Newer Volcanics Province facts for kids
The Newer Volcanics Province is a special area in south-eastern Australia. It's like a giant playground of volcanoes! This region was formed by a "hotspot" deep inside the Earth.
It covers a huge area, about 15,000 square kilometers. That's bigger than many countries! You can find over 400 small volcanoes here. These are the youngest volcanoes in all of Australia.
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What Makes This Area Special?
This region is known for its flat areas of hardened lava. Rising above these plains are many small volcanic hills. These hills come in different shapes and sizes.
Types of Volcanoes You'll Find
- Scoria cones: These are cone-shaped hills made from bits of lava that exploded out of the ground.
- Tuff rings: These are low, flat rings formed when hot magma met water, causing big explosions.
- Maars: These are wide, flat-bottomed craters. They often fill with water to become lakes.
When Did These Volcanoes Erupt?
The volcanoes in this area are quite young in Earth's history. They started forming from the Late Pleistocene period right up to the Holocene. This means they erupted from about 2.5 million years ago until very recently.
The most recent eruptions happened about 5,000 years ago. This was at places like Mount Schank and Mount Gambier. During these eruptions, several maars were formed. Also, lava flowed out and spread around the volcanic cones.
Famous Volcanoes in the Province
Many interesting volcanoes are part of the Newer Volcanics Province. Here are some of them:
- Mount Schank
- Mount Napier
- Mount Gambier (home to the beautiful Blue Lake)
- Tower Hill
- Mount Elephant
- Mount Eccles (also known as Budj Bim, with its ancient lava flows)
- Mount Leura
- Mount Noorat
- Mount Buninyong
- Lake Bullen Merri
- Lake Purrumbete
- Red Rock
