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Geology of theKaikoura Area
M. S. RattenburyD. B. TownsendM. R. Johnston(Compilers)
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270.6
Geology of the
Kaikoura Area
Scale 1:250 000
Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences 1:250 000 Geological Map 13
GNS ScienceLower Hutt, New Zealand
2006
M. S. RD. B. TM. R. J
ATTENBURY
OWNSEND
OHNSTON(COMPILERS)
ii
BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCERattenbury, M.S., Townsend, D.B., Johnston, M.R. (compilers) 2006: Geology of the Kaikoura area. Institute ofGeological & Nuclear Sciences 1:250 000 geological map 13. 1 sheet + 70p. Lower Hutt, New Zealand. GNSScience.
© Copyright Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited 2006
Edited, designed and prepared for publication by P.J. Forsyth, P.L. Murray, P.A. Carthew and D.W.Heron.
Printed by Graphic Press & Packaging Ltd, Levin
ISBN 0-478-09925-8
FRONT COVERThe Kaikoura Peninsula or Te Taumanu o Te Waka a Maui has an extensive shore platform cut into gently folded LateCretaceous to Oligocene sedimentary rocks. The coastal cliffs are capped by beach deposits on raised marineterraces resulting from Late Quaternary uplift. In the background the Seaward Kaikoura Range rises from the activeHope Fault at the base of the range.
Te Taumanu o Te Waka a Maui, meaning the oarsman’s bench or thwarts of the canoe of Maui, is according to legendwhere Maui stood and cast his magical fish hook into the ocean. From his cast, he pulled up a giant fish, Te Ika a Maui,the North Island of New Zealand.
Photo CN 23908/19: D. L. Homer
iii
CONTENTS
ABSTRACT ................................................................... v
KEYWORDS .................................................................. v
INTRODUCTION .......................................................... 1
THE QMAP SERIES ....................................................... 1
The QMAP geographic information system .................. 1Data sources .................................................................. 1Reliability ....................................................................... 1
REGIONAL SETTING .................................................... 3
GEOMORPHOLOGY ...................................................... 6
Main Divide ranges ........................................................ 6Kaikoura ranges ............................................................. 6Hanmer Basin ................................................................. 6Northern Canterbury basins and ranges ........................ 9Coastal landforms .......................................................... 9Alpine Fault ................................................................. 11Lakes ............................................................................ 11Rivers ........................................................................... 11Offshore physiography ................................................ 11
STRATIGRAPHY ........................................................ 13
CAMBRIAN TO CRETACEOUS ................................. 13
Buller terrane .............................................................. 13Early Ordovician sedimentary rocks ............................ 13
Takaka terrane ............................................................ 13Middle Cambrian to Late Ordovician sedimentary rocks ..................................................................... 13
Karamea Batholith ...................................................... 13Late Devonian to Early Carboniferous intrusive rocks ..................................................................... 13
Median Batholith ........................................................ 14Late Triassic to Late Jurassic igneous rocks and
associated sedimentary rocks ............................... 14Early Cretaceous intrusive rocks ................................. 15
Brook Street terrane ................................................... 16Early Permian volcanic and sedimentary rocks ............ 16
Murihiku terrane ......................................................... 16Late Middle Triassic and Early to Late Jurassic
sedimentary rocks ................................................. 16
Dun Mountain-Maitai terrane .................................... 17Early-Middle Permian ultramafic and mafic igneous rocks ..................................................................... 18Late Permian to Early Triassic sedimentary rocks ........ 19
Caples terrane ............................................................. 19Late Permian to Early Triassic sedimentary rocks ........ 19
Mesozoic mélange ....................................................... 21
Torlesse composite terrane .......................................... 22
Rakaia terrane ............................................................ 22Late Triassic sedimentary rocks ................................... 22Permian to Late Triassic semischist and schist ............ 24
Pahau terrane ............................................................. 25Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous sedimentary and
volcanic rocks ....................................................... 25
Esk Head belt .............................................................. 27Late Triassic to Early Cretaceous sedimentary and
volcanic rocks ....................................................... 27
CRETACEOUS TO PLIOCENE ..................................... 29
Cretaceous sedimentary and volcanic rocks ................ 29Cretaceous igneous rocks ............................................ 34Paleocene to Eocene sedimentary rocks ...................... 35Late Eocene to Pliocene sedimentary and volcanic rocks ..................................................................... 38Southeast of the Alpine Fault ..................................... 38Northwest of the Alpine Fault ..................................... 41
QUATERNARY ............................................................ 43
Alluvial terrace and floodplain deposits ...................... 43Unmapped surficial deposits ....................................... 44Alluvial fan and scree deposits .................................... 44Till deposits ................................................................. 46Landslide deposits ....................................................... 46Swamp and lake deposits ............................................. 46Marine deposits ........................................................... 47Sand deposits .............................................................. 47
OFFSHORE GEOLOGY ................................................ 47
TECTONIC HISTORY ................................................ 48
Early to mid-Paleozoic .................................................. 48Late Paleozoic to Early Cretaceous .............................. 48Mid- to Late Cretaceous and Paleogene ...................... 48Neogene ....................................................................... 49
GEOLOGICAL RESOURCES ..................................... 50
Metallic minerals .......................................................... 50Non-metallic minerals ................................................... 50Rock ............................................................................. 51Coal .............................................................................. 53Water ........................................................................... 53Oil and gas ................................................................... 53
ENGINEERING GEOLOGY ......................................... 54
Basement rocks ............................................................ 54Late Cretaceous-Pliocene rocks ................................... 54Quaternary sediments .................................................. 54
GEOLOGICAL HAZARDS ......................................... 55
Landslides .................................................................... 55Coastal erosion ............................................................ 55Earthquake hazards ...................................................... 56Tsunami ........................................................................ 59
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................. 60
AVAILABILITY OF QMAP DATA ............................... 60
REFERENCES ............................................................. 61
iv
Toka Anau – Barney’s Rock or Riley’s Lookout
Toka Anau is a strategic landmark that historically has been used for spotting whales. The island lies within akilometre of the steep western wall of the submarine Kaikoura Canyon and was used by Maori and early Europeanwhalers to sight breaching whales. The famed Paramount Chief Kaikoura Whakatau gave permission to Barney Rileyto establish the first European whaling station in the district in 1857.
Photo: T. Kahu, Te Runanga o Kaikoura
v
Keywords
ABSTRACT
The Kaikoura 1:250 000 geological map covers 18 100 km2
of Westland, Nelson, Marlborough and northernCanterbury in the South Island of New Zealand, andstraddles the boundary between the Pacific and Australiantectonic plates. The map area is cut by the Alpine, Awatere,Clarence, Hope and other major strike-slip faults, andincludes a wide range of Paleozoic to Mesozoic rocks whichform parts of eight tectonostratigraphic terranes. The earlyPaleozoic Buller and Takaka terranes, comprisingsedimentary and volcano-sedimentary rocks respectively,are intruded by mid-Paleozoic granitic rocks of the KarameaBatholith and form the Western Province. This province isseparated from the Eastern Province by Mesozoic plutonicrocks of the Median Batholith. North of the Alpine Fault,the Eastern Province comprises the Permian-Jurassic,predominantly volcano-sedimentary Brook Street,Murihiku, Dun Mountain-Maitai and Caples terranes.South of the Alpine Fault the Eastern Province comprisesthe Triassic-Early Cretaceous sedimentary Rakaia andPahau terranes, collectively termed the Torlesse compositeterrane.
The Eastern Province and Western Province werejuxtaposed in Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous time, andsubsequently formed a comparatively stable basement toyounger Cretaceous and Cenozoic sedimentation.Localised fault activity and clastic sedimentary basindevelopment in the late Early to Late Cretaceous, and againin Late Cenozoic time, contrast with the deposition of
widespread, passive margin limestone and mudstone inthe Paleocene, Eocene and Oligocene. Late Cenozoic clasticsedimentation reflects development of the present oblique-compressional plate boundary and uplift of the SouthernAlps and other ranges.
Quaternary glaciation deposited tills and glacial outwashgravels. During warmer interglacial periods, high sea levelscut flights of marine terraces that have been subsequentlyuplifted.
Mined mineral resources within the map area includealluvial gold, salt, coal, limestone, and rock aggregate.Recorded seeps and shows of oil and gas are sparse in thearea; there has been no commercial hydrocarbon extraction,and the only petroleum exploration wells have been in theMurchison basin.
The Kaikoura map area is subject to severe natural hazards,including a high level of seismic activity from the Alpine,Awatere, Clarence, Hope and other active faults. Thesehave potential for earthquake shaking, landsliding,liquefaction and ground rupture. Several large earthquakeswith epicentres within or immediately adjacent to the maparea have occurred within the last 160 years. Tsunamihazard may be from remote or local earthquakes or fromsubmarine slumping, particularly within the KaikouraCanyon immediately offshore. Storm-induced landsliding,rockfall and flooding are ongoing hazards.
Kaikoura; Marlborough; Westland; Nelson; Canterbury; 1:250 000 geological map; geographic informationsystems; digital data; bathymetry; Buller terrane; Takaka terrane; Karamea Batholith; Median Batholith; MedianTectonic Zone; Brook Street terrane; Murihiku terrane; Dun Mountain-Maitai terrane; Caples terrane; Rakaiaterrane; Pahau terrane; Torlesse terrane; plutons; Greenland Group; Haupiri Group; Mount Arthur Group; KarameaSuite; Brook Street Volcanics Group; Dun Mountain Ultramafics Group; Livingstone Volcanics Group; MaitaiGroup; Tasman Intrusives; Rotoroa Complex; Teetotal Group; Separation Point Suite; Glenroy Complex; RichmondGroup; Patuki mélange; Esk Head belt; Coverham Group; Tapuaenuku Igneous Complex; Mandamus IgneousComplex; Wallow Group; Hapuku Group; Seymour Group; Eyre Group; Muzzle Group; Motunau Group; AwatereGroup; Rappahannock Group; Tadmor Group; marine terraces; alluvial terraces; alluvial fans; scree; rock glaciers;moraines; till; outwash; landslides; peat swamps; Alpine Fault; Awatere Fault; Clarence Fault; Hope Fault;Marlborough Fault System; Quaternary tectonics; active faulting; economic geology; alluvial gold; salt; sub-bituminous coal; limestone; aggregate; groundwater; engineering geology; landslides; natural hazards;seismotectonic hazard; tsunami.
vi
Figure 1 Regional setting of New Zealand, showing the location of the Kaikoura geological map and other QMAPsheets, active faults and major offshore features (as illustrated by the 2000 m isobath). The Kaikoura sheet lies on theboundary between the Australian and Pacific plates where the subduction in the Hikurangi Trough is transitional intocontinental collision in the Southern Alps of the South Island. The arrows indicate the direction and rate of convergenceof the Pacific Plate relative to the Australian Plate. After Anderson & Webb (1994).
2000
2000
2000
2000
Campbell Plateau
BountyTrough
Chatham Rise
Hikur
angi
Trou
gh
Puysegur
Tre
nch
Challenger
Plateau
NewCaledonia
Basin
TaranakiBasin
Australian
Plate
Pacific
Plate
QMAP
Kaikoura
0 100 200
Kilometres
Alp
ine
Fault
35° S
45° S45° S45° S
175° E165° E165° E
170° E 175° E
170° E
35° S
180° E
40° S 40° S
37 mm/yr
38 mm/yr
41 mm/yr
47 mm/yr
KaitaiaKaitaia
WhangareiWhangarei
WaikatoWaikato RotoruaRotorua
RaukumaraRaukumara
TaranakiTaranaki
NelsonNelson WellingtonWellington
GreymouthGreymouth
WairarapaWairarapa
ChristchurchChristchurchAorakiAorakiHaastHaast
WaitakiWaitakiWakatipuWakatipu
DunedinDunedinMurihikuMurihiku
FiordlandFiordland
HawkesBay
HawkesBay
AucklandAuckland
1
INTRODUCTION
THE QMAP SERIES
The geological map of the Kaikoura area (Fig. 1) is one ofthe national QMAP (Quarter million MAP; Nathan 1993)series produced by GNS Science. The series replaces theearlier 1:250 000 series geological maps covering theKaikoura area (Lensen 1962; Bowen 1964; Gregg 1964).Since the publication of those earlier maps, importantgeological concepts such as plate tectonics, terranes andsequence stratigraphy have been developed, and a vastamount of new geological research has been undertaken.This research includes detailed mapping, at 1:50 000 scale,of large areas (e.g. Johnston 1990; Suggate 1984; Reay1993; Challis & others 1994; Warren 1995), fault studies(e.g. Kieckhefer 1979), detailed investigations for economicand engineering projects, university theses, and publishedpapers on tectonic, stratigraphic, petrological, geochemicaland many other aspects of geology.
The geology of the Kaikoura map area is in many places socomplex that the map has been considerably simplified inorder to present it legibly at 1:250 000 scale. Rock units aremapped primarily in terms of their age of deposition,eruption, or intrusion. As a consequence, the colour of theunits on the map face reflects their age, with overprintpatterns used to differentiate some lithologies. Lettersymbols (in upper case, with a lower case prefix to indicateearly, middle or late if appropriate) indicate the predominantage of the rock unit and the following lower case letter orletters indicates a formally named lithostratigraphic unitand/or the predominant lithology. Metamorphic rocks aremapped in terms of age of protolith (where known), withoverprints indicating degree of metamorphism. Agesubdivision is in terms of the international time scale.Correlation between international and local time scales andabsolute ages in millions of years (Ma) are shown insidethe front cover (Cooper 2004).
This text is not an exhaustive description or review of thevarious rock units mapped. Names applied to geologicalunits are those already published and revision ofnomenclature to remove anomalies has not been attempted.In some cases, correlation of stratigraphic units hasresulted in only one name being retained as the mappingunit. For more detailed information on individual rock units,specific areas, natural hazards or minerals, the reader isreferred to data sources cited throughout the text and listedin the references.
The QMAP geographic information system
The QMAP series uses computer methods to store,manipulate and present topographic and geologicalinformation. The maps are drawn from data stored in theQMAP geographic information system (GIS), a databasedeveloped and maintained by GNS Science. The primarysoftware used is ArcInfo®.
Digital topographic data were provided by LandInformation New Zealand. The QMAP database iscomplementary to, and can be used in conjunction with,other spatially referenced GNS Science digital data sets,e.g. gravity and magnetic surveys, mineral resources andlocalities, fossil localities, active faults, and petrologicalsamples.
The QMAP series and database are based on detailedgeological information plotted on 1:50 000 NZMS260 seriestopographic base maps. These data record sheets areavailable for consultation at GNS Science. The 1:50 000data have been simplified for digitising during acompilation stage, with the linework smoothed andgeological units amalgamated to a standard national systembased on age and lithology. Point data (e.g. structuralmeasurements) have not been simplified. All point data arestored in the GIS, but only selected representativestructural observations are shown on the map. Proceduresfor map compilation and details of data storage andmanipulation techniques are given by Rattenbury & Heron(1997).
Data sources
The map and text have been compiled from published mapsand papers, unpublished university theses, GNS Sciencetechnical and map files, mining company reports, field tripguides, the New Zealand Fossil Record File in its digitalform (FRED), and GNS Science geological resources(GERM) and petrological (PETLAB) digital databases (Fig.2). Additional field mapping between 2000 and 2004resolved some geological problems and increased datacoverage in less well-known parts of the map area.Quaternary deposits, landslides and active faults havelargely been mapped from aerial photos, with limited fieldchecking. Offshore data have been compiled frompublished studies of the northern Canterbury-Marlboroughregion (Field, Browne & others 1989; Barnes & Audru1999a,b; Field, Uruski & others 1997) and unpublished datafrom the National Institute of Water and AtmosphericResearch. Data sources used in map compilation aresummarised in Fig. 2 and are cited in the references togetherwith other studies relating to the Kaikoura map area.
Reliability
The 1:250 000 map is a regional scale map only, and shouldnot be used alone for land use planning, planning or designof engineering projects, earthquake risk assessment, orother work for which detailed site investigations arenecessary. Some data sets incorporated with the geologicaldata (for example the Geological Resources Map of NewZealand [GERM] data) have been compiled from old orunchecked information of lesser reliability (see Christie1989).
2
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3
REGIONAL SETTING
The Kaikoura geological map covers much of northernCanterbury, southern Marlborough and southern Nelson,including many of the northeastern mountains of the SouthIsland. The map area is sparsely populated with the largesttowns – Kaikoura, Hanmer and Murchison – servicingagricultural industries. The other main industries aretourism, fishing and exotic forestry. Much of thenorthwestern part of the Kaikoura map area is covered inindigenous forest and is under Department of Conservation(DoC) stewardship. DoC administers Nelson Lakes andKahurangi national parks, Lewis Pass Scenic Reserve,Victoria, Hanmer and Lake Sumner conservation parks, MtRichmond Forest Park and Molesworth Farm Park.
The Kaikoura map area straddles the boundary betweenthe Australian and Pacific plates which are converging atabout 40 mm per year (Fig. 1). This area also covers theplate boundary transition from subduction of the Pacificplate under the Australian plate (Fig. 3), exemplified in thesouthern North Island, to continental collision betweenthe plates, manifest by uplift of the Southern Alps andother ranges of the South Island. Much of the plateboundary movement in the Kaikoura map area isaccommodated by oblique, dextral strike-slip along theAlpine Fault and the Awatere, Clarence, Hope and otherfaults of the Marlborough Fault System (Van Dissen &Yeats 1991; Knuepfer 1992; Holt & Haines 1995).
