Undara-Volcanic-Nationalpark

The Undara Volcanic National Park is a national park in Queensland (Australia) in the McBride Volcanic Province with an area of 658 square kilometers, about 300 kilometers south-west of Cairns. The name comes from the Undara Aboriginal word meaning " long way ". This park is located next to the longest lava tube of 100 kilometers, the longest lava flow with 160 kilometers in length. Approximately in the center is the town of Mount Surprise. The National Park was founded in 1990 on the former base of the cattle breeders Collins family that is there since 1862 established and today the Undara Experience Lodge operates.

Lava tubes

In this park is next to a lava tube of about 100 kilometers in length, which is partly caved in, a pronounced Lavaröhrensystem that was created during an eruption of the volcano of the main McBride Province around 190,000 years ago. The Undara volcano erupted 23 cubic kilometers of lava, covering 1550 square kilometers. His lava flowed in all directions. The bulk of the longest lava flow of the earth flowed in North West direction along the Cassidy Creek (Bach) and Einasleigh River (river) with 160 kilometers. Another lava flow, which is 90 km long, reached the Lynd River. Particularly noteworthy is the large diameter of lava tubes in the National Park of partially just over 20 meters and a maximum height of 13.5 meters. Many tubes have collapsed, a surge point is 900 meters long. The ceiling of the Undararöhren is about 5 to 10 meters thick. In part, individual lava flows are clearly visible on the tube walls height marks. The lava flow reached an average thickness of 5 to 20 meters and on Wall section the highest value at 40 meters. In Undara National Park a total of 69 lava tubes are walkable, eight of tourism in the context of measures in guides ( 2008) are committed and about 300 have collapsed. The longest walk- tube is about one kilometer long. Numerous bats and other rare animals use the tubes as a habitat.

Formation of lava tubes of Undara

The Undaravulkan is one of the youngest volcanoes in the region. The tubes were discovered about 100 years ago and the tube system was recognized by J. C. Best and D. A. White early 1960. The upper Undarakraterrand has a diameter of 340 meters and is located about 20 meters above ground level. The crater is 48 meters deep and has an interior angle of 40 °. The outer slope is 30 ° and 5 ° in the southwest to the northwest. The crater is the highest point of the McBride province with 1020 meters above sea level.

This trained lava tubes, several conditions are essential: a relatively low inclination of the crater rim ( shield volcano ) and the subsequent terrain, and large amounts of lava, also a high temperature 1175-1220 ° C, which reached the lava in Undara, a viscosity of 10 to 30 Pa · s, and a chemical composition of the lava. Characteristic of the Undaralava a proportion of SiO2 by about 50 %, also the proportions of Al2O3 content of about 9%, 8% MgO, FeO and Na2O of around 8% to 3%; all other chemical shares are below 3%. The lava of Undara is chemically similar in the lava on the island of Hawaii, it also gives a series of lava tubes. The lava solidifies on cooling to rock to a basalt. The basalt in this region contains pyroxene, hematite, olivine, magnetite, plagioclase, pyroxene and forsterite.

Undararegion

In the Undararegion 164 extinct volcano were counted and below the basalt cover is dyed reddish granite that as soon as he comes to the surface, strong weathering phenomena shows. The Undara - Lavaröhrensystem is divided into four sections:

• Crater - section with a ground slope of 1.0 degrees.
• Northern section with a ground slope of 0.5 degrees and an extension of 28 km from the crater.
• Yaramulla section with a ground slope of 0.7 degrees and a stretch of 35 kilometers from the crater
• Wall section with a ground slope of 0.7 degrees and a stretch of 35 kilometers from the crater. This section is located west of Mount Surprise and the thickness of the basalt is there 40 meters.

The Undarakrater and Yaramulla section have tubes, some of which have collapsed. In the wall section no tubes have been discovered so far and in the northern section, there are some break- points, which indicate the presence of tubes.

The park is a shield volcano that Kalkanikrater showing a nearly uniformly round and uniform terrain profile is located.

Below the basalt cover is dyed reddish granite (probably 300 million years old) who when he comes to the surface, strong weathering phenomena shows. There are the following rivers and streams in this area, the one Leigh River Lynd River, Cassidy Creek, Junction Creek and the Elizabeth Creek, also a highway, which passes near the Undarakrater.

Undara Experience Lodge

In the National Park there is the Undara Experience Lodge. Here you can stay in restored railroad cars of the late 19th century or camp on the grounds of the middle of the Australian outback. There is a restaurant and at certain times even singing and opera performances. There are numerous guided tours and free walking with signs offered, which also include the local flora, fauna and history. Furthermore, a gas station located on the grounds of the lodge.