Mole Creek Karst

GEODIVERSITY Mole Creek Karst Mole Creek National Park Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania DEPARTMENT of TOURISM, PARKS HERITAGE and the ARTS Declared in December 1996, the Mole Creek Karst between the ground above and the below-ground National Park is the most recent addition to environments. This means that above-ground Tasmania’s outstanding network of reserves. The park activities such as vegetation clearing and the dumping provides protection for some of the finest and most of rubbish generally impact on the cave environment. visited cave systems in the State, including Where soil is eroded it may be washed underground, Marakoopa (from the Tasmanian Aboriginal word clogging cave systems and even altering drainage meaning “handsome”) and King Solomons Cave. from farmland paddocks. Both caves are open to the public, and provide the opportunity to take a deeper look into the fascinating How old are the caves? world of “karst” landscapes. The Mole Creek caves have a long and complex history. Along with mainland Australia, South Caves — taking a deeper look America, Antarctica, India and other southern Marakoopa and King Solomons Caves are but two landmasses, Tasmania was once part of the caves in an area that contains over 200 known caves supercontinent, Gondwana. The limestone in which and sinkholes. These features are characteristic of a the caves have developed began forming in the “karst” landscape. Ordovician Period (400-500 million years ago). At that time, Tasmania, as part of Gondwana, was closer “Karst” is a Slovene/German word which is used to to the equator and covered by a warm and mostly describe landscapes that are developed principally by shallow sea. Limestone was deposited in this marine chemical processes rather than physical processes. environment mainly as coral reefs, but also in a Such chemical processes consist of the erosion of deeper sea where it formed as the result of the limestone rock by acidic water. (Water can become accumulation of microscopic marine organisms after acidic as it moves through vegetation matter on the they died. Most of western Tasmania was covered by Earth’s surface). While caves and caverns are limestone during this time, but much of it was later characteristic features of karst areas, not all karst areas covered by younger rock formations. have caves. Today, the limestone does not generally occur on the The Mole Creek area is renowned for its caves. Other surface, although significant outcrops occur in typical karst features in this area include sinkholes, southern, western and northern Tasmania. gorges and large underground streams and springs. Another feature of karst areas is the close relationship Karst Landscapes: the above ground and below ground environments are interconnected The processes that give rise to caves and karst Our geoheritage features probably began relatively soon after the While many people have an appreciation of aspects of limestone was deposited. However, the caves we the natural environment such as plants and animals, enjoy today started forming in more recent geological our geological, pedological (soils) and times — after streams had cut down through the rocks geomorphological heritage is often taken for granted. overlying the limestone at the ground surface. Caves are but part of this heritage and provide places Evolution of the caves in the Mole where we can appreciate the splendours of earth Creek area has possibly been science and the links between the Earth’s structure influenced by the uplift of the Central and other facets of life on our planet. Plateau to the south. As Australia began to break away from Antarctica and a Further Information circum-polar current was established, glaciers developed in Antarctica and Mole Creek National Park the Tasmanian mountains. Glacial sediments were Phone 03 6363 5182 deposited in the Forth Valley around 30 million years This office is not always attended but if you leave a ago and, particularly in the last two million years, message the Parks & Wildlife staff will get back to there have been a succession of glaciations and you as soon as possible. intermittently episodes of less severe climate — such Prospect Offices 03 6336 5312 as that which we are now experiencing. Meltwaters (Monday - Friday 9am-4pm) from glaciers and snowfields probably actively formed some caves, but in other cases caves were blocked by the sediment swept into them. Remains of some of this sediment can be seen in the roof of Marakoopa Cave (above the Coral Gardens). Cave Terms Dolerite — a type of rock, crystallises from molten rock beneath The past and the future the Earth’s surface. In Tasmania, dolerite caps many mountains such as cradle Mountain and the Great Western Tiers. Changes occur slowly inside caves — decomposition rates are slow and the environment is sensitive to Dolines — a shallow depression in the ground (often saucer- change. Because of this, caves can give us an insight shaped) formed by the collapse of limestone beneath the ground into the history of the Earth and its people. This or by water percolating underground. includes priceless records about the evolution of the Geology — the scientific study of rocks and their history. Earth, the lifestyle of people during the last ice age and the development of human technologies such as Geomorphology — the scientific study of the characteristics, tools and art. Significant information gained from the origins and development of landforms. caves of Tasmania includes the extent of occupation Helicite — stalactites showing erratic growth such as growing of Aboriginal people prior to and during the last ice sideways or twisting. age and the life style of those people. Aboriginal people were living in caves in south-west Tasmania as Karst — the name that defines a type of landscape caused by the long as 40 000 years ago. erosion of limestone rock by chemical processes. Caves can assist in predicting future environmental Pedology — the science of soil and soil classification. conditions such as the greenhouse effect. Because of Speleology — the scientific study of caves. their relatively stable environment and the types of deposits which occur in caves, past trends in Speleologist — a scientist who studies caves. environmental conditions may be used to predict Speleothems — a collective term to describe formations in future changes. For example, charcoal fragments can limestone caves. Spelothems include stalactites, stalagmites, tell us of fire history, pollen deposits can reveal helicites, shawls and flowstones. vegetation change and bone deposits reveal changes in the fauna. Oxygen isotopes from stalagmites Stalactite — a formation, usually of calcite, that hangs from the sensitively record the temperature at the time various ceiling of a cave. parts of the stalagmites formed. Stalagmite — a formation, usually of calcite, that grows from the ground. FURTHER INFORMATION Head Office: 134 Macquarie Street Hobart TAS 7000 Internet: www.parks.tas.gov.au Phone: (03) 6233 5732 August 2003 © State of Tasmania.

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