Question Booklet

2010 National Geographic Channel

Australian Geography Competition

I N S T R U C T I O N S

1 Fill in your name, school code (your teacher will give you this), school’s
postcode, your gender and age. You must fill in the ovals, not just write the
letters and numbers, as the computer only reads the ovals. For example, a
filled-in postcode (for some other school) would look like the sample on the
right. Also fill in an oval in the school assigned column if instructed to do so by
your teacher. Otherwise leave it blank.

2 If you are 13 years or under on 31 August 2010 complete Questions 1-30, or
continue to Question 40 to be eligible for major prizes.

3 If you are 14 or 15 years old on 31 August 2010 complete Questions 1-40.

4 If you are 16 to 18 years old on 31 August 2010 complete Questions 16-50.

5 Answer all questions by filling in only one oval on the answer sheet
corresponding to the most appropriate answer for each question.

6 You have 35 minutes to answer the questions. The time to fill in the preliminary
information is extra.

7 Do not mark the front or back of the answer sheet in any other way as this can
lead to errors in the computerized marking, or to your not getting a result.
National Geographic Channel Australian Geography Competition 2010

IN
LA
I
P KENYA
ET
G
EN
R
SE

TANZANIA

ZAMBIA Figure 2. Serengeti Plain © V. Willett

200 km
MOZAMBIQUE
4 Which type of vegetation dominates the
Serengeti Plain (see Figures 1 and 2)?
Figure 1 © D. Dalet, d-maps.com
A alpine
B heath
C rainforest
Start at Question 1 if you are under 16 D savanna
years old on 31 August 2010. Start at
E tundra
Question 16 if you are older.
5 Which of these characteristics is typical of a
developing country such as Kenya?
1 Which is Africa’s highest mountain, located A high gross national product per capita
at the triangle in Figure 1?
B high rates of energy consumption
A Mount Cook
C low infant mortality rates
B Mount Everest
D low proportion of the workforce in
C Mount Fuji agriculture
D Mount Kilimanjaro E low volume of exports of manufactured
E Mount Kosciuszko goods

2 Which ocean is located in the eastern part of 6 What has changed in the Central Highlands
Figure 1? of Kenya to cause its incidence of malaria to
A Arctic increase dramatically since 1989?
B Atlantic A decrease in population density
C Indian B drainage of swamps
D Pacific C improved drug treatments
E Southern D increase in average temperature
E reduced average rainfall
3 The lakes in Figure 1 are located along
which geological feature, stretching from 7 Which language facilitates communication
Syria in the north to Mozambique in the between the different cultural groups in
south? Tanzania?
A Great Rift Valley A Afrikaans
B Mariana Trench B Cantonese
C Mid Atlantic Ridge C French
D Ring of Fire D Swahili
E San Andreas Fault E Tamil

Page 2
 National Geographic Channel Australian Geography Competition 2010

9 am Summer 9 am Winter
Calm 17% Calm 28%

10%

20%

30%
10
%
20
%

CALM km/h

0-10 10-20 20-30 >30

Figure 3. Wind roses for St Helens, Tas Source: Bureau of Meteorology

8 From Figure 3, which statement about 9.00

am wind conditions at St Helens is correct?
A Northwesterly winds are the most common
in winter.
B On average, winds are stronger in winter
than in summer.
C Southeasterly winds are the most common
in summer.
D Strong winds occur more frequently than
light winds.
E Westerly winds occur 10% of the time in
winter. Figure 4. Angkor Wat © B.C. Torrissen

9 In order to increase its capacity to export 11 In which country is the world-heritage-
iron ore, BHP Billiton is duplicating its rail listed religious complex of Angkor, shown in
line to which port? Figure 4?
A Port Arthur, Tas A Cambodia
B Port Douglas, Qld B China
C Port Hedland, WA C Egypt
D Port Lincoln, SA D India
E Port Macquarie, NSW E Peru

10 Which is the highest level in Australia’s new 12 Which river supplies water to Menindee
fire danger rating scale? Lakes?
A catastrophic A Darling
B dangerous B Goulburn
C disastrous C Hunter
D extreme D Murray
E severe E Swan

Page 3
 National Geographic Channel Australian Geography Competition 2010

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

A A

B B

C C

D D

E E

F F

G G

H H

I I

J J

K K

L L

M M

N N

O O

P P

Q Q

R R

S S

T T

U U

V V

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Figure 5. Topographic map This material is released under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Australia Licence

Page 4
 National Geographic Channel Australian Geography Competition 2010

Legend 13 T
 he map in Figure 5 shows a portion of:
A Australian Capital Territory
B Northern Territory
C South Australia
D Tasmania
E Western Australia

14 Which is the most southerly suburb of the

city shown in Figure 5?
A Banks
B Castle Hill
C Duffy
D Lanyon
E Yarralumla

15 Pierces Creek Forest (H1 in Figure 5) is a:

A dense forest
B hardwood plantation
C nature reserve
D softwood plantation
E urban recreation parkland

Start at Question 16 if you are 16 to 18

years old on 31 August 2010. If you are
younger, continue answering questions.

