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MacDonnell Ranges

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Some 300-350 million years ago a mountain building event created the MacDonnell Ranges. Since that time, folding, faulting and erosion have shaped the range and created numerous gaps and gorges. The ranges are composed of many rock types, but are most famous for their red
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broadly encompassing the mountain range, with an area of 3,929,444 hectares (9,709,870 acres). The range is a 644 km (400 mi) long series of mountains in central
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was established in 1984 to protect the numerous parks and reserves of the range, including internal residents inside the range. It also facilitated the development of the
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investigated the ranges as part of the scientific expedition into central Australia. Other explorers of the range included
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of dry scrubby grassland, the ranges are home to a large number of endemic species that includes the centralian tree frog
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at 1,380 metres (4,530 ft) AHD; the five highest mountains in the Northern Territory. The
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To the east of Alice Springs, within an hour's drive, are sites important to the local
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created by the Todd River, at the southern entrance to Alice Springs.
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rivers form in the MacDonnell Ranges. The range is crossed by the
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The MacDonnell Ranges were often depicted in the paintings of
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Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
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Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA)
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Mountain range in the Northern Territory, Australia
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Other rock types include 1067: 1053: 975: 973: 971: 969: 967: 302: 1567:Mountain ranges of the Northern Territory 1543:Bioregions of the National Reserve System 979: 323:39,294 km (15,171.5 sq mi) 173: 35:Glen Helen Gorge in the MacDonnell Ranges 696:From the Larapinta Trail near Glen Helen 964: 876: 838: 1572:Biogeography of the Northern Territory 1554: 932: 930: 928: 592: 1048: 564:that once covered central Australia. 477:at 1,524 metres (5,000 ft) AHD, 1382:New South Wales South Western Slopes 635:To the west of Alice Springs is the 485:at 1,389 metres (4,557 ft) and 333:Localities around MacDonnell Ranges: 982:Discover Australia's National Parks 925: 13: 942:Australian Natural Resources Atlas 507:Australian Overland Telegraph Line 14: 1588: 1033: 1013:World Wildlife Fund, ed. (2001). 481:at 1,423 metres (4,669 ft), 314:with the MacDonnell Ranges in red 186:Location of the MacDonnell Ranges 115:644 km (400 mi) E/W 902:Joanne Lane (5 September 2009). 785: 771: 752: 740: 728: 713: 701: 689: 426:The ranges were named after Sir 172: 165: 29: 1006: 986:Milsons Point, New South Wales 895: 806:List of mountains in Australia 1: 1417:Simpson Strzelecki Dunefields 992:Australia. pp. 242–246. 