The basement geology of the Kaikoura map is dominatedby quartzofeldspathic sedimentary rocks of the Rakaia andPahau terranes (Bradshaw 1989), of dominantly Mesozoicage, that amalgamated to form the Torlesse compositeterrane (Fig. 4). Northwest of the Alpine Fault the basementrocks include the early Paleozoic sedimentary andvolcanogenic rocks of the Buller and Takaka terranes(Cooper 1989), and mid-Paleozoic to Early Cretaceousigneous intrusions of the Karamea and Median batholiths(Tulloch 1988; Mortimer & others 1999). The Permian toJurassic volcanic and sedimentary Brook Street, Murihiku,Dun Mountain-Maitai and Caples terranes occur in southNelson.
Covering mid- and Late Cretaceous, Paleogene andNeogene sedimentary rocks have been mostly removedby erosion, particularly in the central part of the map area.The sedimentary rocks resulted from an initial period ofwidespread erosion followed by marine transgression andsubsequent regression in the early to middle Cenozoic.The Neogene development of the modern plate boundarythrough New Zealand, and associated convergence,resulted in uplift and further erosion. WidespreadQuaternary terrestrial sedimentation reflects continuinguplift and erosion, with glaciation having a major influenceon sedimentation.
Figure 3 Block model of the Kaikoura map area and surrounding regions showing active faults at the surface and theposition of the subducting Pacific Plate under the Australian Plate defined by earthquake hypocentres (mostlyconcentrated on the upper surface of the subducting plate). After Barnes (1994b), Eberhart-Phillips & Reyners (1997).
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Chatham Rise(continental crust)
Hikurangi Trough(oceanic crust)
AlpineFault
AwatereFault
ClarenceFault
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Australian Plate
PacificPlate
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4
Figure 4 Pre-Cenozoic basement rocks of New Zealand, subdivided into tectonostratigraphic terranes and batholiths;after Mortimer (2004). Cretaceous to Oligocene rocks of the Northland and East Coast allochthons were emplaced asa series of thrust sheets in the Miocene.
200 km
Median Batholith
Karamea Batholith
Haast Schist
Esk Head Belt and deformedzones in the Pahau terrane
Gneiss
Paparoa Batholith
Hohonu Batholith
SEDIMENTARY AND VOLCANIC ROCKS
PLUTONIC ROCKS
REGIONAL TECTONIC-
METAMORPHIC OVERPRINTS
Tuhuaterrane
undifferentiated
Buller terrane
Takaka terrane
Torlesse compositeterrane (eastern NZ)
Waipapa composite terrane(western North Island)
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6
Figure 6 Lake Constance and Blue Lake (far right) at the head of the Sabine River resulted from landslide dams in adeglaciated valley, and the smaller, unnamed tarn in the foreground fills a glacial cirque. The unvegetated greywacke-dominated Mahanga Range (middle distance) and the schistose Ella Range (behind) were occupied by glaciers untilthe early Holocene.
Photo CN25744/19: D.L. Homer.
GEOMORPHOLOGY
Main Divide ranges
The ranges and mountains at the northernmost end of theSouthern Alps (Fig. 5), rise southeast of the Alpine Faultand form the “Main Divide” drainage boundary betweenthe east and west coasts of the South Island. The mountainsinclude a complex array of mostly north-trending rangeswith numerous peaks over 2000 m, culminating at MtFranklin (2340 m) in the Kaikoura map area. The higherrange crests are generally bare rock and lack permanentsnowfields or glaciers (Fig. 6).
Kaikoura ranges
The northeastern Kaikoura map area is dominated by thenortheast-trending Inland and Seaward Kaikoura ranges(Figs 5, 7) that reach their greatest elevation in Tapuae-o-Uenuku (2885 m) and Manakau (2608 m) respectively. Theseranges and lower ranges to the northwest are influencedby the major dextral strike-slip Alpine (Wairau), Awatere,Clarence and Hope faults, which traverse long straightvalleys with intervening low saddles and aligned riversegments. Except in the Wairau valley, remnants ofCretaceous-Pliocene covering rocks are preserved in fault-
angle depressions on the southeastern sides of the faults.The summit heights of the ranges are generally concordant,reflecting uplift of relatively planar Late Cretaceous andlater erosion surfaces cut in the basement rocks of Torlessecomposite terrane. The distinctive peaks of Mt Tapuae-o-Uenuku and Blue Mountain result from more erosion-resistant igneous rock intrusions and associatedhornfelsing of the Torlesse composite terrane country rock.
Hanmer Basin
Hanmer Basin is a rhomb-shaped topographic depression(Figs 5, 8) 15 km by 7 km at about 300 m elevation,surrounded by ranges up to 1500 m elevation. The WaiauRiver enters the basin area from the west, joins with thesmaller Hanmer River, and drains through a gorge on thesouth side. Active traces of the Hope Fault are present onthe northern side of the western part of the basin, are absentfrom the central area, and reappear on the southern side ofthe eastern part of the basin. This basin formed at areleasing bend between the right-stepping western HopeRiver and Conway segments of the dextral strike-slip HopeFault. Seismic and gravity studies indicate Quaternarysediment fills the basin to a depth of more than 1000 m(Wood & others 1994).
7
Figure 7 The Inland Kaikoura Range is bounded to the southeast by the major Clarence Fault, which has an averageHolocene right-lateral slip rate of 4-7 mm/yr (Pettinga & others 2001). The fault separates Early Cretaceous Pahauterrane (left) from Late Cretaceous to Miocene sedimentary and igneous rocks (right). The high peaks on the skylineare Mts Alarm (2877 m) and Tapuae-o-Uenuku (2885 m).
Photo CN4938/5: D.L. Homer.
Figure 8 The Hanmer Basin is a depression caused by a right step in the dextral strike-slip Hope Fault. The westernHope River segment of the fault (lower left) branches into many splays on the northern side of the basin (middle left).The Conway segment of the fault begins near the Waiau gorge (middle right) and follows the Hanmer River eastwardstowards the coast. The basin sediments are over 1 km thick and are probably all Late Quaternary in age.
Photo CN14438/27: D.L. Homer.
8
Figure 9 Basin and range topography in the Waikari area, with Oligocene limestone outlining folds in the foreground.Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic rocks have largely been eroded off the Lowry Peaks Range in the left middle distance.
Photo CN3665/2: D.L. Homer.
Figure 10 The cliffed North Canterbury coastline results from ongoing tectonic uplift. These cliffs 4 km north of theWaiau River mouth are cut into Pahau terrane (left) and the unconformably overlying Neogene Greta Formationsiltstone (right).
Photo CN19635/10: D.L. Homer.
9
Figure 11 Resistant, folded Muzzle Group limestone at Needles Point forms a barrier to sand and gravel broughtnorthwards (from left to right) by long-shore currents. Dunes are also preserved in places (upper left).
Photo CN23980/5: D.L. Homer.
Northern Canterbury basins and ranges
South of the Hope Fault, the ranges are lower in altitudeand generally less rugged (Fig. 5). Between the ranges, theextensive intermontane Culverden, Cheviot and otherbasins are partly rimmed by Cretaceous-Miocenesedimentary rocks (Nicol & others 1995). These includethe erosion-resistant Paleogene limestones that formdistinctive landscapes near Waikari and Hawarden (Fig.9). Sinkholes are locally developed where the limestone isflat-lying, such as the summit plateau of Mt Cookson andon the Kaikoura Peninsula. Where the Late Cretaceous toMiocene rocks have been stripped off relatively recently,the range crests are broad with little local relief. Some ofthe northeast-trending ranges are asymmetrical intransverse profile with reverse faults or thrusts on theirgenerally steeper northwestern sides. The intermontanebasins are filled with Late Quaternary gravel.
Coastal landforms
Much of the coast between the Clarence River mouth andGore Bay consists of steep slopes and cliffs cut largely inPahau terrane rocks (Fig. 10). At Kaikoura, the peninsula iscomposed of Late Cretaceous-Paleogene limestone andother rocks (front cover), and similar rocks form the smaller,but equally impressive Haumuri Bluffs south of Kaikoura.Paleogene rocks, capped by marine terraces, form thedominant exposures at the Conway River mouth and fromthe Hurunui River southwards. Slope failures arewidespread, particularly in fine-grained rocks that are richin montmorillonitic clays. More competent conglomeratesand limestones form coastal cliffs and offshore rocks suchas those at Needles Point (Fig. 11) and Chancet Rocks.Clifford Bay and the adjacent shallow Lake Grassmereoccupy the northern end of the northeast- plunging WardSyncline. Inland, along the syncline axis to the southwest,is the even shallower Lake Elterwater.
10
Figure 12 The active Alpine (Wairau) Fault crosses the northern end of Lake Rotoiti at St Arnaud, and continuesnortheast into the Wairau valley (distant). Neogene dextral strike-slip has juxtaposed Median Batholith, Brook Street,Murihiku, Dun Mountain-Maitai and Caples terrane rocks to the northwest (left) against Rakaia terrane and Esk Headbelt rocks of the Travers, St Arnaud and Raglan ranges to the southeast (right).
Photo CN46400/16: D.L. Homer.
Figure 13 The Buller River flows south along the axis of the Longford Syncline to Murchison (centre distance). Thethick Eocene to Miocene strata of the Murchison Basin have been tightly folded since the Late Miocene, completing aremarkably short but significant period of basin formation and deformation.
Photo CN4181/4: D.L. Homer.
11
Parallel to the coast, raised interglacial shorelines formnarrow benches and terraces, the latter being moreextensive between Haumuri Bluffs and the Waiau River.Intermittent narrow beaches of sand and gravel, commonlyfringed or capped by sand dunes, also occur along thecoast (Fig. 11).
Alpine Fault
The Alpine Fault is marked by a succession of low saddles,depressions, and aligned stream and river valleys. BetweenTophouse and St Arnaud the fault traverses two lowsaddles (695 and 710 m; Fig. 12) that separate the Buller,Motupiko and Wairau rivers, which drain to the West Coast,Tasman Bay and Pacific Ocean, respectively. The faultprominently displaces a peninsula of moraine at thenorthern end of Lake Rotoiti. The Alpine Fault also marksa significant change in topography, especially south of StArnaud; ranges to the southeast of the fault are typically500 m higher than those to the northwest (Fig. 5), reflectingnet Quaternary uplift.
Lakes
The largest lakes in the Kaikoura map area have formed inglaciated valleys behind terminal moraines, e.g. lakesRotoiti (Fig. 12), Rotoroa, Sumner, Guyon and Tennyson.Most other lakes have resulted from landslide damminge.g. lakes Constance (Fig. 6), McRae and Matiri, and inmany cases the landslides have fallen from previouslyglaciated and oversteepened valley sides, possiblytriggered by earthquakes. Tarns occupying cirques arewidespread in the higher mountains in the west.
Rivers
Large rivers traverse many parts of the Kaikoura map areaand originate from the Main Divide, within or beyond themap area. Northwest of the Alpine Fault, the Buller Rivercuts through several mountain ranges from its source atLake Rotoiti. Close to its source, the river flows westwardthrough a gorge cut in granitic rocks of the MedianBatholith before crossing the Murchison Basin. Onentering the basin the river follows the axis of the LongfordSyncline to Murchison (Fig.13). Tributary valleys aroundMurchison commonly follow north-south trending faultsand fold axes.
The course of the Awatere River and sections of theClarence, Waiau and Wairau rivers have been stronglyinfluenced by movement of the active faults of theMarlborough Fault System and related uplift of adjacentranges. The Clarence River flows south from its source
near Lake Tennyson, then east and northeast along thetraces of the Elliott and Clarence faults, and then southeastthrough a gorge at the northern end of the SeawardKaikoura Range to the coast.
The Conway, Waiau and Hurunui rivers have each cutseveral antecedent gorges through the ranges of northernCanterbury and have wide braided channels where theytraverse the intervening basins to reach the Pacific Ocean.Most of the rivers are flanked by sets of terraces carvedinto glacial outwash gravel or formed by aggradation. Manyof the outwash gravel surfaces can be traced inland toterminal moraines on both sides of the Main Divide.
Offshore physiography
The offshore physiography of the Kaikoura map area isdominated by four elements: the continental shelf, thecontinental slope, the Hikurangi Trough and the ChathamRise. The continental shelf has a smooth sea floor at shallowdepth (<400 m) that tapers from about 50 km wide in thenorth to about 10 km wide near Kaikoura Peninsula (Fig.5). Immediately south of the peninsula, the spectacularKaikoura Canyon is deeply incised into the shelf to withinc. 500 m of the shoreline (Lewis & Barnes 1999). At thehead of the canyon, the sea floor falls away abruptly sothat only 4 km offshore the water is 1000 m deep. This deepcanyon is responsible for interruption of the north-flowingSouthland current, and the coincidence of the SubtropicalConvergence Zone with the Chatham Rise (Lewis & Barnes1999) leads to the local upwelling of plankton which attractsmarine life such as whales, seals, and dolphins(Childerhouse & others 1995). South of the canyon nearthe Kaikoura map boundary the continental shelf broadensto 30 km width. The Conway Trough and Hurunui Canyonare incised into the Canterbury continental shelf.
The edge of the continental shelf abruptly gives way tothe continental slope. The slope is incised by manycanyons and small basins, which are predominantlycontrolled by fault movement (Field, Uruski & others 1997;Barnes & Audru 1999a). Directly east of Kaikoura Peninsulathe Kowhai sea valleys form a series of narrow ridges andcanyons that cut into the slope (Fig. 5). The continentalslope is bounded to the east by the northeast-trendingHikurangi Trough, which reaches depths of 2500 m withinthe Kaikoura map area and 3500 m off the East Coast of theNorth Island (Lewis & Barnes 1999). Southeast of thetrough, the continental slope (here known as Mernoo Bank)climbs to the Chatham Rise, part of a submerged continentalplateau (Barnes 1994b). The Mernoo Bank is incised bythe Pukaki, Pegasus and Hurunui canyons.
12
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13
STRATIGRAPHY
Cambrian to Cretaceous basement rocks, includingvolcanic, metasedimentary, granitic and ultramafic rocks,outcrop over 70% of the Kaikoura map area. The basementrocks are overlain by remnants of Late Cretaceous andCenozoic, terrestrial and marine, sedimentary and igneousrocks, preserved in basins around Murchison andthroughout eastern Marlborough and northern Canterbury.In the east these younger rocks contain local volcanicsequences. Quaternary fluvioglacial and alluvial depositsare widespread but Quaternary marine rocks occur onlylocally.
CAMBRIAN TO CRETACEOUS
The basement rocks of the Kaikoura map area, ofGondwanaland origin, have been divided into the largelyearly Paleozoic Western Province and the late Paleozoic toMesozoic Eastern Province (Landis & Coombs 1967). Thevolcano-sedimentary and mafic intrusive rocks are mappedin tectonostratigraphic terranes (Figs 4, 14; Coombs &others 1976; Bishop & others 1985; Bradshaw 1993;Mortimer 2004) within which traditional lithostratigraphicformations and groups are recognised. The WesternProvince contains the Buller and Takaka terranes (Cooper1989) that amalgamated in the mid-Devonian (collectivelytermed the Tuhua composite terrane). The Eastern Provincein the Kaikoura map area comprises the Brook Street, DunMountain-Maitai, Murihiku, and Caples terranes west ofthe Alpine Fault and the Rakaia and Pahau terranes(collectively the Torlesse composite terrane) east of thefault (Coombs & others 1976; Mortimer 2004). Many of theplutonic rocks occur within the originally contiguousMedian and Karamea batholiths (Tulloch 1988; Mortimer& others 1999).
Buller terrane
Early Ordovician sedimentary rocks
The Buller terrane, comprising the Greenland Group (|g)within the Kaikoura map area, occupies a few squarekilometres near Maruia Saddle. The group consists of well-to poorly bedded, greenish-grey quartzose sandstone andmudstone (Stewart 1974). The rocks are intruded by LateDevonian-Carboniferous Karamea Suite granite in thenorthwest and faulted against Miocene conglomerate tothe southeast. Greenland Group sandstone typicallycontains abundant detrital quartz, minor sodic plagioclaseand subordinate volcanic and sedimentary rock fragments(Nathan 1976; Roser & others 1996). The group has beeninterpreted as a turbidite succession within a submarinefan deposit (Laird 1972; Laird & Shelley 1974). Graptolitesfrom near Reefton, 30 km west of the Kaikoura map area,are early Ordovician (Cooper 1974). K-Ar and Rb-Sr agesfrom Greenland Group beyond the map area indicate awidespread Late Ordovician to Early Silurian greenschistfacies (chlorite zone) metamorphic event (Adams & others1975; Adams 2004). Adjacent to the granite, the group hasbeen thermally metamorphosed to biotite hornfels (Stewart1974). Metamorphism probably accompanied deformationthat resulted in generally steep bedding dips, tight upright
folds and a penetrative cleavage (Rattenbury & Stewart2000).
Takaka terrane
A small area of the Takaka terrane outcrops in the Kaikouramap area along the Alpine Fault, near Lake Daniells. Furthernorth the terrane is concealed by Tertiary rocks in theMurchison Basin (see section C-C’), but is well exposed inNorthwest Nelson, where the type localities of the Haupiriand Mt Arthur groups are located (Rattenbury & others1998). Southwest of the Kaikoura map area, the terraneprogressively narrows and is truncated by the Alpine Fault(Nathan & others 2002).
