This is a list of rock formations in New Zealand based on their aesthetic and cultural importance. New Zealand's
geomorphology
Geomorphology (from Ancient Greek: , ', "earth"; , ', "form"; and , ', "study") is the scientific study of the origin and evolution of topographic and bathymetric features created by physical, chemical or biological processes operating at or n ...
is formed through an interaction between uplift, erosion and the underlying
rock type
In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks form the Earth's ...
. Most of the notable examples listed here are formed by selective
erosion
Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is distin ...
, for example waves and rivers can more easily erode sandstone than basalt and can also exploit
joints or
faults in the rock-mass.
Some rocks like limestone (
Waitomo Caves
Waitomo is a rural community in the King Country region of New Zealand's North Island. There are several solutional cave systems in the area around the village, which are popular tourist attractions. Restaurants and accommodation are centred in ...
) and marble (
Takaka Hill) can also be dissolved in water which forms a distinctive
karst
Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...
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
This is a list of the units into which the rock succession of New Zealand is formally divided. As new geological relationships have been discovered new names have been proposed and others are made obsolete. Not all these changes have been unive ...
*
Geomorphology
Geomorphology (from Ancient Greek: , ', "earth"; , ', "form"; and , ', "study") is the scientific study of the origin and evolution of topographic and bathymetric features created by physical, chemical or biological processes operating at or n ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rock Formations In New Zealand
New Zealand geology-related lists
Lists of landforms of New Zealand