831: 599:West MacDonnell National Park 585:. This is mostly due to the 515:Adelaide–Darwin rail corridor 373:Simpson Strzelecki Dunefields 360:Simpson Strzelecki Dunefields 310:interim Australian bioregions 1015:"Central Ranges xeric scrub" 460: 409:interim Australian bioregion 59:1,531 m (5,023 ft) 7: 1482:Tasmanian Northern Midlands 1477:Tasmanian Central Highlands 1397:Pacific Subtropical Islands 1377:New South Wales North Coast 1019:WildWorld Ecoregion Profile 764: 432:Governor of South Australia 10: 1593: 1207:Davenport Murchison Ranges 682: 574:Central Ranges xeric scrub 567: 532: 528: 142: 1540: 1497:Tasmanian Southern Ranges 1487:Tasmanian Northern Slopes 1352:Murray Darling Depression 1082: 821:N'Dhala Gorge Nature Park 377: 331: 327: 319: 301: 288: 274: 269: 230: 218: 208: 200: 159: 154: 137: 124: 119: 111: 106: 67: 53: 45: 40: 28: 23: 1437:South Eastern Queensland 1422:South East Coastal Plain 1362:Naracoorte Coastal Plain 1442:Southern Volcanic Plain 1432:South Eastern Highlands 1297:Indian Tropical Islands 1197:Darling Riverine Plains 1367:New England Tablelands 801:Geography of Australia 465:The highest peaks are 91:23.38306°S 132.38306°E 1282:Gulf Fall and Uplands 1272:Great Victoria Desert 858:Australian Government 846:Environment Australia 708:Ellery Creek Big Hole 649:Ellery Creek Big Hole 535:Alice Springs Orogeny 1492:Tasmanian South East 1457:Subantarctic Islands 1332:Mitchell Grass Downs 1257:Geraldton Sandplains 1237:Flinders Lofty Block 1152:Central Mackay Coast 436:John McDouall Stuart 403:located in southern 96:-23.38306; 132.38306 1317:Little Sandy Desert 1132:Cape York Peninsula 1122:Broken Hill Complex 1117:Brigalow Belt South 1112:Brigalow Belt North 904:"Drawn by a legend" 864:on 5 September 2006 722:river red gum trees 593:Tourist attractions 250: /  87: /  1517:Victorian Midlands 1512:Victoria Bonaparte 1462:Swan Coastal Plain 1392:Ord Victoria Plain 1372:Northern Kimberley 1267:Great Sandy Desert 1217:Einasleigh Uplands 980:Hema Maps (1997). 888:2006-09-08 at the 779:Environment portal 428:Richard MacDonnell 405:Northern Territory 366:Great Sandy Desert 353:Great Sandy Desert 340:Great Sandy Desert 295:Northern Territory 254:23.700°S 132.500°E 214:Northern Territory 190:Northern Territory 132:Richard MacDonnell 41:Highest point 1577:MacDonnell Region 1549: 1548: 1427:South East Corner 1322:MacDonnell Ranges 1147:Central Kimberley 952:on 5 October 2009 720:Ellery Creek and 389:MacDonnell Ranges 385: 384: 381: 380: 357:MacDonnell Ranges 290:MacDonnell Ranges 284: 283: 232:Range coordinates 180:MacDonnell Ranges 148:Arrernte language 24:MacDonnell Ranges 1584: 1337:Mount Isa Inlier 1227:Eyre Yorke Block 1222:Esperance Plains 1182:Cumberland Plain 1069: 1062: 1055: 1046: 1045: 1027: 1026: 1025:on 8 March 2010. 1010: 1004: 1003: 977: 962: 961: 959: 957: 948:. Archived from 934: 923: 922: 920: 918: 899: 893: 883:IBRA Version 6.1 880: 874: 873: 871: 869: 860:. Archived from 842: 816:Western Arrernte 795: 793:Mountains portal 790: 789: 788: 781: 776: 775: 759:Serpentine Gorge 756: 744: 732: 717: 705: 693: 669:Glen Helen Gorge 653:Serpentine Gorge 616:. These include 455:Albert Namatjira 434:at the time) by 329: 306: 297: 291: 286: 285: 265: 264: 262: 261: 260: 259:-23.700; 132.500 255: 251: 248: 247: 246: 243: 176: 175: 169: 145: 144: 102: 101: 99: 98: 97: 92: 88: 85: 84: 83: 80: 33: 21: 20: 1592: 1591: 1587: 1586: 1585: 1583: 