Moon Plain (Oolegliman Plain)
Designation:
Australia-SA_Moon_Plain
Location:
| Latitude | Longitude |
|---|---|
-28.896461° | 134.836342° |
Locality and ownership:
Mount Barry Station, NT Pastoral Lease 2411.
Access:
Gazetted, all weather dirt road from Coober Pedy to Arkaringa. The undulating character of the plains would allow for facilities to be placed a short distance from the road without being directly visible to road traffic.
Local contacts:
Nearest services:
Coober Pedy.
Risks:
Seasonal extremes, securing of equipment, getting lost in monotonous terrain.
Terrain:
plains
General:
Slightly undulating plain, lightly dissected by low relief channels draining to the east. The surface consists of dark, cracking clays with abundant fragmented gypsum sheets derived from weathered Bulldog shale. Numerous cobbles and pebbles of sandstones, quartzites and granites form a strewn field partly armouring the surface. Weakly developed gilgai are present and depressions are marked by well developed dessications polygons. Ground water discharge forms puffy ground near streams. Breakaways are visible within 20 kilometers to the west and north-east. Soils reportedly contain exotic magnesium sulfate salts.
Climate:
Variabilty in weather. The average annual rainfall is 150mm, but the rain is charcterised by very large peak falls, producing occassional floods. Minimum monthly average temperaturer (July) is 6 deg and the maximum average monthly temperature is 35 deg. The temperature can fall below freezing in winter.
Flora and fauna:
The area is very sparsely vegetated, mainly by ephemerals, despite the unusually wet conditions. Types unidentified.
History:
Analogue value:
The gibber plain would form an excellent landing site analogue environment, with numerous sites of interest accessible in the breakaways to the west and north-east. These could be visited by analogue rover traverses of 20-100 kilometres. Further to the east, major euphemeral streams could also be visited on longer traverses.
References:
- van Oosterzee, P. A 2000. Field Guide to Central Australia. Marleston, SA: J.B. Books.
Map reference:
Geology
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