How Australia’s Twelve Apostles Were Carved by Time and Tectonics

University of Melbourne researchers show the Twelve Apostles formed when millions of years of tectonic uplift lifted limestone, followed by about 20,000 years of erosion; dating now places the rocks at 8.6–14 million years old, with tilted layers and fault lines revealing ancient earthquakes, and only seven stacks remaining after collapses in 2005 and 2009. The study uses photography, mapping, and microfossil analysis to trace 15 million years of Earth history and climate records.