Australia is also likely to merge with the Eurasian continent. "Australia is moving north, and is already colliding with the southern islands of Southeast Asia," he continued.
The continents have not stopped moving though, they continue to move today as the plates in the earth's crust move. 'Australia is moving northwards 7cms every year, towards Asia,' he said. 'Its very real, that's the same speed that our finger nails grow each year. '
Asia, Australia & the Americas on a collision course to become a supercontinent in 280 million years. Like a slow moving runaway train.
Because of Australia's current northwards drift it would be at the centre of the new continent as East Asia and the Americas close the Pacific from either side. The European and African plates would then rejoin the Americas as the Atlantic closes.
In terms of the middle of India and Australia landmasses, Australia is moving northward at 3 cm (1.2 in) per year with respect to India. This differential movement has resulted in the compression of the former plate near its centre at Sumatra and the division into the separate Indian and Australian Plates again.
The secret of its movements are the tectonic plates on which our continents float, with Australia's plate moving the fastest, averaging about 2.7 inches a year. The plate is moving northward, with a slight clockwise rotation. For context, note that the North American plate moves roughly an inch a year.
The Australian Plate, which Australia is on, is moving faster than other plates. The Australian Plate is moving about 6.9 cm (2.7 inches) a year in a northward direction and with a small clockwise rotation. The Global Positioning System must be updated due to the movement, as some locations move faster.
The mobile-friendly MyClimate 2050 tool shows almost all areas across Australia will experience longer and hotter summers, with temperatures increasing by an average of 2.32°C.
Australia's strong relative growth
The IMF forecasts the Australian economy will grow by 1.6% in 2023. This means Australia will again outperform other advanced economies, which are expected to grow by an average of just 1.3%. This follows Australia's solid 5.2% growth in 2021 and an estimated growth of 3.7% in 2022.
Absolutely. Australia is a fantastic place to live, even for foreigners. There aren't only advantages to living in Australia, but they outweigh the disadvantages. I love the climate, work-life balance, safety and the wide range of outdoor activities that I can enjoy every weekend.
Australia and New Zealand's sea levels will rise at rates higher than the global average. There'll be a 50% increase in bushfires – the Black Summer Bushfires were just the beginning. Floods follow fires, so those heavy rainfalls brought by La Niña will become the norm.
Australia doesn't sit on the edge of a tectonic plate. However, the Indo-Australian plate, at the centre of which our continent lies, is being pushed to the north-east at about 7cm per year. It's colliding with the Eurasian, Philippine and Pacific plates, causing stress to build up in the 25km-thick upper crust.
The government's baseline case is for our population to then grow to 39.2 million by 2060-61. However, a high migration scenario would see Australia's population almost doubling to close to 50 million by 2060. Our median age is also projected to increase, from 38.4 years in 2020-21 to 40.1 years by 2032-33.
Australia's extreme climate makes it especially vulnerable to global warming. Much of its vast interior is semi-arid and, with temperatures 1.5°C above the long-term average, increasingly beset by wildfires and drought.
An ageing population, escalating pressures in the health system and climate change pose long-term challenges for Australia's economic growth, living standards and government finances. Failure to act now to tackle intergenerational challenges will result in severe economic, fiscal and environmental consequences.
Key points. Australia is experiencing the effects of global climate change. Our average land and sea temperatures have increased. Despite large natural variation we are also seeing changes to rainfall patterns, increased fire danger, and rising sea levels.
The nation holds a PwrIndx* score of 0.2567 (a score of 0.0000 is considered 'perfect'). This entry last reviewed on 01/05/2023.
Australians are the richest people in the world, with a median wealth three times that of the average American, a new report has shown.
Australia has plentiful supplies of natural resources, including the second largest accessible reserves of iron ore in the world, the fifth largest reserves of coal and significant gas resources. For a long time, commodities have made up a sizeable share of our exports.
The report stated there was “very high confidence” that temperatures would rise across Australia throughout the century, with the average annual temperature set to be up to 1.3C warmer in 2030 compared with the average experienced between 1986 and 2005.
According to a new Climate Council report, by 2040, summertime temperatures on hot days in Sydney and Melbourne will be approaching 50 degrees, making summer sport as it is played at present untenable.
New research suggests that, if the planet keeps warming at current rates, much of the top third of Australia could soon be too hot for people to live in.
Studies of global sea level, plate kinematics, marine inundation, and the morphology of the continental shelves suggest that the Australian continent has been tilting towards the northeast from the Late Cretaceous onwards (DiCaprio et al., 2009; Heine et al., 2010; Sandiford, 2007).
Australia: Left-hand traffic
We drive on the left for one reason and one reason only: Britain told us to. No, really. As a British colony up until we became a federation in 1901, Australia readily adopted left-hand traffic, no doubt because it made both cultural and economic sense to do so.
The Australian continent, perched on the planet's fastest moving tectonic plate, is drifting at about seven centimetres a year to the northeast.