Man makes incredible discovery on Google Earth in middle of Australian Outback

A man using Google Earth made an incredible discovery in the remote Australian Outback, uncovering the path of a powerful tornado etched into the landscape.

The “scar” was found on the Nullarbor Plain in southern Australia and is a staggering seven miles long and up to 273 yards wide. 

Scientists, including Matej Lipar, an Adjunct Research Fellow at the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Curtin University, investigated the find and confirmed it was created by a tornado with winds exceeding 124mph, likely in the F2 or F3 category. 

Writing for The Daily Mail, Lipar described the tornado as “a remarkable example of nature’s ferocity.”

Lipar also explained the discovery was made after a caver spotted the scar using Google Earth while searching for caves on the Nullarbor Plain. 

He and his colleagues then analysed satellite images of the site and found blue circular patterns near the scar, suggesting heavy rain from the storm. 

“Without the power of technology, this remarkable example of nature’s ferocity would have gone unnoticed,” Lipar said.

The scar lies in a remote area 12 miles north of the Trans-Australian Railway and about 56 miles east of Forrest, a former railway settlement. 

When scientists visited the site in May 2023, they found patterns called “cycloidal marks,” left by tornado suction vortexes. 

These patterns revealed the tornado’s clockwise rotation and immense power. Lipar said: “Features of the scar suggest the tornado moved from west to east, consistent with the direction of a strong cold front in the region at the time.”

While the tornado did not damage homes or infrastructure because of its remote location, it left a lasting mark on the landscape, eroding soil and vegetation. 

Remarkably, the scar remains visible 18 months later, as the arid environment of the Nullarbor Plain slows vegetation regrowth.

This discovery adds to the limited records of tornadoes on the Nullarbor Plain with only three tornadoes having been documented in the region, all occurring in November. 

Lipar said this is likely due to the area’s isolation and the lack of eyewitnesses. “Extreme weather can strike anywhere, anytime,” he wrote.