Middle Cambrian to Late Ordovician sedimentary rocks
In the vicinity of Lake Daniells, volcanogenic sedimentaryrocks with conglomerate and minor basaltic flows arecorrelated with the Haupiri Group of Northwest Nelson(Münker & Cooper 1999; Nathan & others 2002). Threeinformal units (Nathan & others 2002) are recognised,comprising dolomitic mudstone and ankeritic sandstonewith minor conglomerate ($hr), polymict pebble to granuleconglomerate ($ha), and grey laminated dolomiticmudstone and sandstone with widespread interlayeredfelsic volcanic rocks ($hh). In Northwest Nelson the grouphas been assigned a Middle-Late Cambrian age (Münker& Cooper 1999).
In the Lake Daniells area the Mt Arthur Group overlies theHaupiri Group (Bowen 1964), separated by a detachmentfault (R. A. Cooper in Nathan & others 2002). The SluiceBox Limestone (|ms) consists of recrystallised grey,commonly siliceous, limestone and minor sandstone withmudstone layers. Conodonts, trilobites and disarticulatedbrachiopods indicate a Late Cambrian to Middle Ordovicianage (Cooper 1989). The formation is correlated with theArthur Marble 1 and Summit Limestone formations ofNorthwest Nelson (Rattenbury & others 1998). Theconformably overlying siltstone and minor quartzsandstone of the Alfred Formation (|mw) contains LateOrdovician (Gisbornian) graptolites and is correlated withthe Wangapeka and Baldy formations in Northwest Nelson(Rattenbury & others 1998).
Karamea Batholith
Late Devonian to Early Carboniferous intrusive rocks
The Karamea Batholith extensively intrudes the Tuhuaterrane in the northwest of the South Island and isdominated by the Karamea Suite of Late Devonian-earlyCarboniferous granites (Tulloch 1988; Muir & others 1994).The suite has S-type geochemistry, commonly containingmuscovite and generally lacking hornblende. Within theKaikoura map area the rocks are only exposed at MtsNewton and Mantell, north and south of Murchisonrespectively, but are inferred to underlie much of thePaleogene-Miocene strata of the Murchison Basin. At MtNewton the suite comprises coarse-grained, inequigranular
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biotite granite, locally with megacrystic K-feldspar, andfine-grained muscovite-biotite granite (Dkg). At MtMantell, biotite granodiorite and tonalite (Dkt)predominate (Stewart 1974). U-Pb dating of the KarameaSuite beyond the map area gave crystallisation ages of388–358 Ma (Muir & others 1994, 1996).
Median Batholith
The rocks separating the Eastern and Western provincesinclude a range of mafic, intermediate and felsic plutonicintrusions, some extrusive equivalent rocks and severalsignificant sedimentary units in and to the north of themap area. The Median Tectonic Zone (MTZ, Bradshaw1993) was defined to include these diverse and, in places,structurally dismembered rocks. Mortimer & others (1999)recognised that the MTZ is more than 90% plutonic inorigin and that much of the deformation was superimposedin the Cenozoic. Moreover the plutonic rocks extendbeyond the western limit of the MTZ into parts of theWestern Province and are viewed as part of an originallycontiguous batholith, the Median Batholith (Fig. 4,Mortimer & others 1999; Mortimer 2004). The batholith isdominated by I-type plutonic rocks ranging from ultramaficthrough to felsic compositions (Mortimer & others 1999).
In the Kaikoura map area the Median Batholith is obliquelytruncated by the Alpine Fault to the southeast, and thewestern contact is obscured under the Murchison Basin.Northwards from the Alpine Fault the Median Batholithbecomes increasingly obscured by a cover of late Cenozoicrocks, dominated by the Moutere Gravel, although it re-emerges northeast of Nelson city. In Northwest Nelsonthe batholith intrudes the Takaka terrane (Rattenbury &others 1998). In the east the batholith is separated from theBrook Street terrane by the Delaware-Speargrass FaultZone (Johnston & others 1987; Johnston 1990; Rattenbury& others 1998). The Median Batholith includes the RotoroaComplex, Tasman Intrusives and Separation Point Suite.The latter two intrusive units are separated by the FlaxmoreFault. Adjacent sedimentary and volcanic rocks, rangingfrom subgreenschist to amphibolite facies metamorphicgrade, are volumetrically minor and some have been derivedfrom extrusive equivalents or erosion of the MedianBatholith intrusive rocks.
Late Triassic to Late Jurassic igneous rocks andassociated sedimentary rocks
The Tasman Intrusives group several Late Triassic to LateJurassic plutons in the southeast of the MoutereDepression (Johnston 1990). The Buller Diorite (Tab), nearLake Rotoiti, consists of medium-grained, commonlyaltered, diorite to tonalite (Fig. 15a) with sparse dikes offine-grained diorite and quartz-rich pegmatites. The BullerDiorite characteristically contains plagioclase (oligoclase/andesine) and hornblende with minor interstitial quartz andaccessory minerals. Southeast, towards the Delaware-Speargrass Fault Zone, it becomes progressively foliatedwith the development of alternating white to greyish-white,feldspar-rich and dark grey to black, biotite and hornblende-
rich layers. Within the Delaware-Speargrass Fault Zonethe diorite grades into the foliated Rotoiti Gneiss (Tar)composed of quartz, plagioclase (oligoclase), K-feldspar,biotite, muscovite and porphyroblastic garnet. Radiometricdating of the Buller Diorite yielded Late Triassic ages of225 Ma (K-Ar, Johnston 1990) and 228 Ma (U-Pb zircon,Kimbrough & others 1994). Other rock types within theDelaware-Speargrass Fault Zone include altered coarse-to fine-grained gabbro and minor pyroxenite of theSeventeen Gabbro (Jas) of Mesozoic age (Johnston 1990).
The One Mile Gabbronorite (Jao) consists of diorite,tonalite and hornblende gabbronorite that are commonlyaltered (Tulloch & others 1999). The pluton intrudes theRainy River Conglomerate in the east and is bounded bythe Flaxmore Fault in the west. U-Pb dating of zirconsindicates a 147 Ma (Late Jurassic) intrusive age (Kimbrough& others 1994).
Big Bush Andesite (Jeb) of the Teetotal Group (Johnston1990) forms an 800 m wide strip in the upper Rainy Riverand consists of grey to greenish-grey, fine- to medium-grained andesite and overlying andesitic breccia. Theandesite is largely massive but flows, up to 2 m thick, withdark, fine-grained margins are locally recognisable. It ischaracterised by andesine phenocrysts with a dominanttrachytic texture. The breccia is predominantly unstratifiedalthough locally fragments are weakly aligned. The brecciagrades eastwards, and probably stratigraphically upwards,into the c. 2000 m thick Rainy River Conglomerate (Jer).Within the conglomerate are rare sills or flows of porphyriticBig Bush Andesite. The lower 200 m of the Rainy RiverConglomerate is dominated by andesitic breccia with layersof subrounded to rounded andesitic pebbles. This brecciagrades upwards into very poorly sorted, greenish-greyconglomerate with a variety of clasts, up to 0.5 m across, ina fine- to coarse-grained grey or greenish-grey sandstonematrix (Fig. 15b). The clasts include andesite, felsicplutonics, basalt, and altered sandstone and siltstone. Inplaces the clasts are dominated by diorite eroded from theunderlying Buller Diorite (Tulloch & others 1999). TheRainy River Conglomerate contains rare, very thicksandstone beds locally with coal seams up to 0.4 m thick,and minor siltstone. The formation has undergone zeolitefacies metamorphism and the coal is of high-volatilebituminous rank.
Clasts within the Rainy River Conglomerate are sourcedfrom the Median Batholith and the Brook Street terrane,the closest terrane of the Eastern Province. No clasts fromthe Western Province have been identified. The ages ofthe Big Bush Andesite and Rainy River Conglomerate arenot known, although they are constrained by theunderlying Buller Diorite and the intruding One MileGabbronorite (see above). U-Pb zircon dating of two quartzmonzonite clasts from the Rainy River Conglomerateyielded 273–290 Ma (Early Permian) and 176–185 Ma (EarlyJurassic) ages. A late Middle or Late Jurassic age isassigned to the Big Bush Andesite and Rainy RiverConglomerate (Tulloch & others 1999).
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The Rotoroa Complex comprises a layered intrusionconsisting of gabbro, gabbronorite, norite, anorthosite,diorite and trondhjemite, and rare hornblendite with lensesof amphibolite (Challis & others 1994). Relatively unalteredgabbronorite layered with anorthosite, hornblende gabbro,leucogabbro and biotite gabbro (Howard Gabbro, Jrh, Fig.15c) occurs mainly in the east of the complex. Opaquemineral-rich plagioclase (typically An60-70) gives the gabbroa dark appearance, even where it is highly feldspathic.Dioritic rocks are widespread, particularly in the west ofthe complex, and include gneissic mafic to leucocraticdiorite, microdiorite, quartz diorite, and trondhjemite(Braeburn Diorite, Jra). Migmatite and gneissic intrusionbreccia are common within the diorite and have resultedfrom the later intrusion of Early Cretaceous granitoids.Layering, defined by alternating felsic and mafic bands orby coarse and finer grained rocks, is common. Fine-grained,dark grey amphibolite and epidiorite of the KawatiriAmphibolite (Jrk) are concentrated in the northwest ofthe complex. The amphibolite and epidiorite are composedmainly of hornblende and plagioclase, and are probablymetamorphosed basalt and dolerite dikes and sills. The
epidiorite is generally more felsic and has relict igneoustextures. Shearing occurs in many places, and the rocksare locally schistose.
U-Pb zircon dating of gabbronorite from near Lake Rotoroaat 155 Ma indicates a Late Jurassic age for the RotoroaComplex (Kimbrough & others 1993).
Early Cretaceous intrusive rocks
The Separation Point Suite is the dominant component ofthe Separation Point Batholith, here incorporated in theMedian Batholith (Mortimer & others 1999). The granite-dominated suite intrudes Rotoroa Complex within theKaikoura map area and intrudes rocks of the Takaka terranenorthwest of the map area (Rattenbury & others 1998). Inthe map area the Tainui Fault separates the suite fromTertiary rocks of the Murchison Basin to the northwest(Suggate 1984). The suite is dominated by massive,equigranular biotite and biotite-hornblende granite withminor tonalite, quartz diorite and quartz monzonite (Ksg;Fig. 15d). In the southeast the suite is extensively
Figure 15 Median Batholith rocks. (a) Buller Diorite with steeply east-dipping foliation defined by alternating lightcoloured feldspar-rich and dark grey biotite- and hornblende-rich layers; Rainy River. (b) Well-rounded, predominantlygranitic and mafic volcanic clasts within the Rainy River Conglomerate are derived from other Median Batholith rocks;Rainy River. (c) The hornblende-plagioclase-dominated Howard Gabbro includes trains of xenoliths of finer grainedamphibolite, as shown here at Harleys Rock in the Buller River. (d) Outcrops of the Separation Point Batholith aretypically weathered but this relatively fresh biotite granite boulder from Granity Creek is part of a landslide deposit thatpartly blocked the Buller River.
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interlayered with the Rotoroa Complex along a northeasttrend (Challis & others 1994). Quartz diorite occurs withintrusion breccias adjacent to unfaulted contacts with theRotoroa Complex. The suite is intruded by late-phase dikesand sills of fine-grained tonalite, aplite and granitepegmatite. Rb-Sr ages of 116 Ma (Aronson 1965) and114 Ma (Harrison & McDougall 1980) and, from beyondthe map area, U-Pb dating of zircons between 109 and121 Ma (Kimbrough & others 1994; Muir & others 1994,1997) indicate that the Separation Point Suite was emplacedin the Early Cretaceous.
The Glenroy Complex (Kg), dominated by coarse-grainedbiotite-hornblende granite, occurs east of the lower GlenroyRiver and around the Upper Matakitaki settlement(Adamson 1966; Cutten 1987). The complex also containsmetasedimentary gneiss with an amphibolite facies garnet-biotite-sillimanite-kyanite mineral assemblage and two-pyroxene granulite facies dioritic orthogneiss (retrogressedto amphibolite facies). The orthogneiss was emplaced intothe lower crust in the Early Cretaceous (Tulloch & Challis2000).
Brook Street terrane
Early Permian volcanic and sedimentary rocks
The Brook Street Volcanics Group (Yb) is the onlystratigraphic group mapped within the Brook Street terranein the Kaikoura map area. It crops out around the northernend of Lake Rotoiti, where it forms the southern end of thePermian sequence of east Nelson (Johnston 1990). Farthersouthwest the group is concealed by Quaternary depositsexcept for a fault-bounded sliver at the south end of LakeRotoroa (Challis & others 1994). The group is bounded inthe northwest by the Delaware-Speargrass Fault Zone andto the southeast by the Waimea and Alpine faults. Itcomprises a southeast-dipping and younging sequenceof intermediate to mafic volcanic-derived sedimentary rocksand associated igneous rocks.
The Kaka Formation (Ybk), the dominant unit in the groupwithin the map area, comprises green, coarse-grained maficvolcanic flows and shallow intrusives with widespreadpyroclastic and clastic rocks derived from the igneousrocks. The volcanic rocks are basaltic andesite to calc-alkaline basalt, with augite and plagioclase the dominantminerals. The sedimentary rocks are dominated by breccia,with clasts of augite-rich igneous rocks up to 0.4 m across.Minor rock types are green siltstone and sandstone, andrare lenses of grey calcareous siltstone and impurelimestone, the latter having a foetid smell when freshlybroken. The lenses contain atomodesmatinid shellfragments and, at Speargrass Creek, a 3 m thick limestonehas abundant impressions of Maitaia obliquataWaterhouse (Johnston & Stevens 1985). Conformablyoverlying the Kaka Formation is the 1500 m thick BroughFormation (Ybb), dominated by dark, fine-grained basaltand dolerite with minor gabbro and tuffaceous sequences.The formation grades upwards into Groom CreekFormation (Ybg), which is dominated by poorly beddedgrey, greenish grey and whitish grey, tuffaceous siltstoneand sandstone (Fig. 16). The Brough and Groom Creekformations are intruded by lensoidal masses, up to 100 mthick, of very altered dolerite and fine-grained gabbro.
The Brook Street Volcanics Group typically has beenmetamorphosed to prehnite-pumpellyite facies. The KakaFormation is of Permian age and a late Early Permian age isinferred for the group based on better constrained datingin Southland (Turnbull & Allibone 2003).
Murihiku terrane
Late Middle Triassic and Early to Late Jurassicsedimentary rocks
The Murihiku terrane encompasses the MurihikuSupergroup which, in the Kaikoura map area, forms twofault-bounded blocks of zeolite facies rocks, 6 km in length,along the Waimea Fault north of Tophouse (Johnston1990). The eastern block comprises the 1000 m thick Blue
Figure 16 Green tuffaceous sandstonewith light coloured tuff beds of the GroomCreek Formation, Brook Street VolcanicsGroup. The beds dip WNW here in RockyCreek, in the upper Motupiko valley.
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Glen Formation (Trb) of the Richmond Group (Johnston1990). The formation dips and youngs eastwards andconsists of bedded grey sandstone, siltstone andmudstone with numerous tuffaceous beds and localconglomerate. The finer grained rocks are commonlybioturbated, with sparse ammonites, bivalves, palynoflorasand marine acritarchs of late Middle Triassic age. Theformation was deposited in an outer shelf environmentwith periodic incursions of submarine fans.
To the west of the Blue Glen Formation, and separatedfrom it by Paleogene rocks, is a >250 m thick fault-boundedsliver of the non-marine Berneyboosal Formation (Jb;Johnston 1990). The formation consists of grey, poorlybedded sandstone and siltstone with interbeddedcarbonaceous horizons and coarse sandstone andconglomerate. The sandstones contain andesitic debrisand the conglomerate clasts include intermediate to maficvolcanics, granitoids and sedimentary rocks. Thecarbonaceous horizons are dominated by dark mudstonewith rare coal seams up to 0.5 m thick. Miospores indicatean Early to Late Jurassic (Ururoan to Puaroan) age.
Dun Mountain-Maitai terrane
The Dun Mountain-Maitai terrane is a distinctive featureof South Island geology. In the Kaikoura map area theterrane crops out between Tophouse and Red Hills Ridge(Figs 14, 17) at the southern end of the east Nelson section(e.g. Rattenbury & others 1998). To the south the terranehas been truncated and displaced by the Alpine Fault(Johnston 1990) and a fault-bounded outlier of the terraneoccurs between the Matakitaki and Glenroy valleys, westof the bend in the Alpine Fault (Waterhouse 1964;Adamson 1966; Johnston 1976). The Dun Mountain-Maitaiterrane reappears on the southeast side of the Alpine Faultin northwest Otago, northern Southland and south Otago,an apparent displacement of 480 km. In all areas the rocksare very similar although some lithological units have beenreduced in thickness, or are missing, due to subsequentfaulting.
The terrane contains Early Permian ultramafic and maficigneous rocks of the Dun Mountain Ophiolite Belt,comprising the Dun Mountain Ultramafics Group and the
Figure 17 The Dun Mountain Ultramafics Group forms the distinctive red-brown, forest-free Red Hills Ridge at thenorthern edge of the Kaikoura map area. Vegetation growth is inhibited by higher and more toxic levels of extractablenickel and/or magnesium in the soils derived from the ultramafic rocks. The Alpine Fault, extending southwest fromthe Wairau River (middle left) towards Lake Rotoiti (distant centre), truncates the Dun Mountain Ultramafics Group.The plateau on the southern end of the ridge is an erosion surface capped by Pleistocene Plateau Gravel.
Photo CN7120/1: D.L. Homer.
