Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
#volcanoes #volcano #australia
Around 90 million years ago, the ground beneath Victoria, Australia, began to tear open after more than 200 million years of complete geological silence. This documentary explores one of the least understood events in Australian geological history — the sudden onset of volcanic eruptions across southeastern Australia during the Late Cretaceous. Known as the Older Volcanics Province, these ancient lava fields and buried basalt flows mark the moment when a stable, quiet continent was shaken awake by forces deep within the Earth. In this video, we explore in depth why Victoria suddenly began to erupt, what triggered these unexpected volcanoes, and how this event connects to the breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana and the birth of the Tasman Sea.
For hundreds of millions of years, Victoria was part of the Tasman Orogenic Belt, a vast, stable region that saw no major volcanism between 300 and 100 million years ago. Then, around 95 to 90 million years ago, something extraordinary happened — molten magma began to rise, erupting in small but widespread basaltic flows across eastern and central Victoria. We dive into the evidence that shows how these eruptions were not random, but directly linked to the early rifting between Australia, Zealandia, and Antarctica. As the crust stretched and thinned, hot mantle rock rose toward the surface, melting and releasing the first magmas of the Older Volcanics Province.
Using research from geologists such as R.C. Price, I.A. Nicholls, and J.A. Day, this episode examines the scientific data behind Victoria’s volcanic awakening. We explore how geochemical analysis of ancient basalt samples reveals a complex story of mantle melting, lithospheric thinning, and edge-driven convection beneath the Australian plate. Viewers will learn why scientists no longer believe a traditional hotspot or mantle plume caused these eruptions, and how shallow mantle convection beneath a stretched continental margin can explain both the timing and longevity of volcanism across southeastern Australia.
From the buried volcanic layers beneath the Otway Basin to the scattered surface outcrops of eastern Victoria, we show where the evidence for this forgotten volcanic era is found and how it connects to the formation of the Gippsland Basin, the Southern Ocean, and the continent’s evolving landscape.
Study Used To Construct This Video:
Lithospheric influences on magma compositions of late Mesozoic and Cenozoic intraplate basalts (the Older Volcanics) of Victoria, south-eastern Australia:
sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0024493714002643
Thank you so much for watching!
If you are not in a position to donate, I totally understand! The biggest supporting factor that you engage in is to watch our videos all the way to the end (very important for helping us rank) and to share them around so please consider doing this so that Youtube recommends our channel more.
Check out the OzGeology website: ozgeology.com
If you are in a position to support our channel on Youtube Membership or by joining our Patreon, the link to all of this can be found below:
🎥 If you would like to support this channel, consider joining our Patreon:
patreon.com/OzGeology
👉 You can also click the "join" button to join our Youtube channel's membership. Every contribution helps to create more videos.
YouTube Membership:
youtube.com/channel/UCxLrvjGBzYmj8W1rJToPasg/join
🌋 Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: youtube.com/channel/UCxLrvjGBzYmj8W1rJToPasgsub_confirmation=1
💥Link To Our Facebook:
facebook.com/OzGeology
🌏 About OzGeology
The core mission of OzGeology is to make geology exciting, accessible, and inspiring for everyone. Instead of presenting rocks and earth science as dry or overly academic, OzGeology brings stories of the planet to life, revealing how every mountain, mineral, and landscape tells part of Earth’s grand adventure. The goal is to help people see the world differently, to understand the dynamic forces shaping Australia and beyond, and to spark curiosity in the next generation of geologists. Through engaging storytelling, field exploration, and clear explanations, OzGeology turns the study of our planet into a journey of discovery rather than a classroom lecture.
00:00-00:40 - The Older Volcanics Province of Victoria
00:41-01:19 - The Calm Before The Eruptions
01:20-02:04 - The Eruptions Begin
02:05-03:06 - Gondwana Breaks Apart
03:07-03:37 - The Lava Flows of The Older Volcanics
03:38-04:57 - Some Locations Where We Can Find The Older Volcanics
04:58-08:21 - Why Eruptions Started Here: Hotspots Vs. Edge Driven Convection
08:22-09:06 - The Newer Volcanics Province: The Eruptions Continue
09:07-10:49 - Conclusion & Patreon / YouTube Member Thank You!
