Australia’s Twelve Apostles
David Attenborough narrates this video showing the Twelve Apostles off the coast of Melbourne Australia. Amazing rock formations rising out of the ocean. From BBC.
Excerpts from The Sunday Times
The 12 Apostles is the name given to a collection of natural limestone stacks that rise up to 150ft (46m) from the sea off the coast of Port Campbell National Park, Australia.The Twelve Apostles are located along the spectacular Great Ocean Road, a scenic route that starts approximately 60 miles (97km) southwest of Melbourne and winds 150 miles along the picturesque coastline.
Twelve Apostles Australia. Photo Source: Chris Manuel
They were originally named the ‘Sow and Piglets’. Located near Loch Ard Gorge, the Sow was Muttonbird Island, with the piglets being the smaller surrounding rocks.
The Twelve Apostles were formed by erosion of the original coastline, which began 10 to 20 million years ago, and constant action of the sea on the limestone slowly wore down the rocky cliff, gradually leaving individual rocks.
The cliff is still being eroded at a rate of about 2cm each year, and in the future is likely to form more ‘Apostles’ from the other rocky headlands that line the Victorian coastline.The stacks are varying heights and thicknesses.
The erosion is ongoing: over the years the number of limestone rocks visible in the formation has decreased.
There are not actually twelve stacks now, a number have fallen over entirely as their bases are being continually eroded by the force of the waves, diminishing to seven stacks for now.
From the lookout, you can only see a number of the Twelve apostles. The others are located behind the rocky headlands that line the Victoria coastline, or hidden by other rocky outcrops. But their close proximity to one another has made the site a popular tourist attraction. Hundreds of thousands of tourists drive the route each year to see the natural landmarks.
In June last year, a 33ft-long archway in the 12 Apostles area crumbled away. In 2005 one of the 230ft limestone towers crumbled into the sea in front of a family of tourists, who captured the moment on camera.
Another victim of the erosion was London Arch, located near the 12 Apostles, which had formed a double-span natural bridge to the mainland. One of the arches collapsed in 1990, leaving two tourists stranded on the outer part of the enormous rock. They were rescued by helicopter.
Experts calculate that waves chip away a few millimetres from the limestone formations and adjacent cliffs every year.
John Sherwood, an environmental scientist with Deakin University, said that Victoria’s unusually wet winter would have contributed to the most recent collapse.
“The extra weight as the formations have become more saturated with water, and the lubrication of cracks and joins by the water, can contribute to these things occurring,” Dr Sherwood told The Times. ”So these two circumstances can come together and tip the balance of the formations.”
He said that the area was eroding rapidly because of the softness of the limestone rocks and the battering it received from the Southern Ocean.
As for the name 12 Apostles, Parks Australia said that it would not change it despite the dwindling number of limestone pillars.
“It will always be the 12 Apostles,” Ms Curkpatrick said. “It remains unique no matter how many apostles come and go.”
Tourists banned from Twelve Apostles viewing platforms: Due to Erosion
Excerpt from The Herald Sun
Twelve Apostles Beach, Gibson Steps. Photo Source: Chris Kapa
Erosion has barred tourists from viewing platforms at the Twelve Apostles and another favorite attraction on the Great Ocean Road. Part of the Twelve Apostles boardwalk and a lookout at Loch Ard Gorge blowhole, near Port Campbell, were shut late last june amid fears of collapse.
Acting ranger in charge Ben Hammond said routine inspections revealed soil underneath the platforms, which are more than 20 years old, had eroded.
“The coast is dynamic and erosion is happening all the time,” he said. “It just means we have to be vigilant and take action like this. We take it very seriously.”
Other lookouts offering prime views at both sites remain open, but Parks Victoria has pledged to fast-track redesign and replacement of those shut.
The area is one of Victoria’s major tourist drawcards, attracting about two million visitors a year.
It isn’t the first time erosion has caused problems there. In June last year part of Loch Ard Gorge fell away.
And last September the Twelve Apostles dwindled to seven when one of the stacks crumbled into the sea.
“It is a living, changing landscape, with constant changes” Mrs Coleman said. “They can see how the arches and bridges are being undercut and formed all the time.”
12 Apostles Australia. Photo Source: Stephen Moletto / Getty Images
Chantelle says:
This is very helpful as I’ve have been working on an essay at school. This information just stood out. Well done!