A Colossal Cave System lurking beneath Australia’s Desert

#nullarbor #australia #cave
Australia’s Nullarbor Plain looks like a barren, lifeless desert from above, but hidden beneath its flat surface lies one of the world’s most extraordinary cave landscapes. This vast limestone platform stretches across South Australia and Western Australia, concealing an immense system of sinkholes, blowholes, tunnels and underground chambers. Known as the largest arid limestone karst region on Earth, the Nullarbor contains caves that reach for kilometres beneath the desert, some filled with crystal-clear underground lakes that attract explorers and cave divers from around the globe.

The story of the Nullarbor caves begins millions of years ago during the Miocene epoch, when the region was covered by a shallow sea. As the sea receded, thick layers of limestone were left exposed, and over time, rainwater and groundwater dissolved the rock, carving out a hidden world of passages and caverns. These caves are not just geological marvels; they are also rich in history and science. The Nullarbor has yielded some of Australia’s most important fossil discoveries, including the skeleton of the extinct marsupial lion Thylacoleo carnifex, giant short-faced kangaroos, wombat-like Diprotodons and the massive flightless bird Genyornis.

Exploration of the Nullarbor caves continues to this day, with cave divers pushing into submerged tunnels like those in Cocklebiddy Cave, one of the longest underwater cave systems in the world. Other giants such as Weebubbie Cave and Mullamullang Cave reveal vast chambers decorated with stalactites, stalagmites and flowstone formations. These caves are not only spectacular to look at, they also hold valuable climate records locked within their stalagmites, and unique stygofauna – tiny blind aquatic creatures that live in complete darkness.

The Nullarbor Plain may appear empty and treeless on the surface, but beneath it lies a hidden underworld that tells the story of ancient oceans, extinct megafauna and the incredible power of water to shape stone. This video explores the geology, fossils and mysteries of the Nullarbor caves, shining a light on one of Australia’s greatest subterranean wonders. Whether you are fascinated by geology, history or adventure, the hidden world of the Nullarbor is unlike anywhere else on Earth.

Studies Used To Construct This Video:
Shallow caves and blowholes on the Nullarbor Plain, Australia — Flank margin caves on a low gradient limestone platform:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169555X13003462

Karst evolution of the Nullarbor Plain, Australia:
https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/books/edited-volume/568/chapter-abstract/3802994/Karst-evolution-of-the-Nullarbor-Plain-Australia?redirectedFrom=fulltext

Thermal anomaly and water origin in Weebubbie Cave, Nullarbor Karst Plain, Australia:
https://research-repository.uwa.edu.au/en/publications/thermal-anomaly-and-water-origin-in-weebubbie-cave-nullarbor-kars#:~:text=The%20studied%20Weebubbie%20Cave%20of%20total%20length%20%E2%88%BC500,potential%20warm%20water%20inputs%20in%20three%20different%20years.

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