The Grampians Ranges

摘要

The Grampians Ranges had their beginning as a large inland sea around 400 million years ago. This was then uplifted and often wildly tilted along a series of north-south fault lines to create a number of roughly parallel ranges with steep cliff faceson the east, gently sloping down to the west. This geological formation is known as a Scarp Cuesta. Originally the ranges were over a thousand metres high, but ageing, weathering and erosion have worn this once vast series of mountains down to mere skeletons of their former glory, with Mt William the highest peak now just over 1000 metres high. However, many of the subalpine and montane species have survived on the mountain tops, while the deep valleys and vast outwash sand deposits have created ideal conditions for the proliferation of our native plants and animals.