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Geology Of The Tasman District
The Tasman Region, and the small adjoining Nelson Region, form one of the more geologically interesting regions of New Zealand. It contains the oldest rocks of anywhere on New Zealand's main islands. It contains all the main terranes that make up New Zealand's basement. These basement rocks include Ultramafic rocks, such as Serpentine and Dunite, and valuable minerals, such as Gold. The Nelson Region is bordered to the south by the Alpine Fault (usually named the Wairau Fault in the Wairau Valley), the main fault forming the boundary between the Pacific Plate and the Indo-Australian Plate, that generated the Southern Alps. Basement rocks The terranes that make up New Zealand's basement are divided up into a Western Province, composed of the Buller and Takaka terranes, and an Eastern Province, composed of the Brook Street, Murihiku, Dun Mountain-Maitai, Caples, Torlesse Composite (Rakaia and Pahau), and Waipapa Composite Terranes. The Median Batholith forms the boundary bet ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mount Arthur (New Zealand)
Mount Arthur (''Tuao Wharepapa'' in Māori) is in the Wharepapa / Arthur Range in the north western area of the South Island of New Zealand. Mount Arthur, named after Captain Arthur Wakefield, lies within Kahurangi National Park and has a peak elevation of . Geology Mt Arthur is made of hard, crystalline marble, transformed (hardened) from limestone, originally laid down under the sea some 450 million years ago in the Ordovician. The "Arthur Marble" is part of the Takaka Terrane which was part of Gondwana and is similar to rocks in modern-day south-east Australia. Below ground are some of the deepest shafts and most intricate cave systems in the country, and exploration of these is far from finished."Cobb Valley, Mt Arthur, Tableland" ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marlborough Fault System
The Marlborough Fault System is a set of four large dextral strike-slip faults and other related structures in the northern part of South Island, New Zealand, which transfer displacement between the mainly transform plate boundary of the Alpine fault and the mainly destructive boundary of the Kermadec Trench, and together form the boundary between the Australian and Pacific Plates. Geometry The Marlborough Fault System consists of four main dominantly strike-slip fault strands, which together carry almost all of the displacement associated with the plate boundary. Other smaller faults form as splays of these main faults or accommodate deformation of the crust between them, such as the Newton and Hura Faults at the western end of the Hope Fault and the Jordan Thrust that formed the Seaward Kaikoura Range. The dextral strike-slip across this zone has also involved clockwise rotation of the intervening fault blocks of about 20° since the early Pliocene. Development The Marlbor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Rock Formations Of New Zealand
This is a list of rock formations in New Zealand based on their aesthetic and cultural importance. New Zealand's geomorphology is formed through an interaction between uplift, erosion and the underlying Geology of New Zealand, rock type. Most of the notable examples listed here are formed by selective erosion, for example waves and rivers can more easily erode sandstone than basalt and can also exploit Joint (geology), joints or Fault (geology), faults in the rock-mass. Some rocks like limestone (Waitomo Caves) and marble (Takaka Hill) can also be dissolved in water which forms a distinctive karst geomorphology. Notable rock formations are also formed through constructive processes such as geothermal and volcanic deposits, and sedimentary deposition. North Island formations South Island formations Formations elsewhere Maps See also * List of caves of New Zealand * List of rock formations * Stratigraphy of New Zealand * Geomorphology References {{DEFAULTSOR ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geology Of New Zealand
The geology of New Zealand is noted for its volcanic activity, earthquakes and geothermal areas because of its position on the boundary of the Australian Plate and Pacific Plates. New Zealand is part of Zealandia, a microcontinent nearly half the size of Australia that broke away from the Gondwanan supercontinent about 83 million years ago. New Zealand's early separation from other landmasses and subsequent evolution have created a unique fossil record and modern ecology. New Zealand's geology can be simplified into three phases. First the basement rocks of New Zealand formed. These rocks were once part of the super-continent of Gondwana, along with South America, Africa, Madagascar, India, Antarctica and Australia. The rocks that now form the, mostly submerged, continent of Zealandia were then nestled between Eastern Australia and Western Antarctica. Secondly New Zealand drifted away from Gondwana and many sedimentary basins formed, which later became the sedimentary rocks cove ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crown Research Institute
