Secrets of Earth’s geological past lie within a chain of ancient volcanoes called the Cosgrove hotspot track that stretches from Cape Hillsborough in Queensland south to the Victorian coast.
Eight people have been confirmed dead, dozens remain in hospital with injuries and nine are still missing after sudden volcanic eruptions on Whakaari/White Island off the east coast of New Zealand.
The newly discovered volcanoes date back 180 and 160 million years, making them older than those discovered along the Cosgrove hotspot track in 2015.
Here, the experts weigh in on whether it’s likely that the volcanoes in Victoria could ever erupt like those in Hawaii did last month.
There are hundreds of dormant volcanoes and other geological features smattered across Victoria’s Western District, through to the border of South Australia. Read the full story by Jeremy Bourke HERE.
If one of the volcanoes were to erupt west Antarctica’s ice sheets would be further destabilised while the increase in melted ice would cause sea-levels to rise, scientists say.
There are hundreds of dormant volcanoes and other geological features smattered across Victoria’s Western District.
Overlooking the western Victorian countryside from the top of Mt Porndon, a 278m-high volcano located 13km southeast of Camperdown. South-western Victoria is home to the third-largest volcanic plains in the world. (Related: Exploring volcanic Victoria)
South-western Victoria is home to the third-largest volcanic plains in the world, with over 400 dormant volcanoes.
Volcanic eruptions make up a fifth of all natural disasters. Here are 10 of the most devastating eruptions in recent human history.