Scientists at the University of Melbourne have uncovered for the first time how Australia’s iconic Twelve Apostles were formed, finding tectonic plate movements over millions of years lifted and tilted the giant structures out of the sea.
Scientists at the University of Melbourne have uncovered for the first time how Australia’s iconic Twelve Apostles were formed, finding tectonic plate movements over millions of years lifted and tilted the giant structures out of the sea.
Until now, the evolution of the Twelve Apostles had not been well known.
University of Melbourne lead researcher Associate Professor Stephen Gallagher from the School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences said the tectonic event helped shape the Apostles into being one of the world’s best-preserved and accessible records of ancient climates and sea levels.
“Much like an environmental time capsule, each layer of these giant structures preserved information about the Earth’s climate, tectonic activity, plants and animals over millions of years, including a key time about 13.8 million years ago when the climate was much warmer than what it is today,” Associate Professor Gallagher explained.
Read More: University of Melbourne
Photo Credit: agmclellan via Pixabay