16 In Figure 5, 1 cm on the map represents how

much on the ground?
A 1m
B 1 km
C 10 m
D 10 km
E 100 m

17  hat best describes the relief in square K6?

W
A floodplain
B gently undulating
C hilly
D river terraces
TN True North E steep and rugged
GN Grid North
MN Magnetic North 18 Which of these is obscured from view from
the summit of Mt Taylor (J14)?
A Bullen Range Nature Reserve (N8)
B Deep Space Complex (M5)
Scale 1:100 000 C Mount Stromlo (C8)
20 metre contour interval D Narrabundah Hill (F9)
© Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia) 2009 E Tuggeranong Town Centre (O13)

Page 5
National Geographic Channel Australian Geography Competition 2010

23 During an earthquake on 15 July 2009,

Fold this page back on itself to see the Australia and New Zealand moved about
map at the same time. 30 cm closer together because the:
A northeast part of Victoria shifted westwards
B northeast tip of New Zealand shifted
eastwards
C overall diameter of the earth decreased
D southeast part of NSW shifted eastwards
E southwest tip of New Zealand shifted
westwards

Italy
France
Italy
Spain
France
USA
Figure 6 © 2009 Google
Spain
Argentina
19 The area shown in Figure 6 is largely within USA
Australia
which map square in Figure 5? Argentina
China
2005
A D14 Australia
Germany
2004
China
B F17 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 2005
7000
Germany million L
C J11 2004

D K11 0 1000 2000

Figure 7. Production of wine,
3000 4000 5000 6000 7000
millionprincipal
L countries
E R16 Source: Office International de la Vigne et du Vin

20 What is the distance from the summit of Mt Italy

Taylor (J14) to the river crossing on Point Spain
Hut Road (S14)? Italy
France
A 8.4 km Spain
Australia
B 8.9 km France
Chile

C 9.4 km Australia
USA
Chile
Germany
D 9.9 km 2005
USA
Portugal
E 10.4 km 2004
Germany
0 300 600 900 1200 1500 2005
1800
Portugal million L
21  hich of these factors does NOT support
W 2004
the argument that the city in Figure 5 is 0 300 600 900 1200 1500 1800
highly planned? million L

A curvilinear street pattern Figure 8. Exports of wine, principal countries

B discrete town centres Source: Office International de la Vigne et du Vin
C gradual transition from urban to rural areas
D high percentage of suburban area
24 From Figure 7 and/or 8, how much wine did
dedicated to parkland
Spain produce in 2005?
E large number of dual carriageways
A 1404 million L
B 1445 million L
22 Mercator, Peters and Bonne are names of:
C 3616 million L
A dry winds
D 4299 million L
B earthquake scales
E 5402 million L
C map projections
D settlement models
E urban geographers

Page 6
 National Geographic Channel Australian Geography Competition 2010

25 From Figure 7 and/or 8, which of these 29 Which of these cities shares the same time
countries exported the largest percentage zone as Melbourne?
of its wine production in 2004 and 2005? A Beijing, China
A Australia B Colombo, Sri Lanka
B France C Dacca, Bangladesh
C Italy D Jakarta, Indonesia
D Spain E Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
E USA
Table 1. World Consumption of Primary Energy
26 What influences the variations in animal Resources Source: USA Energy Information Administration
biodiversity among the islands in Torres Average Power in TW1
Strait? Fuel Type
1980 2004 2006
A distance to other land
Oil 4.38 5.58 5.74
B geology of the island
Coal 2.34 3.87 4.27
C size of the island
Gas 1.80 3.45 3.61
D vegetation of the island
Hydroelectric 0.60 0.93 0.99
E all of the above
Nuclear power 0.25 0.91 0.93
Geothermal, wind, 0.02 0.13 0.16
solar energy, wood
Total 9.5 15.0 15.8
1
1 terawatt (TW) = 1012 watts = 1 million megawatts

30 According to the data in Table 1, how many

terawatts of power were supplied by fossil
fuels in 2006?
A 4.27
B 8.52
C 10.01
D 13.62
Figure 9. Enchanted Rock, Texas, USA © W. Poon E 15.8

27 Figure 9 illustrates the weathering process

known as: If you are under 14 years old on
A chemical weathering 31 August 2010 you may stop at
B denudation Question 30 or continue to Question
C exfoliation 40 to be eligible for major prizes.
D granular disintegration
E waxing
31 Using the data in Table 1, which statement is
correct?
28 The type of rock in Figure 9, commonly
associated with this weathering process, is: A Consumption of energy from oil had the
strongest growth rate of any fuel type.
A basalt
B Consumption of fossil fuels is declining.
B granite
C The growth of geothermal energy has
C limestone
outpaced that of wind energy.
D sandstone
D Renewable energy sources are a minor
E shale component of energy consumption.
E Total world energy consumption grew by
6.3% between 1980 and 2006.