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overlying mafic Livingstone Volcanics Group. The DunMountain Ophiolite Belt is unconformably overlain bysedimentary rocks of the Maitai Group. Mélange occurs atthe suture between the Dun Mountain-Maitai and Caplesterranes. The ophiolite belt produces the JunctionMagnetic Anomaly or Eastern Belt of the Stokes MagneticAnomaly (Hunt 1978).
Early-Middle Permian ultramafic and mafic igneousrocks
The Dun Mountain Ultramafics Group within the Kaikouramap area crops out in the Porters Knob and Red Hills Ridgearea where it reaches a maximum width of 10 km (Walcott1969; Davis & others 1980), and also in the Matakitakioutlier. The rocks weather to a distinctive red-brown (dun)colour and tend to be sparsely vegetated (Fig. 17). In theRed Hills the group is dominated by harzburgite, which inthe east is massive to very poorly layered with aprotoclastic texture (Ydp, Fig. 18). Westward theprotoclastic rocks grade into layered harzburgite with minordunite, chromite segregations and sparse eucrite, wehrlite,lherzolite and pyroxenite (Ydm). Dikes of dark greymicrogabbro and amphibolite, largely striking NNW andup to 10 m thick, are relatively common in the central partof the Red Hills. Along the western margin of the Red Hillsis a tectonised zone of serpentinised, layered harzburgiteand minor dunite, pyroxenite and gabbro with rodingite
dikes (Johnston 1990). The Dun Mountain UltramaficsGroup in the Matakitaki outlier is poorly defined but iscomposed of serpentinised harzburgite and minor duniteup to 500 m wide (Adamson 1966). Elsewhere in the SouthIsland the ultramafics have been dated, using the U-Pbmethod, at 280–265 Ma (Early-Middle Permian; Kimbrough& others 1992).
The Livingstone Volcanics Group (Yl) is present on thewestern margin of the Red Hills and in the Matakitaki outlier.In the Matakitaki outlier the group, which is about 1800 mthick, is not differentiated. In the Red Hills the poorlyexposed and fault-disrupted Tinline Formation (Ylt)consists of vertical to steeply northwest-dipping,alternating coarse- and fine-grained tholeiitic gabbro,emplaced as a dike complex with individual intrusions upto several metres thick. Cross-cutting the complex areirregular coarser grained dikes, with augite crystals up to15 mm in length, containing gabbro xenoliths. The dikecomplex is approximately 400 m thick. Unfaulted parts ofthe Tinline Formation grade upwards through fine-grained,apparently massive, microgabbro or dolerite, into the poorlyexposed Glennie Formation (Ylg). The Glennie Formationis about 800 m thick in the Red Hills and consists of darkgreen or greenish-grey, spilitic augite basalt with lenses ofbasaltic breccia in its upper part. The basalt has a sub-ophitic texture and forms sheets several metres thick withlocally brecciated margins; pillow basalt is absent(Johnston 1990).
Figure 18 Blocky, dark, massive, partly serpentinised harzburgite of the Dun Mountain Ultramafics Group, locallyweathered to a characteristic dun colour, in a creek draining south from the Red Hills Ridge. The streaky whitesurfaces are shears with fibrous serpentine.
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mudstone and lenses of conglomerate. The conglomerateclasts, up to 0.2 m across, include mafic tuff and breccia.The Waiua Formation (Tmw) differs mainly from theunderlying Greville Formation in the reddish-purplehematite in the finer grained beds (Fig. 19b). The formationis >750 m thick in east Nelson where it occupies the core ofthe Roding Syncline. In the Matakitaki outlier the WaiuaFormation has a maximum reported thickness of only180 m (Adamson 1966).
The Stephens Subgroup (Tms) is over 2000 m thick andconformably overlies the Waiua Formation in the Matakitakioutlier but near Tophouse is separated from the rest of theMatai Group by the Whangamoa Fault. It consistspredominantly of variably bedded, green or grey sandstonewith dark grey siltstone and mudstone, and beds aregenerally thicker than those in the Waiua and Grevilleformations. Thin conglomerate horizons also occur, and inthe Matakitaki outlier the subgroup contains a 220 m thickcoarse conglomerate composed mainly of sandstone,siltstone and igneous clasts (Adamson 1966).
The lower part of the Maitai Group was deposited on theflanks of a submarine high of Livingstone Volcanics withthe Wooded Peak Limestone being largely derived fromatomodesmatinid shell banks with influxes of volcanic-derived sand (Johnston 1990). The abundance of completeatomodesmatinid fossils in parts of the TramwaySandstone suggests relatively shallow water deposition,but the source of the detrital quartz remains unknown. TheLittle Ben Sandstone was deposited as submarine fansderived from the Livingstone Volcanics, probably at thebeginning of the Triassic. The remaining Maitai Group unitswere deposited in deeper water with widespread submarinefan deposition in the Stephens Subgroup. Followingdeposition, the group was subjected to burialmetamorphism to prehnite pumpellyite facies, or locallylawsonite albite chlorite facies (Landis 1969), and foldedinto the Roding Syncline.
Caples terrane
Late Permian to Early Triassic sedimentary rocks
Caples terrane sedimentary rocks and their schistoseequivalents were formerly mapped as Pelorus Group but,following stratigraphic nomenclature rationalisationbetween Nelson/Marlborough and Otago/Southland, arenow assigned to the Caples Group (Yc). The rocks cropout extensively to the north of the map area (Rattenbury &others 1998) but in the Kaikoura map area they occupyonly about 20 km2 in the Wairau valley, north of the AlpineFault (Walcott 1969; Johnston 1990), andapproximately 8 km2 in the east of the Matakitaki outlier.The group is separated from the Dun Mountain UltramaficsGroup by the Patuki Mélange (see below). In the east thegroup becomes increasingly metamorphosed to form partof the Marlborough Schist Zone of the Haast Schist. Theless metamorphosed rocks in the Wairau valley comprisean east-dipping, but overturned, succession >4000 m thick.The oldest rocks in the group belong to the
In both formations primary augite crystals are completelyor partly replaced by hornblende, and plagioclase ispartially replaced by hydrogrossular, prehnite, pumpellyite,chlorite and epidote. In east Nelson the upper basaltic partof the Livingstone Volcanics Group has beenmetamorphosed to greenschist facies (Davis & others1980). The group has subsequently been affected byprehnite-pumpellyite metamorphism. Zircon U-Pb datesfrom outside the map area indicate an Early Permian age(Kimbrough & others 1992).
Late Permian to Early Triassic sedimentary rocks
The Maitai Group is exposed north of Tophouse in theRoding Syncline (Johnston 1990) and in the Matakitakioutlier as a northwest-younging sequence in which thebeds are commonly overturned (Waterhouse 1964;Adamson 1966; Johnston 1976). The basal UpukeroraFormation (Ymu) in the Matakitaki outlier is severalhundred metres thick and consists of coarse tuffaceoussandstone with lenses of hematitic breccia overlain by greycalcareous siltstone (Adamson 1966). In the Red Hills theformation comprises lenses of conglomerate withtuffaceous horizons. Because of very poor exposure ineast Nelson and Matakitaki, the stratigraphic relationshipwith the underlying Livingstone Volcanics Group is unclear,although north of the Kaikoura map area, an unconformitybetween them is preserved (Johnston 1981). The WoodedPeak Limestone (Ymw) is up to 750 m thick, dominantlygrey, and consists of a basal poorly bedded limestone andan upper well-bedded limestone, separated by well-beddedcalcareous sandstone with minor siltstone andconglomerate. In the Matakitaki outlier the limestone isabout half the thickness of the east Nelson limestone andthe lithological distinctions are less well defined. Thelimestone has a strong foetid smell when freshly broken.The Wooded Peak Limestone grades upwards into the greyTramway Sandstone (Ymt). The Tramway Sandstone, upto 800 m thick, contains more quartz than the rest of theMaitai Group (but still less than 10%). In east Nelson itranges from well-bedded calcareous sandstone andsiltstone to poorly bedded fine-grained sandstone andsiltstone. Fragmentary atomodesmatinid fossils, includingMaitaia trechmanni Marwick, are widespread. By contrast,the formation in the Matakitaki outlier is a poorly bedded,calcareous, dark grey to black siltstone or mudstone withgreen sandstone interbeds. Wellman (1953) reported anOrthoceras from float downslope from Baldy, butatomodesmatinid fossils are less abundant here.
In east Nelson the Tramway Sandstone is conformablyoverlain by up to 700 m of poorly to locally well-bedded,green volcanogenic Little Ben Sandstone (Tml), but thisformation has not been recognised in the Matakitaki outlier.Thin dark grey siltstone beds and rare lenses ofconglomerate contain calcareous siltstone and limestonebut no fossils. The Little Ben Sandstone grades upwardsinto the generally thin-bedded or laminated, grey sandstoneand mudstone of the c. 1700 m thick Greville Formation(Tmg; Fig. 19a). The upper 200 m in east Nelson consistsof poorly bedded green sandstone, with thin, dark grey
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Figure 19 Maitai Group sedimentary rocks.
(a) Laminated fine-grained sandstone and mudstone ofthe Greville Formation east of Tophouse. Theconglomerate boulder is derived from the upper part ofthe formation.
(b) Finely bedded greenish grey sandstone and purplishred mudstone of the Waiua Formation, from BeebysKnob. Cross-bedding and other sedimentary featuresshow that the beds young upwards (southeast).
Figure 20 Moderately foliated and transposed Caples Group semischist east of Wether Hill in the Wairau valley.
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Star Formation (Ycs), comprising poorly bedded greensandstone with grey siltstone and mudstone beds,particularly in the upper part. To the west the overlyingWether Formation (Ycw) is bedded green sandstone andpurplish-red siltstone and mudstone. The youngest rocksin the sequence, the Ward Formation (Yca), are grey togreenish-grey sandstone and siltstone with subordinatethick, grey or green sandstone and grey mudstone. CaplesGroup sedimentary rocks are predominantly feldspathicwith abundant lithic (volcanic) rock fragments andsubordinate quartz.
In the Matakitaki outlier, and parts of the eastern Wairauvalley, rocks are mapped as undifferentiated Caples Group.In the Wairau valley these rocks have a weak southeast-dipping foliation that becomes more pronounced eastwardas the rocks grade into semischist (Fig. 20). The foliatedrocks have been mapped in textural zones (t.z. IIA, IIB; seebox). In lower Chrome Stream adjacent to the Wairau River,poorly exposed, crushed metavolcanic rock (basalt,gabbro) and phyllonite occur with green sandstone andred mudstone in fault contact with t.z. IIA and IIBsemischist to the north. In the Matakitaki outlier the groupcomprises massive to poorly bedded green and greysandstone and grey siltstone (Adamson 1966) that isweakly foliated (t.z. IIA). The Caples Group rocks gradefrom prehnite-pumpellyite facies into pumpellyite-actinolitefacies, and possibly into lower greenschist facies in thesouth adjacent to the Wairau River.
North of the Kaikoura map area the Caples Group containssparse, poorly preserved radiolaria, atomodesmatinidfragments, palynomorphs and leaves, that indicate a
Permian (?Late Permian) to Triassic age (Johnston 1996).Rb-Sr and K-Ar whole rock ages date regionalmetamorphism at about 200 Ma (Late Triassic to EarlyJurassic), and uplift and cooling at about 200–110 Ma(Jurassic to Early Cretaceous), indicating a minimum agefor deposition of the Caples Group (Adams & others 1999;Little & others 1999). Caples Group sediments were derivedfrom erosion of an andesite-dacite source area anddeposited in submarine fans in a trench slope and trenchenvironment.
Mesozoic mélange
The Patuki Mélange (Tmp) crops out extensively in thehead of Station Creek in the Matakitaki outlier and is up to1 km wide. The mélange is also present as fault-boundedslivers on the east side of the Red Hills between the DunMountain-Maitai and Caples terranes, where it is locallymore than 1 km wide but more typically <600 m wide.Another mélange zone about 1 km wide is present on thenorthwest side of the Red Hills and is inferred to be aninfaulted block of Patuki Mélange along the tectonicallycomplex contact between the Dun Mountain Ophiolite Beltand the Maitai Group (Johnston 1990). Blocks within themélange are dominantly grey siltstone or mudstone, butgabbro, basalt, ultramafic rocks and rare rodingite are alsopresent. Because the blocks are more resistant to erosionthan the sheared serpentinitic matrix, a characteristichummocky topography defines the mélanges on either sideof the Red Hills. The siltstone and mudstone blocks havebeen altered by the introduction of albite and tremolite toform argillite (or pakohe). The emplacement age of the PatukiMélange is poorly constrained but is no older than LateTriassic.
Textural zones
Textural subdivision is a useful method for mapping low grade metamorphic rocks and major structures withinthe Haast Schist. The textural zonation system established by Bishop (1974) has been revised by Turnbullet al. (2001). Textural zones (t.z.) separated by “isotects” are independent of metamorphic facies boundaries,and can cut across isograds or foliation.
Characteristics of these revised textural zones are:
t.z. I: Rocks retain their sedimentary (primary) appearance. Detrital grain texture is preserved, and bedding(when present) dominates outcrops. Metamorphic minerals may be present, but are very fine-grained (<75 µm),and there is no foliation.
t.z. IIA: Rocks retain their primary appearance and sedimentary texture, although detrital grains are flattened.Metamorphic minerals are fine-grained (<75 µm), and impart a weak cleavage to sandstones. Mudstones haveslaty cleavage. Bedding and foliation are equally dominant in outcrop. Rocks are termed semischist.
t.z. IIB: Rocks are well foliated, although primary sedimentary structures may still be seen. Bedding is transposedor flattened. Clastic grains are flattened and metamorphic overgrowths are visible in thin section. Metamorphicmica grain size is still <75 µm and metamorphic segregation appears. Mudstone is changed to phyllite; meta-sandstone is well foliated and forms parallel-sided slabs. Rocks are termed semischist.
t.z. III: Planar schistosity identified by metamorphic micas is developed in all rocks. Bedding is barelyrecognisable, and is transposed and parallel to foliation. Clastic grains may still be recognisable in sandstones,but are recrystallised and overgrown, and metamorphic segregation laminae are developed. Rocks are termedschist. Quartz veins develop parallel to foliation, or are rotated and flattened. Metamorphic micas are typicallyabout 75-125 µm long (very fine sand size).
t.z. IV: Primary sedimentary structures and clastic grains are destroyed at a mm-cm scale, although primarysedimentary units may be discernible in outcrop. Schistosity tends to be irregular due to porphyroblast growth.Metamorphic mica grain size is 125-500 µm. Schistosity and segregation are ubiquitous and rocks are termedschist. Gneissic textures may be developed. Quartz veins are abundant in most lithologies.
22
Torlesse composite terrane
The Torlesse composite terrane comprises predominantlyquartzofeldspathic indurated sedimentary rocks, commonlycalled greywacke, which range in age from Carboniferousto Early Cretaceous in the South Island, and Late Triassicto Early Cretaceous in the North Island. In the Kaikouramap area the composite terrane encompasses all of thebasement rocks southeast of the Alpine Fault to the easterncoast (Fig. 14). It includes the Rakaia and Pahau terranes(Bradshaw 1989), which can be distinguished from eachother on the basis of petrographic, geochemical, isotopicand age differences (Andrews & others 1976; Mackinnon1983; Roser & Korsch 1999; Adams 2003). The two terranesare separated by the Esk Head belt which consists ofdeformed elements of both terranes and locallyallochthonous lithologies.
Rakaia terrane
Late Triassic sedimentary rocks
Grey, indurated, quartzofeldspathic sandstone (greywacke)and mudstone (argillite) of the Rakaia terrane (Tt) occurin the Southern Alps within the Kaikoura map area. Formallithostratigraphic groups within the terrane have beenproposed, for example, Mt Robert and Peanter groups(Johnston 1990) but their geographical extents are notknown outside their mapped areas. In keeping with adjacentQMAP sheets no lithostratigraphic groups have beenadopted for the Rakaia terrane of the Kaikoura map. Rakaiaterrane sandstones are typically poorly to moderatelysorted, fine- to medium-grained, and contain abundantlithic clasts of felsic igneous and sedimentary rock.Sedimentary lithotypes (facies) are dominated by thick tovery thick, poorly bedded sandstone and thin- to medium-bedded, graded sandstone and mudstone (Fig. 21; Andrews& others 1976). The graded-bedded lithotype is generally
dominated by sandstone, commonly well graded with crossbedding, sole markings and ripples. Thick mudstone beds,with or without thin- to medium-bedded sandstone, areless common in the map area. Calcareous lenses up to0.6 m in length and rare phosphatic nodules occur rarely inthe graded-bedded lithotype. Locally within the sandstoneare angular, unsorted rip-up fragments of grey mudstone,and comminuted leaf and wood fragments that formcarbonaceous laminations. Conglomerate (Ttc) occurssparingly and is more obvious in river boulders than inoutcrop. Thicker lenses of conglomerate are present onthe Travers, Ella and Mahanga ranges and Emily Peaks(Rose 1986; Johnston 1990). The clasts range from sub-angular to well-rounded and are dominated by pebble- tocobble-sized indurated quartzo-feldspathic sandstone andmudstone, with lesser amounts of felsic igneous andquartz-rich metamorphic rocks.
