Researchers discovered caves beneath a sinkhole that explain the formation of trenches on Australia's Nullarbor Plain.

"Caves beneath sinkhole explain origin of Nullarbor Plain trenches" — Live Science · Science & Medicine

23 Sept 2026

What it means

This is about the origin of mysterious, parallel trenches that score Australia's . Researchers have discovered that these are not ancient water channels as once thought, but the surface expression of a vast network of caves and collapsed cave systems up to 150 meters deep, found by mapping caves beneath a . The work explains how the trenches formed as the ceilings of these subterranean voids collapsed over time, revealing a complex landscape hidden below the arid plain.

Accuracy & sourcesGrounded

The claim is based on new research reported by Live Science, a secondary source that does not cite a primary paper or dataset. The story aligns with recent coverage from ScienceAlert and social media posts, suggesting a coordinated press release or study announcement, but no peer-reviewed paper or institutional press release is directly linked. The claim's solidity is moderate—it likely reflects genuine fieldwork, but the lack of a primary citation means the specifics of methods and data cannot be independently confirmed from this report.

Researchers discovered caves beneath a sinkhole that explain the formation of trenches on Australia's Nullarbor Plain.

What it means

Accuracy & sourcesGrounded

How new

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