Simpson Desert

Simpson Desert, c.50,000 sq mi (130,000 sq km), barren region of central Australia, predominantly in the southeastern portion of the Northern Territory, extending S into Queensland and E into South Australia. Long, parallel sand dunes, up to 150 ft (46 m) high and 1,500 ft (457 m) apart, run for miles across the desert. Charles Sturt briefly visited the desert in 1845 and Cecil T. Madigan crossed it in 1939.

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Simpson Desert

an uninhabited arid region in central Australia, mainly in the Northern Territory. Area: about 145 000 sq. km (56 000 sq. miles)

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Simpson Desert 

a desert in central Australia. Area, 112,600 sq km. The area occupied by both the Simpson Desert and the Sturt Stony Desert was originally known as the Arunta Desert. The terrain consists principally of parallel sand ridges, which are 20-60 m high and extend for distances to 250 km. Gravelly sands predominate in the southeast, and clays are common along Lake Eyre. The average temperature is 28°-30°C in January and 12°-15°C in July. Precipitation is less than 130 mm in the northwest. The vegetation consists of xero-philous acacia and eucalyptus shrubs, as well as spinifexes, which prevent the sands from shifting. The dry beds of creeks, for example, Hay Creek, become lost in the sand. The desert was first traversed in 1937-39 by C. Madigan. The Simpson’s Gap National Park is located in the desert.