Distinctively coloured mudstone (Ttv) is a minor rock typein the map area. The mudstones are typically dark red tobrown or pale green to grey, the difference reflecting theoxidation state of contained iron (Roser & Grapes 1990).The red and green mudstone occurs in bands up to severalhundred metres thick (Fig. 22), commonly associated withdark grey mudstone, sandstone, minor basalt, chert andrare limestone. These bands are one of the few distinctmarker horizons within the Rakaia terrane that can be usedto map regional structural trends. One prominent band,locally offset by strike-slip faults, extends for over 90 kmthrough the map area, and continues for at least another50 km southwest towards Arthurs Pass (Nathan & others2002). The basalt, of tholeiitic composition, occurs as red,green or grey bands or lenses, commonly with pillow form.It is generally accompanied by purplish red to red, white orgrey chert that may form layers up to several metres thick.The basalt and/or chert are rarely more than a few tens ofmetres thick or several hundred metres in length.
Figure 21 Thin- to medium-beddedsandstone and mudstone inter-layered with very thick-beddedsandstone of the Rakaia terrane onthe St Arnaud Range near RainbowSkifield. Bedding-parallel shearinghas caused the changes in bedthickness.
23
Fossils are rare in the Rakaia terrane. Although trace fossilsare the most common, they are of limited use for datingpurposes. Microfossils, including radiolaria andconodonts, occur in relatively rare rock types such as chertand limestone. In the St Arnaud Range, east of Lake Rotoiti,scattered macrofossils occur in poorly sorted siltstonewithin graded-bedded lithotype rocks (Campbell 1983).Monotis (Inflatomonotis) cf hemispherica Trechmann,Monotis sp. indet. and Hokonuia limaeformis Trechmann,of Warepan (Late Triassic) age, have been formallydescribed (Campbell 1983).
The Rakaia terrane contains zones of deformed rocks (Ttm)that have preferentially developed in the graded-beddedlithotype, and which range in width from less than a metreto over a kilometre. The zones are characterised by layer-parallel extension resulting in pinching and swelling ofindividual beds to form sandstone boudins in a pervasivelysheared mudstone. Quartz veining is widespread,particularly where a weak shear fabric has developed (Fig.23). The zones are commonly referred to as brokenformation, or as mélange where “exotic” rock types arepresent. Although generally poorly exposed, some zonescan be traced for many kilometres. Contacts with thesurrounding Rakaia rocks typically show a gradationalchange in the shearing intensity, except where separatedby younger faults.
Rakaia terrane rocks are difficult to interpret because ofstructural complexity, multiple folding events, few markerhorizons, poor age control and widespread shearing andfaulting. Fold hinges are rarely preserved but widespreadmacroscopic folding can be inferred from sedimentaryyounging reversals. Slaty cleavage and fracture cleavageare weakly developed in finer grained lithologies and rangefrom parallel or sub-parallel, to locally oblique to bedding.Burial and deformation have metamorphosed the non-schistose Rakaia rocks to zeolite facies in the east,increasing to prehnite-pumpellyite facies in the northwest.A 206 Ma Rb-Sr isochron from Rakaia terrane rocks at LewisPass is interpreted to date Late Triassic burial and regionalmetamorphism (Adams & Maas 2004) whereas K-Ar dataranging mostly between 133 and 170 Ma reflect progressiveuplift and cooling in the Jurassic (Adams 2003).
Two depositional environments for the Rakaia terraneclastic rocks have been inferred. These are large, deepsubmarine fans fed by channelised turbidity currents(Howell 1980; Johnston 1990) and relatively shallow-waterfan-deltas (Andrews 1974). It is possible that bothenvironments may have been operating at different timesand/or locations (Andrews & others 1976).
Figure 22 Red and greenmudstone occurs as a minor butwidespread Rakaia terrane rocktype, usually interlayered with thin-bedded graded sandstone andmudstone. This partly shearedexample from Henry River is part ofa semi-continuous band up to400 m wide that extends over 140km strike length.
Figure 23 Rakaia terrane brokenformation is characterised bydiscontinuous lenses ofsandstone in a shearedmudstone matrix, with numerousthin quartz veins. Rainbow Skifieldaccess road, St Arnaud Range.
24
Permian to Late Triassic semischist and schist
The Rakaia terrane rocks are increasingly metamorphosedto semischist and schist of the Alpine Schist (Fig. 24a, b)northwest towards the Alpine Fault. The metamorphosedrocks are subdivided into textural zones (IIA, IIB, III; seetext box) after Bishop (1974) and Turnbull & others (2001).The schists grade westwards from quartz-albite-muscovite-chlorite through biotite-albite-oligoclase to garnet zonemineral assemblages within greenschist facies. Bands ofgreenschist (Ttg; Fig. 24c), rarely thicker than 10 m andgenerally of limited strike length, occur in places. Thegreenschist bands are metamorphosed igneous rocks,possibly originally tuffs, dikes, sills or flows. Thedepositional age of the semischist and schist protolith isassumed to be Late Triassic based on the fossils from lessmetamorphosed (t.z. 1) rocks in the St Arnaud Range and30 km west of the Kaikoura map area (Wellman & others1952).
The Aspiring lithologic association (Ya) is the protolith ofa strip of t.z. III schist adjacent to the Alpine Fault that isabout 2 km wide in the southwest and is obliquely truncatedby the Alpine Fault between the Glenroy and Matakitakirivers. Although largely derived from quartzofeldspathic
sedimentary rocks, it contains more mudstone than otherRakaia terrane rocks, and has numerous bands ofgreenschist derived from mafic igneous rocks and rare chert.The southeastern contact with the sandstone-dominatedRakaia terrane schist is probably a ductile shear zone(Nathan & others 2002). The depositional age of theAspiring lithologic association is poorly constrained inthe northern South Island, and the Permian age inferredfor the association in northwest Otago (Turnbull 2000)has been adopted for the Kaikoura map area.
Metamorphism of Rakaia terrane rocks to schist occurredabout 210 Ma (Late Triassic), followed by uplift and coolingbetween 200 and 110 Ma (Jurassic to Early Cretaceous;Little & others 1999; Adams 2003). Fission track apatiteand zircon data suggest more than 10 km uplift of the schistaround Lewis Pass since 5 Ma (Tippett & Kamp 1993;Kamp & others 1989).
Within 1–2 km of the Alpine Fault southwest of LakeRotoroa, non-schistose Rakaia terrane becomesincreasingly tectonised with the development of apronounced shear foliation and cleavage. The tectonismand foliation result from Late Cenozoic movement of theAlpine Fault (Challis & others 1994).
Figure 24 The Rakaia terrane is increasingly metamorphosed west towards the Alpine Fault. (a) t.z. IIB semischistshowing strong intersection lineation between transposed bedding (light and dark bands) and penetrative cleavage(parallel to slope) near Mt Mueller. Photo: P.J. Forsyth.
(b) Folded t.z. III schist showing relict mudstone (dark bands in centre) with injected quartz veins (pale), NardooStream headwaters. Photo: I.M. Turnbull.
(c) Greenschist comprising t.z. III metamorphosed volcanic tuffs, shown here in Branch Creek, is common in theAspiring lithologic association. Photo: I.M. Turnbull.
25
Pahau terrane
Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous sedimentary andvolcanic rocks
The Pahau terrane forms the bulk of the basement rocksin the Kaikoura map area. Formal lithostratigraphic groupswithin the terrane have been proposed, for example,Waihopai Group (Johnston 1990) and Pahau River Group(Bassett & Orlowski 2004) but the geographical extent ofthese groups is not yet clear and they have not beenadopted in this map. As with the Rakaia terrane, Pahauterrane is dominated by indurated, grey, quartzofeldspathic,thin- to medium-bedded and commonly graded sandstoneand mudstone, and poorly bedded, very thick-beddedsandstone lithotypes (Ktp; Andrews & others 1976).These rocks are collectively (and loosely) termedgreywacke. Other rock types include conglomerate, greensandstone, purplish red and green mudstone, sparselimestone and, particularly in the northeast, basalt anddolerite. The Pahau sandstones are generally slightly lighterin colour and have a more “sugary” appearance than similarlow-grade Rakaia terrane sandstone. Pahau terrane rocksalso differ in that they locally contain more carbonaceousmatter, conglomerate bands and volcanic rocks.
Within the Pahau terrane the graded bedded lithotype (Fig.25) is commonly planar and relatively undisrupted overlarge areas. The poorly bedded to massive, very thick-
bedded sandstone lithotype is up to several kilometresthick with the larger beds traceable over tens of kilometres.Conglomerate lenses (Ktc) are present throughout theterrane but are volumetrically significant only locally e.g.in the upper Pahau and Hossack rivers. The conglomeratesare generally poorly sorted with sub-rounded to roundedgranule to pebble size clasts enclosed in a sandstone matrix.The clasts are dominated by quartzofeldspathic sandstone,mudstone, volcanics, granitoids, quartz and chert and thevolcanic clasts include rhyolite, dacite, andesite and basalt(Smale 1978; Johnston 1990; Reay 1993; Bassett & Orlowski2004; Wandres & others 2004).
Calcareous concretions, up to 0.3 m across, are distributedsparsely throughout the Pahau terrane. The gradedsandstone and mudstone lithotype, particularly wheremudstone is dominant, contains concretionary lenses,generally less than 10 cm thick, composed of dark grey,very fine-grained limestone. These, and rare phosphaticnodules, contain variably preserved dinoflagellates.
Igneous rocks (Ktv), consisting of basalt and dolerite, arepresent as flows and sills up to 2 km thick from the head ofthe Avon valley to the lower Awatere valley, and as lesscontinuous, thinner bands farther south (Fig. 26a). Theflow rocks are commonly pillowed and include tuffaceoushorizons and thin igneous breccia. They are usuallyaccompanied by green and red tuffaceous mudstone (Fig.26b), red and white chert (Ktt) and, locally, limestone.
Figure 25 The Pahau terrane contains large areas of coherent sub-parallel strata comprising two dominant sedimentaryfacies: thick-bedded sandstone (centre) and thin-bedded graded sandstone and mudstone. Middle Clarence Rivergorge downstream of Dillon River.
Photo: C. Mazengarb.
26
Zones of intra-Pahau mélange, characterised by relativelyabundant boudins of mafic volcanic rock, chert and redand green mudstone (Fig. 26c), occur widely and are inplaces large enough to map separately (Ktm). A zone ofrelatively sheared rocks, up to 7 km wide in the Waihopaivalley, extends south to the Awatere Fault. Anotherprominent zone, up to 10 km wide, in the Cheviot-Waiauarea separates planar-bedded northeast-striking Pahaurocks in the Lowry Peaks Range from northwest-strikingPahau rocks in the Hawkswood Range. This zone extendsinto the Kaiwara valley where it has been termed theRandom Spur Mélange (Bandel & others 2000). Thesezones have Late Triassic and Early Jurassic faunas andEarly Cretaceous microflora.
Fossils in the Pahau terrane are sparse and poorly preserved(Andrews & others 1976). Plant remains, althoughwidespread, are largely comminuted and indeterminate. Inthe Leatham valley (N29/f44) plant fragments are betterpreserved and include Taeniopteris cf daintreei,?Fraxinopsis sp., a gymnosperm seed, and fern-likepinnules. Basaltic conglomerate in the Leatham valley (N29/f94) is fossiliferous but few species are recognisable(Johnston 1990). Dinoflagellates preserved within some ofthe thin calcareous mudstone beds indicate that the Pahaurocks are predominantly Early Cretaceous, but may belocally as old as Late Jurassic (G.J. Wilson pers. comm.2004). Bivalves including Buchia, Anopaea and“Inoceramus” as well as belemnites of the genusHibolithes occur in the Clarence River (Reay 1993) andindicate an Early Cretaceous age.
Outside the mélange zones there is little variation and nosystematic change in sedimentation age across the entire>70 km width of Pahau terrane in the map area. Togetherwith the widespread steep dips, inconsistent youngingdirections, rarely preserved large fold hinges and relativelyuniform metamorphic grade, this suggests that the Pahauterrane consists of imbricated slices and/or recumbent foldsof largely Early Cretaceous rock, locally incorporated withmélange containing rocks as old as Late Triassic.
The environment of deposition of the clastic rocks of Pahauterrane, like the Rakaia terrane, has been interpreted asdeep water submarine fans (Johnston 1990; Reay 1993)and marginal marine fan-deltas (Bassett & Orlowski 2004).It is also possible that both environments may have beenpresent at different locations and at different stratigraphiclevels and times (Andrews & others 1976).
The metamorphic grade of Pahau terrane in the map areavaries between zeolite facies (Reay 1993) and prehnite-pumpellyite facies (Bradshaw 1972; Crampton 1988;Johnston 1990). Local hornfelsing of the Pahau terranerocks (Kth) occurs adjacent to mafic intrusions at Tapuae-o-Uenuku and Blue Mountain.
Figure 26 (a) Basalt, here showing relict pillow structure,occurs sporadically within Pahau terrane, SeawardKaikoura Range.
Photo: M. J. Isaac.
(b) Red mudstone beds with scattered red chert horizons,within a northwest-dipping and -younging succession offinely bedded, sheared grey sandstone-mudstone of thePahau terrane, southeast face of Barometer, Awaterevalley.
(c) Broken formation and mélange occur widely in thePahau terrane of the Seaward Kaikoura Range.
27
Esk Head belt
Late Triassic to Early Cretaceous sedimentary andvolcanic rocks
The generally well-bedded Pahau terrane is separated fromthe Rakaia terrane by a zone of more sheared rocks, theEsk Head belt (Te, after Begg & Johnston 2000). The zonehas also been named the Central Belt (Johnston 1990) andthe Esk Head subterrane (Silberling & others 1988),incorporating the Esk Head Mélange of Bradshaw (1973).Although significant zones of mélange (Tem) with blocksof “exotic” material such as limestone, basalt and chert arepresent, the belt is composed largely of mixed, weakly tostrongly deformed Rakaia and Pahau rocks. The belt is upto 20 km wide in the northern and southern parts of theKaikoura map area but is narrower in the central part, dueto subsequent faulting. The Esk Head belt is also offset bystrike-slip movement on numerous faults of theMarlborough Fault System.
Deformation within the Esk Head belt is highly variabledue to the degree of tectonism and differences in thecompetency of the rocks. Well-bedded graded sandstoneand mudstone which have had significant layer-parallelshearing are termed broken formation, or where exotic rocktypes are present, mélange. The sandstone beds and othercompetent rock types have undergone relatively brittledeformation and form boudins or discontinuous lozenges(Fig. 27). Preferential erosion of the sheared envelopingmudstone matrix has resulted in hill crests with numerouspinnacles. Large areas dominated by poorly beddedsandstone occur between the Hurunui River and the upper
Wairau valley and lack the layer-parallel shearing usuallyassociated with the belt elsewhere.
The main rock types within the Esk Head belt arequartzofeldspathic sedimentary rocks, incorporated fromthe Rakaia and Pahau terranes. Alternating sandstone andmudstone sequences and thick, poorly bedded to massivesandstone are dominant, but minor conglomerate and otherlithologies are also present. Chert, with associatedgreenish-grey sandstone and red mudstone, igneous rocks(Tev) and limestone (Tel) are common within fault zonesand generally more abundant within the Esk Head beltthan in the less deformed Rakaia and Pahau terrane rocks.Igneous rocks include gabbro, green dolerite and reddish-purple basalt, some with pillow structures. Along theeastern margin of the Esk Head belt, in the Leatham valley,thin and discontinuous lenses of grey to white, crystallinelimestone are present. The limestone is locally fossiliferousand may be part of a dismembered seamount (Johnston1990). In the north, phyllonitic rocks of the SilverstreamFault Zone separate Rakaia- and Pahau-derived parts ofthe Esk Head belt (Johnston 1990).
Fossils are sparse in the Esk Head belt but the limestone inthe Leatham valley contains a restricted macrofaunaindicating a Jurassic or Early Cretaceous age. Limestonein the Okuku River contains fossils including Monotis,possible “Inoceramus” and a Late Jurassic belemnite(Bradshaw 1973). Other limestones in the map area containMonotis, radiolaria and conodonts of Late Triassic age(Silberling & others 1988). Chert contains radiolaria of LateTriassic to Jurassic age and may represent part of theseafloor basement to the younger quartzofeldspathic rocksof the Pahau terrane (Johnston 1990).
Figure 27 Broken formationresulting from deformationof the thin-bedded gradedsandstone and mudstonelithotype is common in theEsk Head belt. The lenticularand discontinuoussandstone boudins areenveloped in shearedmudstone, shown here inthe lower Leatham River.
28
Figure 28 Late Early Cretaceous and Cenozoic stratigraphy of the eastern part of the Kaikoura map area highlightingareas of deposition and non-deposition (grey background). In some areas, intervening erosion has probably removedstratigraphic units. A large number of stratigraphic units have been described and formalised within the area but many(shown with asterisks) have not been used in this publication. After Field, Browne & others (1989), Field, Uruski &others (1997).
Champagne Totara*
Split Rock
WintertonGladstone
Warder
Bluff
LookoutGridiron
Willows*
Bluff
Nidd*Burnt
Creek*
Hungry Hill*
Warder
Tarapuhi*
Okarahia* Paton
Conway*
Stanton*
Broken River*
Broken River*
Conway*
Loburn*
Conway*
Lagoon Stream*
Waipara*Waipara*
Ashley*Ashley*
Homebush*
Karetu*
Karetu*Homebush*
Ashley*
Amuri
Amuri
Amuri
Grasseed
Mead Hill
Weka Pass*
Hanmer*
Weka Pass*
Isolated Hill*
Tekoa*
Spyglass*
Spyglass*
Whalesback*
Waima
Waikari
Mt Brown
Glenesk*
Waikari
Scargill*
Pahau*
Waikari
Mt Brown
Greta
Tekoa*
KowaiKowai
Greta
Whanganui*
MedwayUpton
Starborough
WaikariWaima
Pahau
Mandamus
Gra
ssm
ere
/
Cap
eC
am
pb
ell
Aw
ate
reV
alle
y
Ke
ke
ren
gu
Cla
ren
ce
Valle
y
Man
gam
au
nu
Kaik
ou
ra
Mo
nke
yF
ace
Parn
assu
s
Hau
mu
ri
Waia
u
Ch
evio
t
Cu
lve
rde
n
Han
me
r
Man
dam
us
Waik
ari
Gre
ta
Wan
dle
/
Mt
Co
okso
n
SW NE
ero
sio
no
rn
on
-de
po
sit
ion
Marshall Paraconformity
?
