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Geology

These termite hills have been active for over 34,000 years — and they hold a snapshot of South Africa's ancient climate

Researchers used radiocarbon dating to determine some termite mounds in an arid region were about 34,000 years old.
Four people smile in front of a termite mound.

Aurora chaser joins fight to protect thrombolites after 'embarrassing' walk on ancient fossil site

When Wesley Lamont set up his camera to capture the aurora australis, he had no idea he was trampling on a fragile ecosystem and potentially causing decades of damage.
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The aurora taken off the boardwalk at the thrombolites

It's a 'special' and 'amazing place', so why are so many tourist attractions closing here?

Some of the most popular places for tourists to visit in South Australia's south-east have been closed for years. Now, the local council is taking over the leases on two of the city's biggest attractions, upsetting the current operators.
Underwater plants in a pond.

Budding outback geologist Archie cracks the 'beautiful' rock market, all for a good cause

Growing up in Kununurra, Archie Stanley has developed a passion for geology — and he's putting his interests to a worthy cause.
A 10 year old boy, sits on the red dirt and rocks barefoot holding a large rock with crystals.

The rise of sinkhole tourism sees Limestone Coast become international drawcard

Graham Kilsby turned the sinkhole on his family's farming property into a tourism attraction to cover insurance. Now it's attracting visitors from interstate and overseas.
Two divers in a large body of clear blue water illuminated by a torch light.

The enormous cave system that lies beneath the Nullarbor Plain

The Nullarbor Plain is famous for being hot, dry, flat and featureless - a necessary stretch of very straight road on the way to somewhere else. Few people know about the enormous cave system that lies beneath, and even fewer have explored it.
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ABC News Current
Duration: 7 minutes 4 seconds

A subterranean wonderland lies beneath the Nullarbor. A battle between energy and the environment looms in its future

The Nullarbor Plain is famous for being dry, flat and featureless — but it's a very different story beneath the surface, with an intricate cave system that has remained mostly untouched. 
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Turquoise water in a cave lake with two explorers - one is on a kayak.

Gigantic marine reptile identified from fossil found by 11-year-old girl and father

A fossil jawbone found by a young girl and her father on a beach in England belongs to a gigantic marine reptile dating back to 202 million years ago that appears to have been among the largest animals ever on Earth. 
An artists impression of an ichthyosaur washed up on the beach.

Vortex rings rise from Italy's Mount Etna volcano

Mount Etna has released volcanic vortex rings, a rare phenomenon caused by a constant release of vapours and gases. 
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A large ring of white gasses can be seen in the sky.

The complicated legacy of the 50-year-old discovery that rewrote Australian history

Five decades ago, when geologist Jim Bowler brushed sand away from the dome of an ancient human cranium, it changed the way we thought about Australia's past.
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Landscape photo of sun hitting wind-whipped sand mounds at Lake Mungo

Rare 'Dreamtime stone' opal to take pride of place in national museum

After unearthing a stunningly rare "Yowah nut" opal in outback Queensland, Dave Darby had a choice to make about where it went. He chose to keep it in Australia and let everyone share in its beauty.
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A First nations man standing in the outback smiling at the camera at sunset

Researchers discover Earth's earliest fossilised forest in UK

Scientists discover the oldest fossilised forest known on Earth, dating back 390 million years, according to a new study.
A man stands next to a rock with marks in it.

This 'underground library' shows what Australia's climate was like 350,000 years ago

Researchers uncover new information about the coldest times in the continent's history by studying a system of caves on South Australia's Limestone Coast.
Aerial view of cave

This high school is slowly 'sliding down the hill'. It's sitting on one of thousands of landslides

Across Tasmania, there are almost 10,000 known landslides, including at the site of a large high school in Hobart.
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Drone photo of a high school by the sea.

People come from all over the world to these NSW beaches, but most visitors miss the story

The rocky headlands at Dark and Myrtle beaches tell a story more than 150 million years old, from before the Sydney Basin formed. It's a story anyone can read — if they have eyes to see it.
An aerial shot of a pristine natural bay.

Giant CBD sinkhole caused by ancient cave collapse finally being filled

The sinkhole in Mount Gambier appeared last year after heavy rain. After seven months, the council has started to fill it in.
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A sinkhole on a cement walkway.

Laser-sensor technology reveals ancient cities in Ecuador's Amazon rainforest

The settlements were occupied around 500 BC and 300 to 600 AD — a period roughly contemporaneous with the Roman Empire in Europe.
Multiple green and blue jaggered lines with blocks of grey in between them.

From Kangaroo to K'gari, find out how eight amazing Australian islands were born

Australia is surrounded by stunning islands — you may even spend time on one this summer. Join us on a whistle-stop tour to explore how some of our most iconic isles rose from the sea.
A flat coral atoll at Cocos Keeling Islands

In 1872, houses shook and there was a 'deafening roar' as part of kunanyi/Mount Wellington slid away

The Glenorchy landslide of 1872 is still used to model future debris flow risks in parts of Tasmania with heavy rainfall deemed the biggest risk.
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A black and white mounted stenograph of water flowing through a gully, land has been washed away

Iceland's volcano eruption means some 'won't be home for Christmas'. Here's what we know

Scientists say the eruption was expected after thousands of small earthquakes, but it could continue for some time.
A close up of lava flying out of the mouth of an active volcano.

The largest asteroid crater ever found could be under a country town in southern NSW

Researchers say an asteroid impact crater up to 520 kilometres in diameter could lie under a the town of Deniliquin.
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A map of Australia with a red circle taking up much of western and southern NSW representing a possible asteroid impact crater.

It was formed 2.7 billion years ago and attracts visitors from across the globe but now Wave Rock is changing

Noongar man Michael Ward grew up in the area and says just as water helped form the rock, it's now contributing to its changing appearance.
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man with beard in front of giant rock wave

Could a new AI tool settle a debate over 3.5-billion-year-old rock from WA? It has potential

A new method that uses artificial intelligence could help identify ancient life on Earth, as well as help in the search for it on other planets, say researchers.
NASA's Perseverance rover appears on the surface of Mars. Tracks and sample tubes are visible in the soil.

WA's pink diamonds may be a symbol of love, but it took a violent split a billion years ago to bring them to light

The famous Argyle diamond deposit was created some 1.3 billion years ago, when a chunk of an ancient supercontinent started splitting apart, violently blasting hot rock carrying the precious stones to the surface, new research suggests.
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A heart-shaped pink diamond held by tweezers under a magnifying glass

Cave divers want to reopen a roadside site that's dangerous in more ways than one

A cave dive that is one of the most difficult to access in South Australia's south east has been closed for years but there are hopes that could change.
Two people wearing diving suits inside water inside a cave.