1582: 1581: 1552: 1551: 1550: 1545: 1536: 1387:Nullarbor Plain 1167:Cobar Peneplain 1162:Channel Country 1097:Australian Alps 1078: 1073: 1036: 1031: 1030: 1011: 1007: 1000: 978: 965: 955: 953: 936: 935: 926: 916: 914: 912:Fairfax Digital 900: 896: 890:Wayback Machine 881: 877: 867: 865: 843: 839: 834: 791: 786: 784: 777: 770: 767: 760: 757: 748: 745: 736: 733: 724: 718: 709: 706: 697: 694: 685: 637:Larapinta Trail 610:Arrernte people 603:Larapinta Trail 595: 582:Litoria gilleni 570: 537: 531: 463: 440:Horn Expedition 347:Channel Country 315: 313: 293: 292: 289: 258: 256: 252: 249: 244: 241: 239: 237: 236: 196: 195: 194: 193: 192: 187: 184: 183: 182: 181: 177: 95: 93: 89: 86: 81: 78: 76: 74: 73: 60: 36: 17: 12: 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Retrieved 950:the original 941: 915:. Retrieved 907: 897: 878: 866:. Retrieved 862:the original 840: 747:Simpsons Gap 673:Mount Sonder 641:Simpsons Gap 634: 607: 596: 580: 572:Part of the 571: 538: 487:Mount Sonder 479:Mount Edward 475:Mount Liebig 464: 452: 425: 392: 388: 386: 332: 18: 1527:Wet Tropics 1342:Mulga Lands 1287:Gulf Plains 1192:Dampierland 956:17 November 917:17 November 677:Mount Giles 483:Mount Giles 276:Age of rock 257: / 138:Native name 94: / 82:132°22′59″E 69:Coordinates 1556:Categories 1402:Pine Creek 1187:Daly Basin 1172:Coolgardie 1127:Burt Plain 1107:Ben Lomond 868:31 January 832:References 735:Ochre pits 657:Ochre Pits 622:Jessie Gap 562:inland sea 533:See also: 491:headwaters 467:Mount Zeil 421:Aboriginal 344:Burt Plain 107:Dimensions 79:23°22′59″S 49:Mount Zeil 1347:Murchison 1307:Kanmantoo 1177:Coral Sea 1137:Carnarvon 618:Emily Gap 577:ecoregion 558:siltstone 554:sandstone 550:limestone 542:quartzite 523:water gap 461:Geography 448:John Ross 413:Australia 210:Territory 204:Australia 155:Geography 126:Etymology 55:Elevation 1412:Riverina 1357:Nandewar 1247:Gascoyne 1242:Furneaux 886:Archived 811:Pine Gap 765:See also 614:rock art 513:and the 503:Sandover 397:Arrernte 393:Tjoritja 245:132°30′E 143:Tjoritja 1407:Pilbara 1292:Hampton 683:Gallery 568:Ecology 546:granite 529:Geology 517:at the 493:of the 399:, is a 270:Geology 242:23°42′S 201:Country 188:in the 1532:Yalgoo 1522:Warren 1472:Tanami 1327:Mallee 1252:Gawler 996:  509:, the 220:Region 120:Naming 112:Length 1232:Finke 499:Finke 430:(the 391:, or 370:Finke 1312:King 994:ISBN 958:2009 919:2009 892:data 870:2007 675:and 628:and 597:The 556:and 521:, a 501:and 495:Todd 446:and 387:The 320:Area 308:The 130:Sir 46:Peak 471:AHD 395:in 62:AHD 1558:: 1017:. 988:: 984:. 966:^ 944:. 940:. 927:^ 910:. 906:. 856:, 852:. 848:. 679:. 671:, 667:, 663:, 659:, 655:, 651:, 647:, 643:, 632:. 624:, 620:, 605:. 552:, 548:, 497:, 473:, 457:. 450:. 1068:e 1061:t 1054:v 1002:. 960:. 921:. 872:. 312:, 150:) 146:(

Index


Elevation
AHD
Coordinates
23°22′59″S 132°22′59″E / 23.38306°S 132.38306°E / -23.38306; 132.38306
Etymology
Richard MacDonnell
Arrernte language
MacDonnell Ranges is located in Northern Territory
Northern Territory
Territory
Region
Alice Springs
Range coordinates
23°42′S 132°30′E / 23.700°S 132.500°E / -23.700; 132.500
Age of rock
Northern Territory

interim Australian bioregions
Great Sandy Desert
Great Sandy Desert
Great Sandy Desert
Arrernte
mountain range
Northern Territory
interim Australian bioregion
Australia
Alice Springs
Aboriginal
Richard MacDonnell

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