Griffith Edu, unknown). The
stability of Australian mountainous ecosystems depends on the health of the soils and their
water holding capacity.

Impact of altitude on the flora and fauna.

Altitude plays a large role in determining the flora and fauna species that occupy a bioregion
because due to altitude there are changes in climate, aspect, drainage and soil conditions.
Each species of flora has its own tolerance gradient in which it thrives and can withstand.
Altitude also effects the fauna that lives in each region, not only due to the climatic
conditions and lack of shelter for larger animals in the high country the vegetation also
contributes to the fauna that lives in each section. Between the three differing landform
zones, the vegetation structure and communities vary due to the relevant changes in climatic
and related topography. Climatic gradients across the alpine ranges reflect the soil and
vegetation of each section. For example, the lowland of the snowy offer ideal conditions
(temperature, exposure to wind and sun) and resources (textured fertile soils, moist deep
soils) for the eucalypt forests that grow there. The sub-alpine eucalypt species are tolerant to
the impact of frost, colder temperature and slope or gradient. Higher up in the alpine region
flora species grow on shallower and more acidic soils and are exposed to harsher climatic
conditions due to their altitude.

Local weather conditions related to the landscapes

Being such a large rise in the landscape the Alpine region of Australia almost creates its own
weather cycles in accordance with air pressure, temperature and latitude. The alpine zone of
the Kosciusko National Park provides a low temperature environment that in Australia is
restricted to high altitude. The climate is influenced by continental westerly circulation
systems as well as the coastal effects from the southern coast. The North- south orientated

mountain range intersects with the prevailing west- east moisture laden subantarctic weather
patterns, resulting in heaving orographic precipitation over the mountains and a large rain
shadow on the eastern aspect. In particular moisture moves in a subantarctic weather system
at right angles across the north- south axis and produces differences in precipitation on each
aspect. For example, the localised variation ranges from light non persistent cover on the
wind and sun exposed west facing slopes to deep semi-permeants patches in the sheltered
leeward aspects (Costin, Gray, Totterdell, & Wimbush, 1980). The Australian alps is unique
in the fact that there is no natural permanent snow due to the temperature rise and altitude,
however during the summer the alpine zone is subject to occasional snowfalls and frequent
freeze thaw activity (Nivation, needle ice, boulder streams, solifluction terraces and snow
patches). Climatic factors such as strong temperature fluctuations, severe frost action,
frequent high-intensity summer storms and strong winds can rapidly exacerbate such damage
to vegetation and erosion. The interannual snow depths and variations in the snowy
mountains are closely related to the variations in surface air. In the lower river environments,
the weather differs completely and the temperatures a higher due to the lower elevation
(Green & Pickering, 2009). The snowy region experiences cool nights and hot days between
-5degrees to 16degrees in the winter and 9degrees to 28degrees in the summer (Unknown,
2015).

Bibliography
Costin, A., Gray, M., Totterdell, C., & Wimbush, D. (1980). Kosciusko Alpine Flora.
Melbourne: CSIRO Publishing.
Green, K., & Pickering, C. (2009). The decline of snow patches in the snowy mountains of
Australia: importance of climate warming variations snow and wind. . Institute of
Arctic and Alpine research, 212-217.

Griffith Edu. (unknown). The Kosciuszko Alpine Zone the Australian Alps. 13-26. Retrieved
from https://www120.secure.griffith.edu.au/rch/file/3a49a7fd-4849-646c-0ead6569852751ad/1/03Chapter2.pdf
Mason, R. (2013). Soils of the Australian Alps. Retrieved from Australian Alps National
Parks: https://theaustralianalps.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/soils.pdf
Muller, R., Flamant , N., Matthews, K., Williams, S., & Gurnis, M. (2016, March 09).
Formation of the Australian Contental margin highlands driven by plate mantle
interaction. Retrieved from Earth and Planetary Science Letters:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012821X16300425
Slattery, D. (2015). Australian Alps Kosciuszko, Alpine and Namadgi National Parks.
Victoria: CSIRO Publishing.
Unknown. (2015). The Australian Alps Bioregion. UNKNOWN, 217-228.