Towering Domes in Australia's Outback Hide Early Life-Forms on Earth

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The Bungle Bungle range consists of striking sandstone pillars featuring prominent orange and dark-gray bands located in Western Australia. Even though indigenous communities had been living in this region for countless generations, these towering formations remained unknown to the broader global community until the 1980s. It was then that filmmakers captured images of them during the production of a documentary film.

The prominent attraction within Purnululu National Park is the Bungle Bungles, which covers an expanse of nearly 600,000 acres (240,000 hectares) in Australia’s Kimberley region. Recognized for having regions of “exceptional natural splendor” along with remarkable geologic significance, Purnululu National Park received UNESCO designation. UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003.

Related: The world's most extensive iron ore reserves developed more than one billion years ago during the break-up of a supercontinent.

The sandstone towers at Purnululu National Park (Purnululu means "sandstone" in the local Indigenous language) are a stunning example of cone karst — landscapes made up of beehive-shaped hills and rocky ground connected to form an area structured like an egg box.

Rising approximately 980 feet (300 meters) over the surrounding grasslands, these formations lie roughly 6 miles (10 kilometers) southwest of the Piccaninny crater—a meteorite impact site that was created fewer than 360 million years ago, as estimated. NASA's Earth Observatory .

The sandstone was laid down approximately 360 million years ago and has been shaped into the terrain we observe today over the last 20 million years due to the combined effects of wind and water erosion, as stated by Western Australia's authorities. Department of Biodiversity, Conservation, and Attractions (DBCA).

The orange and dark-gray bands serve as proof of the Bungle Bungles’ deep-rooted marine history, where every stripe represents an old sea bed deposit. These contrasting hues arise due to either moist layers containing fossilized remains of early microalgae (which appear gray), or dry strata rich in rust-colored iron minerals (appearing orange). According to information provided by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), within the orange sections, rapid drying prevented the growth of these ancient organisms—cyanobacteria, which are recognized as some of the first living entities on our planet.

The Bungle Bungle Range can be accessed by visitors, featuring multiple trails that wind through the gorges situated among the striking sandstone towers marked with stripes. This iconic site serves as a habitat for various species. 130 types of birds and countless other indigenous creatures , including nail-tailed wallabies ( Onychogalea and small-eared rock wallabies ( Petrogale brachyotis ).

Discover more incredible places , where we showcase the incredible history and scientific principles underlying some of Earth's most spectacular terrains.

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