Moreton Island Geology

The geology of Moreton Island is a phenomena. The sand island’s geological, biological, and geomorphic processes continue to morph. The sand mass of the island is said to have been derived from Pleistocene and Holocene dune formation. The entire land area is made out of sand save for a rocky headland at its northeastern tip.

The waters bordering Queensland, Australia are the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean. Its coastline stretches as far as 6973 kilometers. Just off the south eastern coast is an island known for its beaches. Moreton Island beaches have steep dunes all over them. Coral and tropical fish can be found on its west coast.

Moreton Island’s wedge-shape sand island is approximately 37 kilometers long and 10 kilometers wide. It has a total land area of 19,000 hectares. The island is 40 kilometers far from Brisbane.

Its waters are large and shallow which provides biological diversity to its marine life.

Brisbane residents think about Moreton island often as most of its visitors come from the capital. The island receives around 170,000 visitors per year.

An interesting fact about Moreton Island is that its shape changes in response to ocean currents and winds. Another thing that might seem interesting about Moreton Island is that national parks and recreation areas can be found on every corner.

Due to the entire Moreton Island being made mostly of sand, ecology is complex and fragile. Soils aren’t as fertile while waters are acidic. Plants and animals learned to adapt to the island’s conditions.

Sand environments change. The development of Mirapool shows just how quick a series of islands can form a large lagoon.

The entire South East Queensland, Morton Island included, support distinct vegetation types of vegetation.

The beauty about Moreton Island is its seemingly untouched nature. It is the least disturbed among coastal islands along Queensland. Preservation of the island is a top priority.

With that said, plants and trees grow fine despite the island’s sandy conditions. Mangroves, melaleuca swamps, sedge lands, heath and eucalypt woodlands and open forests all grow normally.

Animal life flourishes in Moreton Island as it is the least polluted and least disturbed places in Queensland. The Moreton bay and the Mirapool Lagoon serve as a healthy pit stop for over 50,000 migratory waders coming from the Arctic region.

There are over 180 species of birds, 40 species of reptiles, 11 native terrestrial mammals and 11 species of amphibians scattered around the island.

Moreton Island geology is a phenomena. The sand island’s geological, biological, and geomorphic processes continue to morph.
The sand mass of the island is said to have been derived from Pleistocene and Holocene dune formation. The entire land area is made out of sand save for a rocky headland at its northeastern tip.

An interesting fact about Moreton Island geology is that vegetation and bodies of water develop naturally without human activity necessary.

These developments are made possible as natural dune processes of erosion, accretion and stabilization take place.

The island has what is possibly the highest sand dune in the world. Mount Tempest reaches 285m in height and is stabilized.

Pleistocene dunes are being reworked however since they naturally destabilize. Only Morton Island geology has that in the entire region. The Desert south of Tangalooma and the Big and Little Sandhills are some examples of these Pleistocene dunes.

The rocky headlands of Cape Moreton–North Point is the only rock on the entire island. It’s mostly composed of siliceous sandstone, conglomerate, minor siltstone and shalem which make the Bundamba group. Undifferentiated Volcanics such as rhyolite are also present.