Mount Kintore facts for kids
Mount Kintore is a special kind of mountain in the northwest part of South Australia. It stands tall by itself, like an island in a flat landscape. This type of mountain is called an inselberg. Mount Kintore is about 1,066 meters (3,497 feet) above sea level.
Contents
Where is Mount Kintore?
Mount Kintore is located in a remote area. You can find it about halfway between two communities: Amaṯa and Watarru.
What is Mount Kintore made of?
Most of Mount Kintore is made from very old rocks. These rocks are called metamorphic rocks, like gneiss and quartzite. They have been changed by heat and pressure deep inside the Earth.
Rock Formations
These rock layers are cut through by diorite dykes. Dykes are like walls of rock that formed when magma pushed up into cracks. The rock layers have also been bent into simple folds. You can see these folds clearly on the northern side of the mountain.
Weathering and Erosion
Over a long time, the rock has been weathered into ridges. This means the wind, water, and temperature changes have broken down the rock. You can also see a lot of erosion along the folds. Erosion is when bits of rock are carried away. At the western end of the mountain, the gneiss rock changes into granite.
Who are the Traditional Owners?
Mount Kintore is an important place for the Pitjantjatjara people. They are the traditional owners of this land. There is a very important rock hole nearby. It is called Kunamata and is about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) to the west of the mountain. Rock holes are natural pools of water that are very important for survival in dry areas.
