For millennia, Australia's Nullarbor Plain has been barren of trees; in fact, that's what "Nullarbor" means. But recent research into the caves in this desert region reveal that the area was once home to a dense forest.
It's also known as the Nullarbor Desert, and very little vegetation thrives there. In a country already known for its arid climate, this region is among the driest landscapes.
"The Nullarbor region had a relatively dry climate until five million years ago, but then the vegetation suddenly changed," lead researcher and paleoclimate scientist Dr. Kale Sniderman said in a statement. "In just 100,000 years, it became a forest of gums and banksias, which suggests a rainfall of two or up to four times higher than today."
Right now, the 77,000-square-mile area receives less than 10 inches of rainfall each year. But the research shows that 3.5-5 million years ago, the area received almost 50 inches of annual precipitation.
According to the scientists, the change was due to a rise in ocean temperatures that altered the ecosystem. And as Earth's modern climate continues to warm to comparable temperatures to those 5 million years ago, the researchers anticipate that Australia's climate may become much wetter once again.
"The most important takeaway message here... is that we're actually beginning to get a glimpse of what we may be headed for now," Michael Archer, a professor at the University of New South Wales who wasn't involved in the study, told BBC. "Australia has profoundly changed, very rapidly in the past, and it's likely to do so again."
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