What is natural erosion?

There are many natural wonders in Australia that are wondrous and unique to the world.

Large rock formations that have large jagged edges, or huge cave entrances. And despite the scenery and material of these grand landmarks, they all have one thing in common: their creation by erosion. But what actually is erosion?

Erosion

Erosion is essentially the wearing a way of material by natural forces. These materials can include large rocks, clifftops, or even island edges. Forces include water, wind, and ice; with continuous rain, storms, and floods affecting it even more. The power of wind, rain, or seawater thrash against the material for hundreds of centuries, slowly wearing down an edge under it eventually collapses and falls away. Erosion is the reason for many interesting features of our world, including caves, mountain peaks, valleys, and coastlines.
Kangaroo Island’s Erosion

Remarkable Rocks

Kangaroo Island’s horizon is a unique site, mainly due to the series of large boulders which sit alone its coastline. Sitting just 200 feet above the sea, the boulders receive plenty of harsh wind and sea spray. They are enormous formations, looming above us in unusual smooth bends and sharp shapes. There is even some rock you can even step into much like a cave. These boulder formations began over 500 million years ago, long before humans wander the earth. During this time, the island was a part of the massive island Gondwanaland supercontinent, containing Australia, South American, Africa, and Antarctica all at once. Once the continents began to be spilt, the spheroidal weathering began, starting the millions of years of erosion to transform these rocks.

Admirals Arch

Another natural phenomenon on Kangaroo Island is the Admirals Arch. A natural arch is found on the south-west tip of Flinders Chase National Park. It was created by the millions of years of erosion, with the focus of waves washing upon the coastal rocks to slowly cut the material away. A bonus of this incredible site is that is it the home to the local seals, with heard of them frolicking or snoozing right underneath the arch.

Related article: What can you find in Flinders Chase National Park?

Cameron Ward

Managing Director at Sightseeing Tours Australia

Cameron Ward turned his travel passion into a thriving Australian tourism business. Before he co-founded his own business, Sightseeing Tours Australia, he was enjoying being a Melbourne tour guide. Even now, Cameron delights in helping visitors from all around the world get the most out of their incredible Australian trip. You’ll see Cameron leading tours or writing about his favourite Australian places where he shares his local insights.