?
Awatere
Motunau
Muzzle
Seymour
Eyre
Cookson
Motunau
Tekoa*
Hapuku
GroupGroup
No group
Coverham
Pale
oce
ne
Late
Cre
tace
ou
sE
oce
ne
Olig
Mio
ce
ne
Pliocene
Pleistocene
Earl
yC
reta
ce
ou
s
0
1.7
5.3
99
65
56
34
24
Tapuae-nuku
Branch*
Woodside*
Fells*
Claverley*
lower limestone*
lower marl*
upper limestone*
upper marl*
Teredo*
Pahau
terrane
?
?
?
Wallow
Ess Creek*
Herring* Mirza* Butt*Woolshed*
29
CRETACEOUS TO PLIOCENE
Following amalgamation of the basement terranes and afterthe mid-Cretaceous cessation of convergent margintectonics along the Gondwanaland margin, much of theNew Zealand area was uplifted and then eroded to a low-lying landscape. This landscape was subject to extensionas the Tasman Sea opened and the New Zealand continentseparated from Gondwanaland in the late Early Cretaceous.In the west, there was extensive pluton intrusion followedby rifting and the development of sedimentary basins(Bishop & Buchanan 1995; King & Thrasher 1996).Opening of the Tasman Sea ceased in the Paleocene andthe New Zealand area entered a period of prolonged tectonicstability coupled with subsidence and, in the east,widespread marine sedimentation. In the Kaikoura map areathese conditions persisted until the Miocene, when acompressional tectonic regime was initiated as theboundary between the Australian and Pacific platespropagated through New Zealand. Rapid uplift andconsequent erosion provided a vast amount of sedimentthat filled developing basins adjacent to major strike-slipfaults.
With the exception of a small area of Late Cretaceousconglomerate in the Moutere Depression, all of the LateCretaceous to Middle Eocene rocks in the Kaikoura maparea occur southeast of the Alpine Fault. These rocks cropout in two geographically distinct areas, easternMarlborough and northern Canterbury. Despite manygeological similarities, the two areas have acquired twoseparate systems of stratigraphic nomenclature (Fig. 28)although some rationalisation has been attempted (Field,
Browne & others 1989; Field, Uruski & others 1997). Withinboth areas there are many formalised formations andmembers that have been defined on key stratigraphicsections but are difficult to map out areally. The followingdescriptions refer to many of these stratigraphic units butonly the bold named units are distinguished on the map.Where formations are thin, in areas that are geologicallycomplex, and offshore, the rocks are mapped asundifferentiated Late Cretaceous (lK), Paleocene-Eocene(PE), Oligocene (O) or Miocene (M).
Cretaceous sedimentary and volcanic rocks
Cretaceous rocks are locally well preserved inMarlborough. In the middle Awatere valley and thenorthern Clarence valley, a late Early Cretaceoussuccession is preserved that has elsewhere presumablybeen eroded or was never deposited.
The earliest confirmed post-Pahau deposition is that ofthe Champagne Formation (Kcc; Ritchie and Bradshaw1985; Crampton & others 1998) of the Coverham Group(Kc; Lensen 1978). The Champagne Formation is exposedin a narrow, 10 km long band in the middle Clarence valley,from Ouse Stream (Fig. 29) to Dee Stream and in WharekiriStream (too small to be shown on the map). It consists ofhighly deformed sandstone, mudstone and minorconglomerate, typically with boudinage of sandstone beds,faults, asymmetric folds, remobilisation of mud from foldhinges and soft-sediment deformation (Crampton & others1998). The Champagne Formation unconformably overliesPahau terrane and its base is late Early Cretaceous(Crampton & others 2004).
Basement versus cover
Despite a wealth of previous work, the stratigraphic location of the top of the Torlesse composite terrane in NewZealand is difficult to pinpoint. For example, in the East Cape region, the contact between Early Cretaceous(Korangan) Torlesse Waioeka terrane and overlying Early Cretaceous “cover” rocks is a fault, a high angleunconformity or series of unconformities, an olistostrome breccia, or a channelled contact (Laird & Bradshaw1996; Mazengarb & Speden 2000). In the Wairarapa region, Early Cretaceous (Motuan) Pahaoa Group isplaced within the Torlesse composite terrane and the oldest overlying “cover” rocks are also of Motuan age (Lee& Begg 2002). Radiometric dating of zircons from both below and above the unconformity yields ages of c. 100Ma (Laird & Bradshaw 2004) suggesting derivation from the same or similar-aged source rocks or recycling ofthe zircons.
In Marlborough the contact cannot always be defined on the basis of metamorphic grade, degree of indurationor by changes in clastic composition (Montague 1981; Powell 1985). Fossils are rarely preserved in the Pahauterrane and these rocks are comparatively poorly dated. Lensen (1962) included latest Early Cretaceous(Motuan) rocks within the Torlesse composite terrane and Field, Uruski & others (1997) state that a regionalunconformity exists between older and younger, more fossiliferous rocks, but that rocks both above and belowthe unconformity are Motuan in age. This implies that the “regional unconformity” was intra-Motuan and of veryshort duration in Marlborough, even though bedding discordance across the unconformity can be marked.Crampton & others (2004) show no significant stratigraphic break during the Motuan at Coverham, in theClarence valley, but they note the presence of older late Early Cretaceous unconformities (intra-Urutawan).
A mid-Cretaceous unconformity is widespread throughout New Zealand. The diachronous nature of theunconformity surface (Laird & Bradshaw 2004) in Marlborough probably reflects ongoing deposition in localised,syntectonic basins adjacent to areas of uplift and erosion. However, there are many locations where a clearerstratigraphic break is apparent, i.e. where the Pahau terrane is overlain by significantly younger Cretaceous orCenozoic rocks.
30
The Split Rock Formation (Kcs) is preserved in a fault-angle depression on the footwall of the Clarence Fault(Suggate 1958). Except in the northeast where it liesunconformably on Champagne Formation, Split RockFormation rests on Pahau terrane with sharp angulardiscordance. The formation includes basal, mass flowconglomerate overlain by mudstone and locally ridge-forming sandstone, and interbedded sandstone andmudstone (Reay 1987, 1993; Crampton & others 1998; Fig.30). In the northeast Clarence valley, the upper part of theformation consists of poorly bedded to massive, laminatedmudstone containing abundant concretions and minorsandstone beds (Crampton & others 1998, 2004). The SplitRock Formation is no older than middle Early Cretaceous(Korangan; Reay 1993) and is as young as earliest LateCretaceous (Ngaterian; Crampton & others 2004).
In the Awatere valley, Coverham Group rocks are preservedin a fault angle depression to the south of the AwatereFault. The late Early Cretaceous Gladstone Formation(Kcg; Challis 1966) is exposed east of Mt Lookout betweenthe Awatere and Winterton rivers. The formation comprisespoorly fossiliferous, indurated conglomerate, sandstone,siltstone and mudstone and it becomes finer grained up-
Figure 30 The Split Rock Formation(Coverham Group) in Wharekiri Streamshowing internal slump-relateddeformation and brittle faulting.
Photo: J.S. Crampton.
Figure 29 Typically deformedChampagne Formation in OuseStream. Soft sediment folding has beenoverprinted by brittle shearing and fault-related folding. Scale bar is 1 m.
Photo: J.S. Crampton.
section. Localised slump-folding is common (Montague1981) and the formation unconformably overlies Pahauterrane, commonly with minor shearing along the contact.
The overlying Winterton Formation (Kcw; Challis 1966),of latest Early Cretaceous (Motuan) age, is preserved tothe south, east and northeast of Mt Lookout withcorrelative rocks exposed to the northeast in the middleAwatere valley and Penk River (Montague 1981). Itconsists of laterally discontinuous lenses of moderatelyindurated, mildly deformed conglomerate and siltstone. Theformation onlaps and unconformably overlies Pahauterrane and Gladstone Formation.
The Coverham Group is interpreted to represent parts of afan-delta complex that filled local, fault-controlled basins.Collectively, the Gladstone and Winterton formationscontain three fining upward successions that are typicalof fan-delta complexes associated with faults (Laird 1992).The Mt Lookout and Penk River successions formed inseparate, unconnected half-grabens (Lewis & Laird 1986).The Coverham Group fills channels and canyons cut intothe underlying Pahau terrane and is locally up to 800 mthick (Laird 1981, Montague 1981; Powell 1985; Reay 1993).
31
The Wallow Group (Kw; Reay 1993) includes fluvial,terrestrial and shallow marine deposits that locallyinterfinger with subaerial basalt flows. The group cropsout in the northern half of the Kaikoura map area from theAwatere valley in the west to Monkey Face in the east(Crampton 1988; Reay 1993; Warren 1995) and is wellpreserved in the middle Clarence valley. The earliest LateCretaceous Warder Formation (Kww; Fig. 31) consists ofmoderately indurated, non-marine sandstone, siltstone,minor conglomerate lenses, thin coal seams and lake siltdeposits (Browne & Reay 1993). The formationunconformably overlies Pahau terrane or Split RockFormation (Reay 1993; Crampton & others 2004) and wasdeposited in a fluvial, coastal plain environment.
The earliest Late Cretaceous Gridiron Formation (Kwg;Suggate 1958; Reay 1993) encompasses the volcanic partof the Wallow Group in the middle Clarence valley. Itincludes subaerial basalt flows, pillow basalt andvolcanogenic conglomerate, breccias, dikes and sills (Fig.31). The lavas include alkaline basalt to trachybasalt, withminor olivine basalt (Reay 1993). The lower flows of theGridiron Formation are locally interbedded with the WarderFormation, and elsewhere the flows lie on the laterallycorrelative Bluff Sandstone (see below). The lowest lavaflows have been K-Ar dated at 93–99 Ma (Reay 1993) andAr/Ar dated at 96 Ma (Crampton & others 2004).
The Bluff Sandstone (Kwb; Reay 1993) is dominated bymassive and thick-bedded sandstone but also includesconglomerate and alternating sandstone and mudstoneand is locally carbonaceous. The conglomerate clasts arecobble to boulder-size and include Pahau sandstone, chert,vein quartz, jasper, rhyolite, granite and basalt (Reay 1993).The Bluff Sandstone conformably overlies WarderFormation or is locally interstratified with the upper part of
the Gridiron Formation; elsewhere it overlies Pahau terraneor Split Rock Formation with angular unconformity. Sparsemacrofossils indicate an early Late Cretaceous age (Reay1993). Crampton (1988) suggested that the base of the BluffSandstone may be diachronous, being Ngaterian in thewest and as old as late Motuan in the east near MonkeyFace. The depositional environment of Bluff Sandstone isinterpreted as a marginal to shallow marine fan-delta (Reay1993) in an asymmetrically subsiding basin (Crampton1988).
The Lookout Formation (Kwl; Challis 1960, 1966;Montague 1981) comprises basal pebble conglomerate andcoal measures overlain by extensive volcanic flows (Fig.32). It crops out extensively around Mt. Lookout andextends discontinuously as fault-bounded slivers for
Figure 31 Interbedded sandstone and mudstone of the Warder Formation overlain by columnar jointed basalt flowsof the Gridiron Formation (both Wallow Group) in Seymour Stream.
Photo CN4895: D.L. Homer.
Figure 32 Multiple basaltic flows with interbeddedsandstone and rare conglomerate of the LookoutFormation (Wallow Group), Castle River, Awatere valley.
Photo: M.J. Isaac.
32
30 km along the Awatere valley to the northeast (Allen1962). Extrusive trachybasalt and trachyandesite areinterbedded with volcanic conglomerates, sandstone andlimestone lenses (Weaver & Pankhurst 1991). In the lowerpart of the formation, the flows are terrestrial, but near thetop pillow basalts are interbedded with marine tuffs (Challis1966). The flows are petrologically similar to theTapuaenuku Intrusive Complex (see below). The LookoutFormation and Gridiron Formation volcanics are inferredto have been fed by numerous basanitic dikes emanatingfrom the Mt Tapuae-o-Uenuku intrusion during the earliestLate Cretaceous.
The Hapuku Group (Kh; Laird & others 1994) crops outbetween the Hapuku and Kekerengu rivers and in thenortheast Clarence valley. Near Ouse Stream, the HapukuGroup is structurally subdivided by the synsedimentaryOuse Fault. West of the fault the group consists of theNidd and Willows formations and other unnamedsedimentary rocks. The Willows Formation comprisespurplish-brown, epiclastic conglomerate of basalticcomposition (Reay 1993). The Nidd Formation (Lensen1978) is preserved as fault-bounded slivers southeast ofthe Clarence Fault and comprises richly fossiliferous,weakly bedded, purple-brown siltstone to very fine-grainedsandstone, commonly glauconitic and burrowed. West ofthe Ouse Fault the Hapuku Group rests with erosionalcontact on the Wallow Group.
East of the Ouse Fault, Hapuku Group consists of the BurntCreek Formation (Lensen 1978). The formation has basalpoorly sorted, clast-supported conglomerates containingclasts of sandstone, mudstone, quartzite, chert, and felsicvolcanic and plutonic rocks. These conglomerates gradeupwards into pebbly mudstone, sandstone and siltstone(Fig. 33). The Burnt Creek Formation lies with sharp angularunconformity on Pahau terrane and it is inferred to havebeen deposited in a tectonically controlled basin in themiddle Late Cretaceous (Crampton and Laird 1997).
The Seymour Group occurs in the northern part of theKaikoura map area between Cape Campbell and WhalesBack, north of Waiau. The middle Late Cretaceous
(Piripauan) Paton Formation (Kyp; Webb 1971) consistsof glauconitic, fine- to medium-grained sandstone andgraded sandstone and siltstone. The formation iscommonly bioturbated and locally contains abundantinoceramid fossils, as fragments or as whole valves. ThePaton Formation unconformably overlies Bluff Sandstone(Reay 1993), is locally scoured into the Hapuku Group(Crampton and Laird 1997), or conformably andgradationally overlies the Burnt Creek Formation (Field,Uruski & others 1997). The formation is inferred to haveformed in an inner to mid-shelf environment, based onsedimentary structures and dinoflagellates (Laird 1992;Schiøler & others 2002).
Undifferentiated rocks of the Seymour Group (Ky) includelatest Cretaceous (Haumurian) Herring and Woolshedformations, and to the east of the London Hill Fault, theButt and Mirza formations (Suggate & others 1978; seebelow). Collectively, these rocks are time-equivalents ofthe Whangai Formation of the North Island’s East Coast(Lee & Begg 2002). In the Clarence valley-Kekerengu area,Herring Formation overlies Paton Formation with a sharpcontact. It is predominantly a light grey, sulphurous muddysiltstone interbedded with pale, well-sorted fine sandstone.The formation has a characteristic rusty brown appearancewhen weathered, due to iron staining leaching from jointplanes. Jarosite staining and pyrite nodules are common.The formation commonly contains spectacular ovoidconcretions, up to 3 m diameter (Reay 1993), and locallyabundant sandstone dikes. Microfossils indicate a mid- toouter shelf environment of deposition (Schiøler & others2002; Crampton & others 2003). The Woolshed Formation(Fig. 34a) is a local facies variant exposed north ofKekerengu and consists of muddy siltstone containingabundant concretions (Suggate & others 1978).
In the Ward coastal area, east of the London Hill Fault, theupper Seymour Group includes conglomerates, slumpedhorizons and channelled sandstone bodies of the MirzaFormation (Suggate & others 1978), white micritic limestone(Flaxbourne Limestone) and turbidites deposited bysediment gravity flow processes (the Butt Formation (Fig.34b); Laird & Schiøler 2005; Hollis & others 2005b). Thestratigraphy east of the London Hill Fault more closelyresembles that of Late Cretaceous rocks of the Wairarapaarea, rather than Marlborough (Laird & Schiøler 2005).
From the Clarence valley to the coast, the uppermostSeymour Group includes latest Cretaceous BranchSandstone, which overlies the Herring Formation withsharp but conformable contact. The formation consists ofmassive, well-sorted, muddy fine sandstone, typicallyabout 10 m thick, but locally up to 40 m, and is interpretedas an offshore sand bar (Reay 1993).
South of Kaikoura, Late Cretaceous rocks equivalent inage to the Seymour Group are mapped as the lower part ofthe Eyre Group (lKe; Warren & Speden 1978; Browne &Field 1985; Andrews & others 1987; Warren 1995; Fig. 28).Undifferentiated Eyre Group (KEe) may also includeCretaceous sedimentary rock, where it is too thin to
Figure 33 The Burnt Creek Formation siltstone andsandstone in Ouse Stream are typical of the upperHapuku Group.
Photo: J.S. Crampton.
