It is on the western fringe of the Simpson Desert within a 240 hectare reserve and is open to the public. Erosion by wind and rain has left an isolated pillar of rock, rising more than 50 metres above the surrounding plain.
Access is by 4WD only.
At sunrise and sunset the Pillar glows like a burning ember as the sun strikes the many coloured layers of its walls. The viewing platform at the base of the Pillar is to protect the fragile sandstone from further erosion.
There are picnic tables and seats provided as well as compost toilets. NO bins are provided so please take your rubbish with you to maintain this pristine area. No pets or generators are allowed in the reserve. There is a lovely little hut with informative signs and it is a short walk from the carpark to several viewing areas. Overnight camping is allowed for a small fee.
Please remember to sign the Visitor Comments book.
Remember to take only photos and leave no trace of your visit. We hope you enjoy your visit to this majestic Australian geological formation.
The sand in the Simpson Desert.
The sand has been swept into long, parallel ridges running from the southeast to the northwest. They were formed under the influence of strong prevailing southeast winds with weaker south-westerlies. They are generally 500 metres apart and up to 15 metres high. Their parallel pattern has been disturbed here as the wind swirled around the many rocky outcrops. The tough drought-resistant Spinifex grass holds the sand in place.
Claypans form at low points where fine particles of mud are washed by heavy rain.The swales between the dunes have more clay than the sand ridges and hold more moisture after rain. The area’s largest flora, the Desert Oaks, grow mainly in the swales where their deep roots can find more water.
How was Chambers Pillar formed?
Step 1: The Pillar’s hard red cap developed during a period of deep weathering between 80 and 20 million years ago. Most of Central Australia was a vast flat plain at the time but the hard surface was higher than it is today. The climate was also different with pronounced wet and dry seasons.
Step 2: Heavy rains saturated the ground for part of each year dissolving the iron in the rocks below. When the groundwater was drawn back up to the surface in the dry season this iron was pulled up with it. It was redeposited near the surface as the water evaporated. Eventually all the iron in the bottom layers was removed leaving them white and soft.
Step 3: Most of the iron-rich layer that once covered this entire area has been eroded over the last 20 million years. Chambers Pillar is one of the last remnants of a flat-topped hill and the old land surface. Its hard red cap protects the pale rock beneath it. Once the cap is removed the softer material underneath will wear away fairly quickly.
Geomorphology is the branch of geology concerned with the structure, origin and development of the topographical features of the earth's surface. Geomorphological observations here recognise this as a unique desert area with towering rock pillars which can only be appreciated by spending a little time here.
You may log this Earthcache straight away but then please email your answers to the questions to the CO. We will contact you ONLY if your answers need extra work. Logs with no answers sent will be deleted. The answers can be found by observing the landscape and reading the information boards. Please do not post your answers in your log.
Q1. Why are the grains of sand here coloured red?
Q2. What are the three types of deposits that Chambers Pillar is composed of?
Q3. How long ago were the sand ridges formed?
Q4. Chambers Pillar was formed on the edge of an inland sea. How long ago did this occur?
Q5. What kind of rock is the Pillar made of?
Q6. Please email the coordinates of your position at the viewing seat near the carpark. You can also post a photo of you with Chambers Pillar in the background if you wish.
Congratulations to griffs90 on FTF on 11/8/2013.