Page 7
National Geographic Channel Australian Geography Competition 2010

Figure 10. Southwest Viti Levu 3000 years ago (left) and present day (right) Source: P.D. Nunn

32 What is the main cause of the changes in the 36 Geologist Bernie Joyce has warned that
coastal geography of Viti Levu over the last Australia’s next volcanic eruption is “well
3000 years, as shown in Figure 10? overdue”. The Australian mainland’s last
A erosion major volcanic activity occurred about 5000
years ago in the area of:
B sea level fall
A Glasshouse Mts, Qld
C sea level rise
B Mt Gambier, SA
D tsunami
C Mt Warning, NSW
E weathering
D Mt Wellington, Tas
33 Viti Levu is part of which island group? E Organ Pipes, Vic
A Fiji
B Hawaii For the Yolngu people, there is no fixed boundary
C Maldives between land and sea, but a dynamic zone of
D Philippines interaction. In the summer wet season, the rivers flow
kilometres offshore carrying freshwater, silt and debris
E West Indies from the land into the deep sea, whilst in the winter
dry season the saltwater pushes into the rivers many
34 Which country has overtaken Germany as kilometres inland. Coastal swamps, floodplains and
the world’s largest exporter, by value? mangroves are places where land, sea and river merge.
A Australia
B China Figure 11. Yolngu saltwater country
Source: adapted from F. Morphy, H. Morphy, M. Barber
C France
D India
37 The country of the Yolngu people (see Figure
E United States of America 11) includes:
A Blue Mud Bay, NT
35 With which nation does Haiti share the
island of Hispaniola? B Coffin Bay, SA
A Cuba C Jervis Bay, NSW
B Dominican Republic D Portland Bay, Vic
C Jamaica E Storm Bay, Tas
D Puerto Rico
E Trinidad

Page 8
 National Geographic Channel Australian Geography Competition 2010

38 The coastline in Yolngu country is best

described as:
A erosional
B high energy
C low energy
D wave dominated
E none of the above

39 The Earth’s weather systems and surface

winds occur in the:
A ionosphere
B magnetosphere
C stratosphere
D thermosphere
E troposphere

40 The population of which of these countries

grew in 2009, after declining since 1995?
A Australia
B China
C Japan
D Russia
E United States of America Figure 13. Snowy River catchment
Source: P.J. Wheeler et al

If you are under 16 years old on 31 The Snowy River rises on the slopes of Mount
August 2010 stop at Question 40. If Kosciuszko in south-east NSW and falls steeply for
about 30 km to the Monaro Tablelands. The river then
you are older, continue to Question 50.
enters gorge country until reaching the river flats and
mouth at the Victorian coastline near Orbost.
As part of the development of the Snowy Mountains
Hydro-electric Scheme during the 1950s and 1960s,
dams were built in the headwaters of the Snowy River
system. The scheme captures water for electricity
generation and diverts the water to the Murrumbidgee
and Murray valleys for irrigation. The development of the
scheme has profoundly changed flow conditions in the
Snowy River and its tributaries, with diversion of 99% of
the Snowy River’s natural flow at Jindabyne Dam.
A B
Figure 14. Snowy River
Source: adapted from National Water Commission

41 Using Figures 13 and 14, which is the correct

sequence of photos in Figure 12 to show the
Snowy River from source to mouth?
A ABCD
B ABDC
C D C BDAC
Figure 12. Four reaches of the Snowy River D CADB
Source: C. Grant E DABC

Page 9
 National Geographic Channel Australian Geography Competition 2010

1400 Annual total rainfall Long term annual average Last 10 year annual average
1200

1000
Rainfall (mm)

800

600

400

200

1950-51

1956-57

1962-63

1968-69

1974-75

1980-81

1986-87
1890-91

1896-97

1902-03

1992-93

1998-99

2004-05
1908-09

1914-15

1920-21

1926-27

1932-33

1938-39

1944-45
Year (June to July)

Figure 15. Annual rainfall, Snowy River catchment Source: National Water Commission

160 12000
Long term monthly average rainfall 1941-45 mean
Average potential evaporation 1976-96 mean
140
10000

Mean daily discharge (ML/day)

Rainfall/evaporation (mm)

