"Microscopic fossils embedded in limestone have helped reveal the true age of Victoria's Twelve Apostles, as 8.6 to 14 million years old. Tectonic plate movements over millions of years have lifted and tilted the layers of underlying Gellibrand marl and the Apostles' yellow and grey Port Campbell limestone, rocks formed since the mid Miocene."
"If you look closely at the cliffs around the Twelve Apostles today, you can see the limestone layers are not flat but are, in fact, tilted by a few degrees. Small fault lines can also be seen, which are records of ancient earthquakes."
"The rocks might be ancient, but the seven or eight sea stacks originally known as the Sow and Piglets on nautical maps formed more recently as the cliffs eroded. You go to the lookout platforms and you see this fantastic vista in front of you with millions of years of strata, and millions of years of a story."
"Because only 20,000 years ago, you could walk to Tasmania because Bass Strait was a lake; you could walk about another 70km offshore from the present Twelve Apostles and you would still be on land."
Microscopic fossils in limestone indicate that Victoria's Twelve Apostles are between 8.6 and 14 million years old. This geological formation, visited by 2.8 million tourists annually, showcases layers of history shaped by tectonic plate movements. The underlying Gellibrand marl is 15 million years old, while the Apostles' limestone formed in the mid Miocene. The cliffs exhibit tilted layers and fault lines from ancient earthquakes. The sea stacks, formed from erosion, represent a more recent geological story, with land connections to Tasmania existing only 20,000 years ago.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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