‘A history of the Earth’: Twelve Apostles revealed to be as old as 14m years
Summary
Scientists have determined that the limestone formations known as the Twelve Apostles in Victoria, Australia, are between 8.6 and 14 million years old. They used tiny fossils found in the rock and other scientific methods to date the layers and understand the area's geological history.Key Facts
- The Twelve Apostles are limestone sea stacks along the Great Ocean Road near Melbourne.
- The rock layers beneath the Apostles are about 15 million years old.
- Scientists used microscopic fossils called foraminifera to date the rocks.
- The rock formations formed during the Middle Miocene Climatic Transition, a time of major global cooling.
- The cliffs show tilted rock layers and small fault lines from ancient tectonic movements and earthquakes.
- The sea stacks themselves formed more recently as erosion shaped the coastline.
- About 20,000 years ago, the area was mostly land, connecting to Tasmania.
- The study was published in the Australian Journal of Earth Sciences.
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