#volcanoes #volcano #australia
Around 90 million years ago, the ground beneath Victoria, Australia, began to tear open after more than 200 million years of complete geological silence. This documentary explores one of the least understood events in Australian geological history — the sudden onset of volcanic eruptions across southeastern Australia during the Late Cretaceous. Known as the Older Volcanics Province, these ancient lava fields and buried basalt flows mark the moment when a stable, quiet continent was shaken awake by forces deep within the Earth. In this video, we explore in depth why Victoria suddenly began to erupt, what triggered these unexpected volcanoes, and how this event connects to the breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana and the birth of the Tasman Sea.
For hundreds of millions of years, Victoria was part of the Tasman Orogenic Belt, a vast, stable region that saw no major volcanism between 300 and 100 million years ago. Then, around 95 to 90 million years ago, something extraordinary happened — molten magma began to rise, erupting in small but widespread basaltic flows across eastern and central Victoria. We dive into the evidence that shows how these eruptions were not random, but directly linked to the early rifting between Australia, Zealandia, and Antarctica. As the crust stretched and thinned, hot mantle rock rose toward the surface, melting and releasing the first magmas of the Older Volcanics Province.
Using research from geologists such as R.C. Price, I.A. Nicholls, and J.A. Day, this episode examines the scientific data behind Victoria’s volcanic awakening. We explore how geochemical analysis of ancient basalt samples reveals a complex story of mantle melting, lithospheric thinning, and edge-driven convection beneath the Australian plate. Viewers will learn why scientists no longer believe a traditional hotspot or mantle plume caused these eruptions, and how shallow mantle convection beneath a stretched continental margin can explain both the timing and longevity of volcanism across southeastern Australia.
From the buried volcanic layers beneath the Otway Basin to the scattered surface outcrops of eastern Victoria, we show where the evidence for this forgotten volcanic era is found and how it connects to the formation of the Gippsland Basin, the Southern Ocean, and the continent’s evolving landscape.
Study Used To Construct This Video:
Lithospheric influences on magma compositions of late Mesozoic and Cenozoic intraplate basalts (the Older Volcanics) of Victoria, south-eastern Australia:
sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0024493714002643
Thank you so much for watching!
If you are not in a position to donate, I totally understand! The biggest supporting factor that you engage in is to watch our videos all the way to the end (very important for helping us rank) and to share them around so please consider doing this so that Youtube recommends our channel more.
Check out the OzGeology website: ozgeology.com
If you are in a position to support our channel on Youtube Membership or by joining our Patreon, the link to all of this can be found below:
🎥 If you would like to support this channel, consider joining our Patreon:
patreon.com/OzGeology
👉 You can also click the "join" button to join our Youtube channel's membership. Every contribution helps to create more videos.
YouTube Membership:
youtube.com/channel/UCxLrvjGBzYmj8W1rJToPasg/join
🌋 Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: youtube.com/channel/UCxLrvjGBzYmj8W1rJToPasgsub_confirmation=1
💥Link To Our Facebook:
facebook.com/OzGeology
🌏 About OzGeology
The core mission of OzGeology is to make geology exciting, accessible, and inspiring for everyone. Instead of presenting rocks and earth science as dry or overly academic, OzGeology brings stories of the planet to life, revealing how every mountain, mineral, and landscape tells part of Earth’s grand adventure. The goal is to help people see the world differently, to understand the dynamic forces shaping Australia and beyond, and to spark curiosity in the next generation of geologists. Through engaging storytelling, field exploration, and clear explanations, OzGeology turns the study of our planet into a journey of discovery rather than a classroom lecture.
00:00-00:40 - The Older Volcanics Province of Victoria
00:41-01:19 - The Calm Before The Eruptions
01:20-02:04 - The Eruptions Begin
02:05-03:06 - Gondwana Breaks Apart
03:07-03:37 - The Lava Flows of The Older Volcanics
03:38-04:57 - Some Locations Where We Can Find The Older Volcanics
04:58-08:21 - Why Eruptions Started Here: Hotspots Vs. Edge Driven Convection
08:22-09:06 - The Newer Volcanics Province: The Eruptions Continue
09:07-10:49 - Conclusion & Patreon / YouTube Member Thank You!