120

8000
100

80 6000

60
4000

40
2000
20

0 0
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jly Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Month Month

Figure 16. Monthly rainfall and evaporation, Snowy Figure 17. Mean daily flow of Snowy at Jarrahmond
River catchment Source: National Water Commission Source: I. Reinfelds & S. Williams

70000

60000
At the mouth of the Snowy River a sand barrier encloses
50000
an elongated lagoon. The entrance channel through
this barrier to the sea periodically opens and closes,
40000
ML/day

depending on the respective dominance of the fluvial

30000 and coastal processes. Channel closure occurs
naturally, but in recent times it has become more
20000
frequent. Channel opening is also a natural process, but
increasingly a closed channel is deliberately cleared by
10000
human means (e.g. bulldozer).
0 Another factor illustrating the dynamic nature of this part
Jan- Jan- Jan- Jan- Jan- Jan- Jan- Jan- Jan-
23 33 43 53 63 73 83 93 03 of the coast is that the channel migrates along an east-
west axis of up to 8 km. Flooding promotes relocation
Figure 18. Mean flow of Snowy at Jarrahmond (no of the entrance, by cutting through the low sandy barrier
data c. 1951-64) Source P.J. Wheeler et al, data from Vic closer to the main valley.
Dept of Sustainability and Environment

Figure 19. Snowy River entrance

Source: derived from P.J. Wheeler et al

To answer Questions 42 to 50 use the

information in Figures 12 to 23 and
your own knowledge.

Page 10
 National Geographic Channel Australian Geography Competition 2010

Figure 20. Vertical aerial image, Snowy River entrance area Source: P.J. Wheeler et al

Figure 21. Selected positions of Snowy River entrance channel on 1961 base map Source: P.J. Wheeler et al

42 The large differences in the Snowy’s 44 Why has the Snowy’s entrance channel
streamflow at Jarrahmond in 1941-45 closed more frequently in the last 10 years
compared to 1976-96 (see Figure 17), are than in the 1980s?
because: A decreased rainfall in its catchment
A 1941-45 was a high rainfall period B greater streamflow in its tributaries
B the Brodribb River was dammed in 1971 C longshore drift changed direction
C eastern Australia was in drought 1984-93 D more intense storms at sea
D Jindabyne Dam was completed in 1967 E water diversion to the Murray began
E all of the above
45 In which year was the aerial image in Figure
43  he natural streamflow of the Snowy is
T 20 taken? (Study the entrance channels in
highest on average in October because of: Figure 21.)
A less water removed for irrigation A 1961
B lower evaporation B 1971
C melting snow C 1973
D releases from Lake Jindabyne D 1986
E significantly higher rainfall E 2008

Page 11
National Geographic Channel Australian Geography Competition 2010

A
Figure 22. French’s Narrows Source: P.J. Wheeler et al

46 It is becoming unlikely that any future

channel will open naturally through French’s
Narrows, as since 1851 this part of the
lagoon has undergone:
A deepening and widening along its entire
length
B hardening into sedimentary rock
C lagoon segmentation and dune
consolidation B
D major sea level change Figure 23. Snowy River entrance, photos taken 9
E transformation into wading bird habitat months apart Source: P.J. Wheeler et al

50 Which statement puts Photos A and B

47 A flood in Marlo in 1971 was caused by:
(Figure 23) in the order they were taken, and
A collapse of the Jindabyne Dam best explains the observed changes?
B heavy rain in the Snowy’s headwaters A A before B. Given the strong outflow
C heavy rain in the Snowy’s middle/lower through the entrance channel in B, it
catchment represents a flood situation in progress.
D heavy snowfall on Mt Kosciuszko B A before B. The Snowy flooded shortly
E a storm surge from Cyclone Nargis before A was taken, producing a wide
entrance channel. There was no major
flooding between the times the photos
48 During periods of heavy river flooding, the
were taken.
entrance channel will most likely:
C B before A. The shoals in the lagoon in B
A migrate to the east and close
prevent tidal and fresh water flow between
B migrate to the east and stay open the lagoon and sea. Thus no lagoon
C migrate to the west and close flushing occurred between the times the
D migrate to the west and stay open photos were taken.
E not noticeably change D B before A. There was no major flooding
between the times the photos were
taken. Erosive wave action during that
49 Which of these usually occurs downstream
time caused a significant widening of the
as a result of the construction of dams?
entrance channel.
A decreased summer water temperature
E None of these explanations fits the photos.
B encroachment of vegetation onto previous
channel
C greater availability of aquatic habitat for Thank you for taking part in the
flora and fauna 2010 National Geographic Channel
D increased variability of streamflow Australian Geography Competition.
E river channel morphology remains constant

Page 12