Lexi Webster
A team of scientists from the University of Adelaide in Australia and the University of Aberdeen in Scotland has discovered a 'Jurassic World' of around 100 ancient volcanoes buried deep within the Cooper-Eromanga Basins of central Australia. The volcanoes, which date back to the Jurassic period between 180 and 160 million years ago, were subsequently buried beneath hundreds of meters of sedimentary rock. The discovery sheds light on a previously unknown volcanic landscape in a region that has been a hotspot for oil and gas production since the 1960s.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of volcanoes | 100 |
| Age | 180-160 million years old |
| Location | Cooper-Eromanga Basins, Central Australia |
| Type of rocks | Sedimentary, layered, basaltic, igneous |
| Region | South Australia and Queensland |
| Researchers | Simon Holford, Nick Schofield |
| University | University of Adelaide, University of Aberdeen |
| Department | Australian School of Petroleum, Geology and Petroleum Geology |
| Name of discovery | Warnie Volcanic Province |
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What You'll Learn
A Jurassic World of around 100 volcanoes
Scientists have discovered a subterranean world of around 100 volcanoes buried in central Australia, dating back to the Jurassic period between 180 and 160 million years ago. This ancient landscape, dubbed the Warnie Volcanic Province, was formed during a time when the region was very different from the dry and barren terrain of today.
The Cooper-Eromanga Basins, located in the northeastern corner of South Australia and the southwestern corner of Queensland, is now a desolate area. However, during the Jurassic era, it would have been a dramatic landscape of craters and fissures, with hot ash and lava spewing into the air. This volcanic activity was surrounded by networks of river channels, which eventually evolved into large lakes and coal swamps.
The discovery of this hidden world provides valuable insights into the geological processes of the past. According to Associate Professor Nick Schofield from the University of Aberdeen's Department of Geology and Petroleum Geology, the region has been substantially explored for gas and oil since 1963, yielding a vast amount of underground data. Despite this, the volcanic activity in the area has only recently been understood, reshaping our comprehension of Earth's ancient processes.
The identification of the Warnie Volcanic Province was made possible through advanced subsurface imaging techniques, similar to medical CT scanning. This technology allowed researchers to visualize the plethora of volcanic craters, lava flows, and the deeper magma chambers that fed them. The study authors suggest that there may be more undiscovered volcanic provinces lurking beneath the surface, waiting to be explored and understood.
This discovery highlights the importance of considering what lies beneath the Earth's surface, as stated by Simon Holford, a study co-author from the University of Adelaide. The subterranean world has preserved an ancient landscape, providing a window into the past and offering a glimpse of a Jurassic world that once existed.
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Buried deep within the Cooper-Eromanga Basins
Scientists have discovered a hidden 'Jurassic World' of around 100 ancient volcanoes buried deep within the Cooper-Eromanga Basins of central Australia. The Cooper-Eromanga Basins are now a dry and barren landscape, but researchers say that during the Jurassic period, the region would have been a landscape of craters and fissures, spewing hot ash and lava into the air. The discovery of this ancient Jurassic world, which developed deep within the interior of the Australian continent, has shed light on the volcanic activity of the region during that period.
The Cooper-Eromanga Basins, located in the north-eastern corner of South Australia and the south-western corner of Queensland, is the largest onshore oil and gas-producing region in Australia. Despite about 60 years of petroleum exploration and production, this ancient Jurassic volcanic underground landscape had gone largely unnoticed. Advanced subsurface imaging techniques, analogous to medical CT scanning, were used to identify the plethora of volcanic craters and lava flows, as well as the deeper magma chambers that fed them.
The discovery has been named the Warnie Volcanic Province, a nod to Australian cricket legend Shane Warne. The volcanoes, which date back to the Jurassic period between 180 and 160 million years ago, have been buried beneath hundreds of meters of sedimentary or layered rocks. The region has been a hotspot for oil and gas production since the 1960s, and the massive amount of data collected from underneath the ground has contributed to a better understanding of the volcanic activity in the region.
According to the study authors, the discovery of this extensive volcanic landscape in an area that has already undergone substantial data collection raises the prospect of other undiscovered volcanic provinces in Australia and worldwide. The findings also highlight the importance of considering what lies beneath the Earth's surface, as stated by Simon Holford, one of the study's co-authors: "Many people have a tendency to focus on what we can see, but we need to take into account things we can't see that are buried underneath the ground."
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Advanced subsurface imaging techniques used
In 2019, an international team of subsurface explorers from the University of Adelaide in Australia and the University of Aberdeen in Scotland discovered a previously unknown 'Jurassic World' of around 100 ancient volcanoes buried deep within the Cooper-Eromanga Basins of central Australia. The Cooper-Eromanga Basins, a dry and barren landscape today, were a landscape of craters and fissures, spewing hot ash and lava into the air during the Jurassic period.