33
distinguish from the upper part of the group. In the HaumuriBluffs-Parnassus area, the lower part of the Eyre Groupincludes quartzose sandstone, thin conglomerate beds,calcareous and carbonaceous beds and granuleconglomerate (Okarahia Sandstone and Tarapuhi Grit).These coarse clastic rocks grade up into 240 m of massive,jarositic, grey siltstone to very fine-grained sandstone ofthe Late Cretaceous Conway Formation (Warren 1995; Fig.35), in which sub-spherical concretions up to 5 m in diameterare common (Browne 1985). Overlying the ConwayFormation, the Claverley Sandstone (Warren & Speden1978) constitutes up to 40 m of poorly bedded, yellow-grey glauconitic sandstone. Dinoflagellates indicate a mid-Haumurian age near the base and a late Haumurian-earlyTeurian age near the top (Warren 1995).
Inland, north of Waiau, Late Cretaceous Eyre Groupincludes conglomerate, comprising well-rounded clasts ofPahau-derived sandstone, quartzite, rhyolite, granite andschist (Stanton Conglomerate; Browne & Field 1985).Sparse plant fossils and pieces of coalified or silicifiedwood are interspersed with sandstone beds and pebblysandstone layers. The conglomerate is locally overlain byfine sandy siltstone and interbedded sandstone of theLagoon Stream Formation or by the Conway Formation.
In the southern part of the Kaikoura map area, the lowerpart of the Eyre Group consists of thin conglomerate bedswhich grade upwards into fine-grained quartzose sandstoneand mudstone, with thin, rare coal seams of the BrokenRiver Formation (Gage 1970; Browne & Field 1985). Grey,slightly calcareous silty fine sandstone of the ConwayFormation overlies, and in turn grades upwards into, thejarositic, sandy Loburn Mudstone.
The Eyre Group unconformably overlies Pahau terrane (Fig.28). At its northernmost extent, at Haumuri Bluffs, it isentirely Late Cretaceous, but towards the south of theKaikoura map area it includes progressively younger rocks(as young as Eocene; see below). Rocks in the lower partof the Eyre Group were deposited in alluvial, estuarine andshallow marine environments with progressive deepeningto a restricted basin (Browne & Field 1985; Field, Browne& others 1989).
In the southeast of the Moutere Depression, the LateCretaceous Beebys Conglomerate (Kbc; Johnston 1990)rests unconformably on Brook Street terrane rocks. Theformation has a preserved thickness of 2400 m and inaddition to conglomerate it contains sandstone, siltstoneand mudstone beds, and rare seams of medium- to high-
Figure 34 The Seymour Group includes (a) Jarositic siltstone of the Woolshed Formation, shown here in Ben MoreStream with deformation typical of that area. (b) Well-bedded Butt Formation sandstone at the mouth of FlaxbourneRiver.
Figure 35 The Conway Formation nearHaumuri Bluffs comprises sandstoneand siltstone with horizons ofcalcareous concretions.
Photo: G. H. Browne.
34
Figure 36 The Tapuaenuku Igneous Complex.
(a) Boulders of gabbro, syenite and basanite in theHodder River.
volatile bituminous coal. The conglomerate clasts, up to0.4 m across, include felsic igneous intrusives, intermediateto mafic volcanic and igneous rocks, and induratedsedimentary rocks. Plant fossils are locally present andmicrofloras indicate an early Late Cretaceous (RaukumaraSeries) age. The formation has been weaklymetamorphosed to zeolite facies. It is interpreted as part ofan extensive braided and locally meandering river depositthat accumulated in a fault-angle depression or half-grabenunder a warm oxidising climate (Johnston 1990).
Cretaceous igneous rocks
A northeast-southwest aligned belt of isolated igneousbodies extends for over 150 km through Marlborough andnorthern Canterbury (the Central Marlborough igneousprovince of Nicol 1977). Undifferentiated Cretaceousigneous rocks (Ki) include an alkaline ultramafic gabbroring complex and associated hornfels zone preserved atthe summit of Blue Mountain (Grapes 1975), and basaltflows and breccia preserved at Hungry Hill north of theWaima River. Neither of these occurrences has been dateddirectly, but Hungry Hill basalt rests unconformably uponCretaceous Pahau terrane and is overlain by LateCretaceous (Piripauan) Paton Formation (Waters 1988).
The Tapuaenuku Igneous Complex (Kit; Nicol 1977) cropsout as a sub-circular intrusion, 7 km in diameter.Approximately 600 m of vertical section is exposed on Mt.Tapuae-o-Uenuku. The complex is composed of layeredpyroxenite, peridotite, anorthosite, gabbro and minor
carbonatite (Fig. 36a). The upper part is intruded by syenitesills and dikes (Baker & others 1994). Magnetite andilmenite, largely within the anorthosite, are responsible fora major magnetic anomaly centred on the Inland KaikouraRange (Reilly 1970). The intrusion is surrounded by acontact-metamorphosed hornfels zone (Kth) up to 400 mwide in the surrounding Pahau terrane rocks (Baker &others 1994). A radial suite of basanitic dikes (Fig 36b,c)extends outwards from the main body for a distance ofmore than 10 km, and the top of the intrusion was probablyemplaced at a depth of 3–4 km. A 96 Ma intrusion age forthe Tapuaenuku Igneous Complex, based on U-Pb dating(Baker & Seward 1996), is supported by K-Ar ages ofcogenetic dike intrusion between 100 and 60 Ma (Grapes& others 1992). The complex is genetically related to the96 Ma Gridiron Formation (Crampton & others 2004) andthe Lookout Formation (Challis 1966; Nicol 1977; Reay1993), but has a greater age range.
The Mandamus Igneous Complex (Kim) is exposed in thehills at the northwestern edge of the Culverden Basin. Thecomplex is generally erosion-resistant compared with itsPahau host-rock and is the southernmost of the alkalinegabbro intrusives in the map area. It is composed principally
(b) Basanite dike intruding gabbro and earlier dikeintrusions, Hodder River headwaters.
(c) Aerial view (200 m wide) of dikes intruding poorlybedded Pahau terrane in the Inland Kaikoura Range.
Photo CN25914/2: D.L. Homer.
35
of feldspar-clinopyroxene-biotite-amphibole syenite andclinopyroxene-labradorite-olivine-biotite gabbro. Volcanicflow rocks are predominantly trachytic with minor basalt,including possible vent-lavas/breccias around HurunuiPeak. The Mandamus Igneous Complex has been Rb-Srdated at 97 Ma (Weaver & Pankhurst 1991).
Paleocene to Eocene sedimentary rocks
In the south of the Kaikoura map area, deposition of theEyre Group including Conway Formation and LoburnMudstone (see above) continued through into thePaleocene. The upper part of the Eyre Group is commonlytoo thin to differentiate from lower parts and is mapped asundifferentiated (KEe; Fig. 28). Paleogene Eyre Group (PEe)includes the Paleocene to Early Eocene Waipara Greensand,consisting of fine- to medium-grained, glauconiticsandstone that becomes increasingly muddy up section(Browne & Field 1985). The overlying Early to MiddleEocene Ashley Mudstone consists of glauconitic,calcareous sandy mudstone, siltstone and sandstone. Ingeneral the Ashley Formation rests disconformably onWaipara Greensand (commonly with a burrowed,phosphatised contact) but, locally, around the lowerHurunui River-Culverden area, it is unconformable onPahau terrane (Fig. 28). In the far south of the Kaikouramap area, the Middle to Late Eocene Homebush Sandstoneoverlies the Ashley Mudstone. It is a massive, glauconitic,unfossiliferous, well-sorted, quartzose sandstone, that may
have become remobilised or intruded into underlying andoverlying units since deposition (Browne & Field 1985).The environment of deposition of upper Eyre Group rocksincludes shallow marine, low energy outer shelf (bathyal),and relatively high-energy near-shore beach settings.
The Muzzle Group (Reay 1993) consists of mainly stronglyindurated micritic limestone and calcareous mudstone,chert, and minor greensand and volcanic rocks. The groupcontains two formations, the Mead Hill Formation and theAmuri Limestone, and in areas where both formations arethin the Muzzle Group is undifferentiated (KPz) on themap. The Mead Hill Formation (Kzm; Webb 1971) istypically a greenish-grey, chert-rich, micritic limestone,weathering to white and black (Fig. 37), with calcareousmudstone and nodular chert. The formation is limited tothe northeastern part of the map area and varies greatly inthickness. In Branch Stream it is about 120 m thick but itpinches out in the middle Clarence valley and is absent inSeymour Stream (Reay 1993); it reaches its greatestthickness in Mead Stream, where it is over 250 m thick(Strong & others 1995). In the northern Clarence valleyand in coastal eastern Marlborough, the formation containsthe Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary, which is particularlywell exposed in Mead Stream (Fig. 38) and is marked bymajor changes in microfossil assemblages (see text box).At Mead Stream the top of the formation is as young asLate Paleocene (Strong & others 1995; Hollis & others2005a).
Figure 38 The Cretaceous-Paleogeneboundary occurs within the Mead HillFormation in Mead Stream. The hammerhandle rests on the thin bed marking theboundary.
Figure 37 The Mead Hill Formation, MuzzleGroup, is a well-bedded siliceous limestone,shown here in Mead Stream.
36
Figure 39 Geological map of the Kaikoura Peninsula with the considerable shore platform geology shown. The areahas been uplifted and gently folded. NZMS 260 series 1 km grid is shown for reference. After Campbell (1975); Fyfe(1936); Ota & others (1996).
The Cretaceous - Paleogene Boundary
The Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary marks a global mass extinction event and associated paleoenvironmentalchanges brought about by a meteorite impact in Central America (Alvarez & others 1980). Complete or near-complete boundary sections are preserved at many locations throughout Marlborough and northern Canterbury(e.g. Strong & others 1987; Hollis 2003). In Mead and Branch streams a disconformity spanning <100 ka ispresent at the boundary and part of the lowermost Paleocene is missing at Woodside Creek (Hollis 2003; Hollis& others 2003). A near-complete record is preserved within the bathyal siliceous limestone at Flaxbourne River(Strong & others 1987; Strong 2000; Hollis 2003) and on the southern edge of the Kaikoura map area, in theshallow marine Conway Formation. Elsewhere the boundary is a significant erosion surface and latest Cretaceousand/or earliest Paleocene rocks are not always preserved, e.g. south of Branch Stream in the Clarence valley(Reay 1993) and at Monkey Face southwest of Kaikoura (Crampton 1988).
Paleoenvironmental changes across the boundary include a major decrease in calcareous plankton, matchedin some sections by an increase in biosiliceous productivity (Hollis 2003). Biosiliceous rocks are initially diatom-rich then radiolarian-rich, indicating a pronounced cooling at this time. In the Mead Stream section, thesedimentation rate drops from 16 to < 2.5 mm/ka, largely due to the extinction of calcareous plankton. Theproportion of terrigenous sediment and total organic carbon increases across the boundary, possibly due tosoot/charcoal from forest fires that would have accompanied meteorite impact (Hollis & others 2003). Pollenrecords from the Paleocene Waipara Greensand indicate an abrupt disappearance of mixed-forest vegetationand a rapid expansion of opportunistic fern species (Hollis 2003; Vajda & Raine 2003).
The Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary in the Kaikoura map area is commonly marked by geochemical changes,including elevated levels of iridium, inferred to be of extraterrestrial origin, and enrichment of nickel and chromium(Brooks & others 1986; Hollis 2003).
o
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Seymour Group
Mead Hill Formation
Amuri Limestone
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Waima Formation
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37
The Amuri Limestone (Pza, Eza) is widely preserved inthe eastern part of the Kaikoura map area (Figs 39, 40). Inthe north it is included within the Muzzle Group (Reay1993; Field, Uruski & others 1997), but south of Kaikoura ithas not previously been assigned to any group (e.g.Browne & Field 1985; Field, Browne & others 1989). Thesouthern occurrences of the Amuri Limestone are nowincluded within the Eyre Group on the Kaikoura mapfollowing stratigraphic rationalisation (e.g. Forsyth 2001).The formation consists predominantly of white, hard,siliceous, micritic limestone or interbedded limestone andmarl (Fig. 40), composed of coccolith and foraminifera testsand clay. Other lithologies, not differentiated on the map,include dark siliceous mudstone (equivalent of theWaipawa Formation in the North Island; Lee & Begg 2002),yellow-grey sandy limestone (Teredo limestone member),bedded greensand (Fells Greensand member) and gradedsandstone and siltstone couplets (Woodside “formation”).
At Mead Stream the Amuri Limestone rests with apparentconformity on Mead Hill Formation (Hollis & others 2005a),but south of the middle Clarence valley, Mead HillFormation pinches out and the Amuri Limestone restsunconformably on the Seymour Group (Reay 1993). In theClarence valley, the limestone reaches 400 m thick; in the
south of the map area it varies considerably in thickness,but rarely exceeds 50 m, and it rests conformably (locallyunconformably) on older Eyre Group (Browne & Field 1985).
Both the base and top of the Amuri Limestone are highlytime-transgressive (Fig. 28). In the Clarence valley the agerange of the formation is Paleocene to latest Eocene (Reay1993; Strong & others 1995; Hollis & others 2005b). AtKaikoura Peninsula, earliest Eocene Amuri Limestone restsdisconformably on Late Cretaceous Mead Hill Formation(Hollis & others 2005b). From Kaikoura southwards, theAmuri Limestone youngs progressively: at Haumuri Bluffs,the age range is Early to Late Eocene; at Hurunui River it isentirely Late Eocene; at Napenape it is Late Eocene toEarly Oligocene; and at Waipara River, on the southernedge of the Kaikoura map area, the formation is entirelyOligocene (Field, Browne & others 1989).
The bulk of the Amuri Limestone was deposited underpelagic to hemipelagic conditions (Strong & others 1995;Hollis & others 2005a) and bentonitic parts of the AmuriLimestone indicate increased influx of terrigenous mud(Reay 1993), most likely during globally warm periods (e.g.Hollis & others 2005a,b). Microfossils indicate an upper tolower bathyal setting (Field, Uruski & others 1997).
Figure 40 The Amuri Limestone, consisting of interbedded siliceous limestone and bentonitic marl, at HaumuriBluffs.
Photo: D.L. Homer CN30428.
38
Figure 42 The Marshall Paraconformity at Gore Bay is anOligocene erosion surface marked by the degree ofbioturbation in the underlying Amuri Limestone and thenumerous phosphate nodules at the base of the overlyingSpy Glass Formation (Motunau Group) limestone.
Photo: G.H. Browne.
Figure 43 Basaltic rock agglomerate of the CooksonVolcanics Group exposed in a road cutting near WhalesBack Saddle.
The Grasseed Volcanics member (Ezg; Reay 1993) occurswithin the Amuri Limestone as isolated bodies in the middleClarence valley and in the Waima River-Kekerengu area.The member comprises both intrusive and extrusiveigneous rocks, including dikes, flows, sills, pillow lavas(Fig. 41) and agglomerate of peridotite, gabbro, doleriteand basalt. Gabbro sills up to several tens of metres thicklocally intrude the limestone. The dikes intrude the SeymourGroup and the Mead Hill and Amuri formations, becomingextrusive in the upper parts of the Amuri Limestone. Theextrusive parts of the Grasseed Volcanics are within-platealkali basalts and K-Ar dating of phlogopite from theClarence valley yielded ages of 43–53 Ma (Early to MiddleEocene). Microfossils in the overlying limestone constrainthe minimum age to Late Eocene (Reay 1993).
Late Eocene to Pliocene sedimentary and volcanic rocks
During the Late Eocene, the New Zealand continent areawas partly emergent but remained low-lying. Late Eoceneterrestrial coal measures were widely deposited, followedby a variety of marine rocks. Within the Kaikoura map areathe rate of sedimentation was highly variable. Thickdeposits accumulated in the rapidly subsiding MurchisonBasin (see below), but on the east coast, no latest Eoceneor Oligocene rocks are preserved north of the Waima Riverto the Kaikoura map boundary (Townsend 2001).Elsewhere in the map area, Late Eocene to Middle Miocenerocks are preserved locally along the Waimea Fault in thenorthwest and more extensively in northern Canterbury.Subsequently carbonate rocks were deposited aboveextensive erosion surfaces that developed during theOligocene (including the Marshall Paraconformity; Carter& Landis 1972; Carter 1985; Fig. 42). Early to MiddleMiocene clastic deposition in the Kaikoura-Kekerengu areawas in response to an increasing component ofconvergence on the plate margin and consequent uplift.Rapid clastic deposition in the northeast (Awatere Sub-basin) during the Late Miocene and Early Pliocene resultedfrom the formation of localised, tectonically controlled sub-basins (Browne 1995).
Southeast of the Alpine Fault
The Cookson Volcanics Group (Oc; Browne & Field 1985)crops out extensively in the middle Clarence valley andfrom Whales Back southwards along the edges of theCulverden Basin. The group comprises basaltic plugs,flows, pillow lavas, dikes, and sills (Fig. 43), with breccia,conglomerate and volcaniclastic sandstone, interbeddedwith calcareous rocks. The group is up to 50 m thick in theClarence valley (Reay 1993) and up to 1200 m thick in asyncline north of Waiau township (Field, Browne & others1989). It unconformably overlies the Amuri Limestone andforms laterally discontinuous lenses. In the Clarence valley,the sandstone contains Early Oligocene foraminifera andthe basalt plug at Limestone Hill has been K-Ar dated at27.6 Ma (Reay 1993).
The Motunau Group occurs widely through the easternKaikoura map area and in most cases unconformably
Figure 41 Pillow basalt of the Grasseed Volcanics in BlueMountain Stream. The interstitial pale pink carbonate rockis similar to the Amuri Limestone that encloses thevolcanics.
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overlies older rocks (Carter & Landis 1972; Findlay 1980;Field 1985). Many of the formations within the group aretoo thin to be shown on the Kaikoura map, and these aremapped as undifferentiated (Mn).
