Porcupine Gorge
August 22 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
We have arrived at Porcupine Gorge. And our first look at this magnificent Gorge was wonderful to see.
We have set up camp for 3 nights so there is plenty of opportunity to walk to the bottomRead more
Traveler
How was the gorge formed ??
TravelerOver 265million years
TravelerPorcupine Gorge was formed over millions of years by water erosion. Porcupine Creek carved a deep canyon into a high plateau. A hard layer of volcanic lava, now basalt, covered the soft sand and rock below. The creek broke through this hard top layer and cut fast into the soft sandstone underneath.Key Steps in the FormationAncient sand deposits: Rivers and an inland sea laid down thick layers of sand and mud over hundreds of millions of years. These layers turned into soft sedimentary rock.Lava flows: Volcanoes erupted around 2 to 6 million years ago. They spread hot lava over the land. The lava cooled and hardened into a tough rock cap called basalt.Water erosion: Porcupine Creek wore away the hard basalt top. Once it hit the soft sandstone below, the water cut down deep and fast.Steep cliffs: The hard basalt cap stayed strong at the top. It kept the sides of the gorge steep and tall instead of sliding down into gentle slopes.The Pyramid: Continuous water wear left behind a large, multi-colored rock tower in the middle of the gorge known as the Pyramid.
Traveler👍👌