The researchers used advanced subsurface imaging techniques, analogous to medical CT scanning, to identify the plethora of volcanic craters and lava flows, as well as the deeper magma chambers that fed them. This discovery was made possible by collecting seismic, well, gravity, and magnetic data from the Nappamerri Trough inside the Cooper Basin, which allowed them to sketch out the outline of the Warnie Volcanic Province.
The advanced subsurface imaging techniques played a crucial role in this significant discovery. These techniques provided a non-invasive way to explore the hidden subterranean world without the need for extensive drilling or excavation. By generating detailed images of the subsurface structures, the researchers could visualize and analyze the ancient volcanic landscape, including the craters, lava flows, and magma chambers.
Moreover, the imaging techniques helped in understanding the geological processes that occurred during the Jurassic period. By studying the volcanic craters and lava flows, scientists gained insights into the volcanic activity and the subsequent slow submersion of the volcanoes under layers of sediment over millions of years. This improved understanding of Earth's ancient processes can inform future research and exploration in the field of geology and volcanology.
The use of advanced subsurface imaging techniques in this context demonstrates the versatility and applicability of technologies across different fields. Just as medical CT scanning provides detailed images of the human body, these advanced imaging techniques offer a powerful tool for exploring and understanding the complexities of the Earth's subsurface, leading to discoveries that enhance our knowledge of the planet's history and evolution.
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The region is a hotspot for oil and gas production
The Cooper-Eromanga Basins in the northeastern corner of South Australia and the southwestern corner of Queensland is Australia's largest onshore oil and gas-producing region. The region has been a hotspot for oil and gas production since the 1960s, and it is currently Australia's largest onshore source of hydrocarbons. Over the past half-century, around 1,400 oil wells have been drilled in this area.
The Cooper and Eromanga Basins are a desert region in the central part of the continent known for its rich reserves of oil and natural gas. The basins are the most significant coastal hydrocarbon-generating region in Australia. The Cooper-Eromanga Basins have been substantially explored since the first gas discovery in 1963. This has led to a massive amount of available data from underneath the ground.
The discovery of a subterranean network of around 100 volcanoes from the Jurassic period, buried under the basins of central Australia, is surprising given the extensive data collection in the region. The volcanoes developed between 180 and 160 million years ago and were subsequently buried beneath hundreds of meters of sedimentary rocks. The researchers named their discovery the Warnie Volcanic Province, with a nod to Australian cricket legend Shane Warne.
The Cooper-Eromanga Basins are now a dry and barren landscape, but during the Jurassic period, they would have been a landscape of craters and fissures, spewing hot ash and lava into the air. The discovery of this volcanic region changes our understanding of the Earth's processes in the past. It also raises the prospect of other undiscovered volcanic provinces in Australia and worldwide.
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The discovery changes our understanding of Earth's history
In 2019, scientists discovered a previously unknown subterranean world of around 100 volcanoes in Australia, dating back to the Jurassic period. This discovery has been deemed surprising, given that the region is currently Australia's largest onshore source of hydrocarbons, with about 1,400 oil wells drilled in the area over the past 50 years.
The Cooper-Eromanga Basins in the northeastern corner of South Australia and southwestern Queensland is a significant coastal hydrocarbon-generating region. The region has been a hotspot for oil and gas production since the 1960s, with the first gas discovery in 1963. Despite this extensive exploration and production history, the ancient Jurassic volcanic landscape remained unnoticed until recently.
The volcanoes are believed to have developed between 180 and 160 million years ago and have been buried beneath hundreds of meters of sedimentary rock. The discovery challenges our understanding of Earth's history by revealing previously unknown volcanic activity in the Jurassic period. According to Associate Professor Nick Schofield from the University of Aberdeen, the vast amount of data collected from the region had not led to a proper understanding of the volcanic activity until now.
The researchers named their discovery the Warnie Volcanic Province, a nod to Australian cricket legend Shane Warne. The identification of this volcanic region raises the possibility of other undiscovered volcanic provinces in Australia and worldwide. This find highlights the importance of considering what lies beneath the Earth's surface, as stated by Simon Holford: "Many people have a tendency to focus on what we can see, but we need to take into account things we can't see that are buried underneath the ground."
The discovery of this hidden Jurassic world in Australia provides valuable insights into the Earth's ancient volcanic activity and contributes to a deeper understanding of geological processes that have shaped our planet's past.
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Frequently asked questions
Scientists discovered a 'Jurassic World' of around 100 volcanoes buried deep within the Cooper-Eromanga Basins of central Australia.
The volcanoes date back to the Jurassic period, between 180 and 160 million years ago.
The Cooper-Eromanga Basins are now a dry and barren landscape.
The landscape would have been a world of craters and fissures, spewing hot ash and lava into the air, surrounded by networks of river channels, large lakes, and coal swamps.
Central Australia has been slowly sinking for around 160 million years, allowing for the accumulation of hundreds of meters of sedimentary rocks which have preserved this ancient landscape.
