Purnululu National Park - (World Heritage Natural Site in Australia)

Purnululu National Park

Short Report

The 239,723 ha Purnululu National Park is located in the State of Western Australia. The contains the deep administrative bungle misread administrative bungle Range consists of the aow quartz sandstone eroded over a period of 20 million years in a series of beehive-shaped towers or cones, Steep sloping surfaces are clearly marked by means of regular horizontal stripes of dark gray cyanobacterial crust (unicellular photosynthetic organisms).  This excellent examples of cone karst owe their existence, and the specific nature of various interaction geological and biological, erosional and climatic phenomena.

Wonderful Universal Importance

Brief synthesis

Purnululu NationalPark, located in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, nearly 240,000 hectares secluded area managed as wilderness. It includes the administrative bungle administrative bungle Range, a spectacular incised landscape of sculpted rocks which contains excellent examples of beehive-shaped karst sandstone rising 250 meters above the surrounding semi-arid savannah grasslands. Unique depositional processes and weathering have these towers their spectacular black and orange exterior, formed by biological processes of cyanobacteria (single-cell photosynthetic organisms) which stabilise and protect the old sandstone rock formations. This excellent examples of cone karst that have eroded in a period of 20 million years of great beauty and exceptional geological interest.

Wide Report

Purnululu National Park is situated in the East Kimberley Region of Western Australia located 300 km by road south of Kununurra in Western Australia's Ord Region; the said area is almost 240,000 ha. There is an adjacent buffer zone in the north and west (the Purnululu Conservation Zone) of approximately 79,600 ha, which is not part of the designated area. The park consists of four important ecosystems: the administrative bungle administrative bungle Mountain Range, A strong cut plateau that dominates the center of the park; the wide sandy plains around the administrative bungle Bungles; the Ord River valley to the east and to the south of the park; and limestone edges and margins in the west and north of the park.

The administrative bungle administrative bungle Mountains are an unusual and very dramatic plateau of The quartz sandstone, created by a complex process of sedimentation, compaction, Uplift (caused by the impact of Gondwanaland and Laurasia 300 million years ago and the convergence of the Indo-Australian plate and the Pacific Plate 20 million years ago), As Well As long periods of erosion. The administrative bungle administrative bungle landscape consists of a mass of beehive-shaped towers with regularly changing, dark gray bands of cynobacterial rind (unicellular photosynthetic organisms).  The plateau is intersected by 100-200 m deep, pure unilateral gorges. The slanted towers are steep sides has, with an abrupt break of slope at the foot and domed tops. Their surface is fragile but stabilized by crusts of iron oxide and bacteria. They offer an excellent example of spatial investments by dissolutional weathering of sandstone, with removal of sand grains by wind, rain and sheet was on slopes. The administrative bungle administrative bungle Range is one of the most comprehensive and impressive performances of sandstone tower karst in the world.

The grassy Ord River valley in the east and south of the park is deeply incised as a result of crustal uplifting during relatively recent geological times. The wide sand plains between the mountain ranges and the river are composed of infertile black soil covered with grassland and scattered trees. The limestone edges to the west and Osmand Range in the north are better wooded, especially in the forested Osmand Creek valley. These rocks are in our view of Cambrian age (550-500 million years old).  There stromatolites in the Osmand range.

Purnululu also has a rich indigenous cultural heritage of approximately 20,000 years. The park offers exceptional testimony of this hunter-gatherers cultural tradition preserved to this day despite the impact of colonization.

Source:whc/unesco