In New Zealand, Crown Research Institutes (CRIs) are corporatised Crown entities charged with conducting scientific research. Crown Research Institutes date from 1992, with most formed out of parts of the former Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) and of elements of various government departments. The dissolution of the DSIR, along with the government-imposed requirement that the CRIs become "financially viable" and operate on commercial lines, created a certain amount of resentment among some scientists. The Crown Research Institutes Act 1992 states the purpose of a CRI as carrying out research, and that each CRI must do this for the benefit of New Zealand, pursuing excellence in all that it does, abiding by ethical standards and recognising social responsibility; and operating as a good employer. A CRI must do these things whilst remaining financially viable. The technical definition of financial viability changes from time to time, but focused on return on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
GNS Science
GNS Science ( mi, Te Pū Ao), officially registered as the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited, is a New Zealand Crown Research Institute. It focuses on geology, geophysics (including seismology and volcanology), and nuclear science (particularly ion-beam technologies, isotope science and carbon dating). GNS Science was known as the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences (IGNS) from 1992 to 2005. Originally part of the New Zealand Government's Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), it was established as an independent organisation when the Crown Research Institutes were set up in 1992. Crown Research Institutes Act 1992. As well as undertaking basic research, and operating the national geological hazards monitoring network (GeoNet) [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harwoods Hole
Harwoods Hole is a cave system located in the northwest of the South Island of New Zealand, in the Abel Tasman National Park. At , it is New Zealand's deepest vertical shaft. It was first explored in 1958, long after it was discovered. Formation Evidence suggests that run-off from an area of approximately 20 square km converged into a stream that then flowed down a dry valley to create what is now Harwoods Hole. Since then the river appears to have changed course. Subsequently, Harwoods Hole receives water through sinkholes and surrounding dry valleys; this water then percolates through surrounding rock ensuring it becomes saturated with calcite, before entering the cave where the calcite is deposited. This second phase means that rather than expanding, Harwoods Hole is being filled in. History It is one of several important cave systems in Tākaka Hill, between Golden Bay and Tasman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aorere. Starting at the surface as a diameter entrance and descending , Har ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Karamea
Karamea is a town on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the northernmost settlement of any real size on the West Coast, and is located northeast by road from Westport. Apart from a narrow coastal strip, the town of Karamea and its local area are completely surrounded to the south, east and north by Kahurangi National Park. The town is located on the coastal plain adjacent to the Karamea River and the Ōtūmahana Estuary. There are two small settlements, Market Cross and Karamea, located about apart. Karamea is a gateway to the Kahurangi National Park, and a base for visitors coming to see popular local attractions such as the Ōpārara Basin, Ōpārara Arches, the Fenian Track and caves, the Big Rimu Walk and the coastal scenery north of Kōhaihai on the Heaphy Track. Toponymy The name ''Karamea'' is Māori – despite local jokes suggesting it was named by an Italian for his love – and is thought to either mean "red ochre" or be a corruption ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Awatere Fault
The Awatere Fault is an active dextral (right lateral) strike-slip fault in the northeastern part of South Island, New Zealand. It forms part of the Marlborough Fault System, which accommodates the transfer of displacement along the oblique convergent boundary between the Indo-Australian Plate and Pacific Plate, from the transform Alpine Fault to the Hikurangi Trench subduction zone. The 1848 Marlborough earthquake was caused by rupture of the whole of the eastern section of the Awatere Fault. Extent The 175 km long Awatere Fault is formed of two main segments; the Molesworth section to the southwest and the Eastern section to the northeast. A further strand links the southwestern end of the Eastern section to the Clarence Fault, passing through Barefell Pass. Molesworth section The Molesworth segment of the Awatere Fault runs from close to the junction between the Alpine and Wairau Faults near Lake Tennyson, to near Molesworth Station in the northeast. It is about 55&n ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms when these minerals precipitate out of water containing dissolved calcium. This can take place through both biological and nonbiological processes, though biological processes, such as the accumulation of corals and shells in the sea, have likely been more important for the last 540 million years. Limestone often contains fossils which provide scientists with information on ancient environments and on the evolution of life. About 20% to 25% of sedimentary rock is carbonate rock, and most of this is limestone. The remaining carbonate rock is mostly dolomite, a closely related rock, which contains a high percentage of the mineral dolomite, . ''Magnesian limestone'' is an obsolete and poorly-defined term used variously for dolomite, for limes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