Widespread, undifferentiated Late Oligocene basalgreensands, limestones and calcareous mudstones (Onl)are included within the lower Motunau Group. Thelimestone commonly forms prominent bluffs and distinctivelandforms with local stratigraphic names including Omihiand Spy Glass formations, Tekoa, Flaxdown, Isolated Hill,Weka Pass and Whales Back limestones, and HanmerMarble (Fig. 44a,b). Collectively, however, theseundifferentiated rocks are shallow to deep-watersedimentary facies variants of a semi-continuous blanketof Late Oligocene carbonate deposition that only locallyexceeded 50 m in thickness. These rocks conformablyoverlie or are locally interbedded with the CooksonVolcanics Group but are generally unconformable on olderrocks such as the Amuri Limestone.
The Early to Middle Miocene Waima Formation (Mnw) iswidespread throughout the northern and eastern parts ofthe Kaikoura map area (Browne & Field 1985; Field, Uruski& others 1997). It comprises more than 360 m of generallymassive to poorly bedded, greenish to bluish-greycalcareous silty mudstone (Fig. 45a). The Waima Formationis generally conformable on Oligocene limestone with agradational, usually interbedded, contact. Locally theformation is disconformable on Amuri Limestone (e.g.between Bluff and Dart streams in the Clarence valley;Reay 1993). Microfossil evidence suggests that the ageranges from early Late Oligocene to late Early Miocene;deposition may have locally continued into the Middle
Figure 44 Oligocene limestone (Motunau Group) includes(a) Isolated Hill limestone at Mt Cookson, which formsthe spectacular headscarp of a landslide block (on right)and (b) Folded Spy Glass Formation limestone on theshore platform of Kaikoura Peninsula. Underlying AmuriLimestone forms the base of the cliffs in the background.
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Figure 45 The upper Motunau Group contains manydifferent rock types.
(a) Gently-dipping, well-bedded Waima Formationsiltstone forms the Haumuri Bluffs. The horizontal surfaceis an elevated marine terrace.
Photo CN30458/23: D.L. Homer.
(b) The Great Marlborough Conglomerate facies withinthe Waima Formation contains clasts from most of theCretaceous and Paleogene rocks of the eastern Kaikouramap area.
Photo: G.H. Browne.
(c) The interbedded sandstone and conglomerate of theGreta Formation at Gore Bay exhibits “badlands”-type,vertical erosive fluting.
Photo CN30528/16: D.L. Homer.
Miocene (e.g., at Haumuri Bluffs; Browne 1995; Warren1995). In the north the Waima Formation includes the EarlyMiocene Great Marlborough Conglomerate (not mapped),an extremely poorly sorted pebble to boulder conglomerate(Fig. 45b). Clasts are derived from Pahau terrane, LateCretaceous igneous rocks, Seymour Group, Mead Hill andAmuri formations, with large rafts of Oligocene limestoneand rip-up clasts of Waima Formation siltstone. Theconglomerate generally forms lenses within the WaimaFormation, or is locally unconformable on Pahau terraneor on Oligocene limestone. The conglomerate wasdeposited by a number of debris flow mechanisms andaccumulated in broad, shallow feeder channels (Lewis &others 1980) or locally filled canyons that were incisedinto the Miocene continental shelf (Townsend 2001). Inthe Clarence valley the Great Marlborough Conglomeratereaches almost 300 m in thickness (Reay 1993).
The Early Miocene Waikari Formation (Mnk) (Andrews1963) is widespread in the south of the Kaikoura map area.The formation includes basal calcareous glauconitic
siltstone; massive blue-grey siltstone; and bedded, yellow-brown sandstone. The Waikari Formation unconformablyoverlies Oligocene limestone (Andrews 1963), except whereit conformably overlies Waima Formation (Warren 1995).
In the south of the map area, the Early to Middle MioceneMt Brown Formation (Mnb) consists of siltstone,sandstone and bioclastic limestone with interbedded debrisflow conglomerate that conformably overlies the finergrained Waikari Formation. It is locally up to 830 m thickand was deposited in mid- to outer shelf environments in arapidly subsiding basin (Browne & Field 1985).
The conformably overlying Middle Miocene to EarlyPleistocene Greta Formation (^ng; Fig. 45c) is dominatedby fine-grained siltstone (Browne & Field 1985; Warren1995). Other facies are only locally developed and includepoorly bedded marine, deltaic and fluvial mudstone,limestone and debris flow conglomerate, and a smallproportion of sandstone. Up to 800 m of siltstone isrecorded near Waiau (Browne & Field 1985), but thethickness of the formation varies greatly (e.g. Warren 1995).
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Late Miocene to earliest Late Pliocene rocks of the AwatereGroup crop out in the northeast of the Kaikoura map area.The group is divided into three formations (Roberts &Wilson 1992). The oldest rocks of the middle Late MioceneMedway Formation (Mam) crop out extensively in theMedway valley and thin eastwards into the Awatere valley.The formation consists of a basal conglomerate, 50–100 mthick, which grades upwards into 200 m of sandstone withconglomerate lenses, in turn overlain by mudstone andsiltstone (Browne 1995). Isolated Miocene fossiliferousconglomeratic sandstone on the west limb of the WardSyncline, and a single occurrence of fine sandstone withpoorly preserved macrofossils in the Waihopai valley,indicate that the Medway Formation originally extendedwell to the north and east of the Medway and upperFlaxbourne valleys. The formation is interpreted as asyntectonic, inner to mid-shelf deposit (Melhuish 1988),formed near an actively rising Pahau terrane hinterland atsedimentation rates of up to 870 m/Ma (Browne 1995).
Unconformably overlying the Medway Formation or,locally, Pahau terrane, is the Late Miocene Upton Formation(Mau). It consists of basal sandstone or conglomerate thatgrades upward into siltstone-dominated rocks, withscattered macrofossils and shellbeds. The lower part ofthe Upton Formation was deposited near actively risingranges, while the finer grained parts were deposited in abathyal setting (Browne 1995). The upper part of theformation coarsens upwards into sandstone in thenorthwest. The overlying latest Miocene to Late PlioceneStarborough Formation (^as) is generally poorly exposedand consists of poorly bedded brownish-grey fossiliferoussandstone and sandy siltstone (Fig. 46).
The lower part of the Awatere Group comprises atransgressive sequence resulting from the incursion of thesea over a low-lying landscape cut in Pahau terrane. Theupper part represents a regressive phase with shallowingof the sea (Roberts & Wilson 1992; Browne 1995).
Undifferentiated Early Pliocene blue-grey calcareoussiltstone and sandstone, with Pahau-derived debris-flow
conglomerate (Whanganui Siltstone; ^u) occurs north ofthe Clarence River mouth (Browne 1995).
The Pliocene Kowai Formation (^k) crops out in thesouthern part of the Kaikoura map area where itunconformably overlies Mt Brown and Greta formations.It consists of up to 650 m of Pahau-derived fluvial andshallow marine conglomerate (Fig. 47) with interbeddedsandstone and mudstone (Browne & Field 1985). Like theconglomerates of the Awatere Group, Kowai Formationresulted from the accumulation of debris shed from activelyrising mountain ranges.
Northwest of the Alpine Fault
Late Eocene to Early Pleistocene rocks crop out extensivelyin the northwest of the map area and are up to 9 km thick inthe Murchison Basin. The basin has been shortened byup to 60% since the Late Miocene resulting in steeplydipping fold limbs and faulted-out anticlinal axes (Suggate1984; Lihou 1993).
Slivers of Late Eocene to middle Oligocene Brunner CoalMeasures (Eb) and massive mudstone are preserved alongthe Waimea Fault in the southeast of the MoutereDepression. The coal measures, up to 300 m thick, haveclose similarities to the Eocene rocks of the Jenkins Groupin Nelson (Johnston 1990; Rattenbury & others 1998).
In the northeast of the Murchison Basin, latest Eocene toearliest Oligocene Maruia Formation (Em, Fyfe 1968) iscomposed of 50 to 500 m of coarse, quartzofeldspathicsandstone with minor conglomerate, carbonaceousmudstone and thin seams of bituminous coal. These rocksare overlain by up to 500 m of largely massive, dark brown,micaceous mudstone or siltstone with minor bands offeldspathic sandstone, becoming more calcareous towardsthe top. The Maruia Formation was depositedunconformably on basement rocks, initially in a terrestrialenvironment. The mudstone represents deposition in anestuarine to partly enclosed inner shelf environment withperiodic incursion of submarine fans derived from a risingarea of Separation Point Batholith granite, probably to theeast (Suggate 1984).
Figure 46 North-dipping, poorly fossiliferous sandstoneof the Starborough Formation (Awatere Group) upstreamof the State Highway 1 bridge at Awatere River. Thecapping alluvial gravels are of last glaciation age (OIS2).
Photo: G.H. Browne.
Figure 47 Well-bedded Kowai Formation fluvial or deltaicPahau-derived gravel, exposed in the Kaiwara valley westof Cheviot.
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Figure 48 The Longford Formation in the Mangles valleyincludes coarse clastic material deposited in theMurchison Basin in response to Miocene uplift of adjacentmountain ranges including the Southern Alps.
Figure 49 Gently northeast-dipping, weakly stratifiedMoutere Gravel on the north bank of the Buller Rivercontains poorly sorted quartzofeldspathic sandstone(greywacke) clasts eroded from Rakaia terrane. The gravelis the result of rapid uplift and erosion of the SouthernAlps during the Pliocene.
its top, pebbly sandstone and thick conglomerate bedscontaining schist clasts, Separation Point granite, andsedimentary rock from the Caples and Maitai terranes.
The youngest formation in the Murchison Basin is the lateEarly to Middle Miocene Longford Formation (Ml; Fyfe1968), in the core of the Longford Syncline (Fig. 48). Itcomprises thick beds of conglomerate, sandstone,mudstone with thin coal seams, and interbedded finesandstone and mudstone. In the south, the lower part ofthe formation contains proportionately less conglomerateand more sandstone and mudstone. Clast provenance wasmostly from the Separation Point Suite granite, with asignificant component derived from the Dun Mountain-Maitai and, in its upper part, Caples terranes (Suggate 1984).The formation accumulated in an estuarine environment inthe south with extensive deposition farther north bymeandering rivers in an alluvial plain setting.
Farther south, at an equivalent stratigraphic level to theLongford Formation, is the poorly dated terrestrialRappahannock Group (Cutten 1979). The lowerRappahannock Group (eMr) consists of conglomerateinterbedded with sandstone and, more commonly at thebase, carbonaceous mudstone with thin coal seams. Nearthe base, the conglomerate is dominated by clasts ofCaples Group sandstone, but Rakaia terrane Alpine Schistclasts become more common higher in the succession. Theupper part of the Rappahannock Group (mMr) is alsodominated by conglomerate with clasts of chlorite andbiotite schist derived from Rakaia terrane (Cutten 1979).
In the southwest of the Moutere Depression, weaklyconsolidated sandstone and mudstone with conglomerateand minor lignite seams comprise the Glenhope Formation(^tg) at the base of the Tadmor Group. Clasts in theformation are dominated by Separation Point granite withminor amounts of Rotoroa Complex and, towards the top,an increasing percentage of Torlesse-derived sandstone.The formation is Late Miocene to Early Pliocene(Mildenhall & Suggate 1981). The overlying MoutereGravel (^tm) is of early Late Pliocene (Waipipian toMangapanian) age, and in the Kaikoura map area is up to500 m thick where it is down-faulted along the Waimea-Flaxmore Fault System (Lihou 1992). In the west itconformably (locally disconformably) overlies theGlenhope Formation. The Moutere Gravel is characterisedby rounded, slightly to deeply weathered, Rakaia-derivedsandstone clasts, up to 0.6 m across but mostly less than0.2 m, in a yellow brown muddy matrix (Fig. 49). Palynoflorasare dominated by cool temperate species (Mildenhall &Suggate 1981; Johnston 1990).
Unconformably resting on the Moutere Gravel in the southof the Moutere Depression are Torlesse-derived till, lakebeds and moderately well-sorted outwash gravel of thePorika Formation (eQp). The formation is up to 150 mthick and records a Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocenepiedmont glacial advance that extended from the SpenserMountains into the developing Moutere Depression(Suggate 1965; Johnston 1990; Challis & others 1994).
The overlying Late Oligocene to Early Miocene MatiriFormation (Om; Fyfe 1968) comprises calcareousmudstone with bioclastic and crystalline limestone, and ischannelled by sandstone and conglomerate. It locally restsunconformably on basement and elsewhere is conformableon the Maruia Formation. The Matiri Formation is up to1200 m thick and was deposited in an open sea environmentthat reached bathyal depths.
The conformably overlying Mangles Formation (Mm; Fyfe1968), of Early Miocene age, consists of graded quartz-mica sandstone and mudstone beds, and is up to 1600 mthick. The lower Mangles Formation was deposited fromdeep-water turbidity currents when the Murchison Basinrapidly deepened, but as subsidence slowed, the basinfilled with shallow marine sediments in which sandstonebecame dominant (Suggate 1984). The upper part of theMangles Formation is dominated by thick-beddedsandstone with dark mudstone and siltstone and, towards
43
QUATERNARY
The tectonic regime initiated in the Early Miocenecontinued into the Quaternary, with uplift of the SouthernAlps, and other Marlborough, Nelson and northernCanterbury ranges. The widespread Late Quaternarydeposits in the map area formed in response to both risingranges and alternating glacial and interglacial climaticfluctuations. However, in many localities the deposits arethin (less than 5 m) and/or of restricted distribution andhave been omitted from the map.
Alluvial terrace and floodplain deposits
The gravel deposits forming terraces and floodplains (Q1a,Q2a, Q3a, Q4a, Q6a, Q8a, Q10a, eQa, uQa) are dominatedby poorly to well-sorted gravel with sand and silt (Fig.50a,b). Many gravel units originated as outwash fromglaciation episodes. Within the gravel deposits, clasts areup to a metre across but most are less than 0.3 m. In generalthe average clast size decreases, and degree of sortingincreases, in direct proportion to the distance from thesource of the gravel. Torlesse-derived sandstone is the
Figure 50
(a) The alluvial delta at the ClarenceRiver mouth showing a muddysediment plume being dispersednorthwards by the longshore current.Flanking the present day flood plainare remnants of older, uplifted latePleistocene gravels.
Photo CN23903/8: D.L. Homer.
(b) Over 160 m of alluvial outwashgravel, sand and silt underlie anextensively developed last glaciationterrace surface on the south bankof the lower Hope River.
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predominant rock type but in the northwest, granite andultramafic clasts are locally present. Lenses of silt and sandare also present throughout the gravel deposits but arerarely significant.
Except on present-day floodplains, the alluvial depositsform flights of aggradational terraces, with the older terracespreserved at progressively higher levels above the valleyfloors. Although stratigraphic or glacial episode nameshave been applied in local settings (Suggate 1965; Eden1989; Townsend 2001), the deposits are differentiated hereby age based on oxygen isotope stages (OIS). Mostdeposits are poorly dated and their ages are generally basedon the height of the capping terrace surface relative toothers in the valley. The extent of terrace dissection, degreeof clast weathering and the number and thickness of loessunits (see below) have also helped to constrain terracedeposit ages.
The Plateau Gravel (eQl) occurs as isolated remnants thatoverlie the Dun Mountain Ultramafics Group on the crestof Red Hills Ridge (Fig. 17). The formation is up to 25 mthick and comprises poorly sorted and weakly stratifiedultramafic clasts, commonly less than 0.5 m across butwith large angular blocks near the base and sparse, well-rounded pebbles of Torlesse sandstone. The formationowes its preservation to the sandy matrix being cementedby magnesium compounds released from weathering ofthe ultramafic rocks. The age of the gravel is uncertain butis inferred to be no older than Middle Pleistocene (Johnston1990).
Unmapped surficial deposits
Loess deposits are not differentiated on the Kaikoura map,but they sometimes form significant sheets up to severalmetres thick on older terraces (Q4 to Q10) adjacent to majorrivers or in gullies in the lee of the prevailing westerlywinds. Identification of one or more loess-soil horizons
(Fig. 51) may help to broadly distinguish the ages ofaggradation terraces. In the northeast of the map area, the26.5 ka Kawakawa tephra (Oruanui fall deposit; Wilson2001), sourced from the central North Island, commonlyoccurs as a layer in loess deposits on terraces older thanOIS 2 and locally in fan gravel deposits (Campbell 1986;Eden 1989; Benson & others 2001; Townsend 2001). Thec. 340 ka Rangitawa tephra (Kohn & others 1992; Berger &others 1994), also from the central North Island, occursrarely in loess older than OIS 10 in the northeast of themap area.
Fill, of varying levels of compaction, is common underroads and railways, particularly in gullies and approachesto bridges. Small areas of uncompacted fill, the result ofthe dumping of domestic rubbish, are present adjacent tomany of the townships in the map area. All of these depositsare too small to show on the geological map.
Alluvial fan and scree deposits
Alluvial fan deposits (Q1a, Q2a, Q3a, Q4a, Q6a, Q8a,Q10a, eQa, uQa) are widespread throughout the map areaand many merge into the aggradation surfaces in the mainvalleys (Fig. 52). Many of the fans are too small to beshown on the map and are either omitted or incorporatedinto the corresponding alluvial terrace. Mappable screedeposits (Q1s) occur in the higher mountains and consistof locally derived, slightly weathered, angular clasts ofpebble to boulder size. Screes commonly merge with moregently sloping, water-borne alluvial fans towards the valleyfloors. Rock glacier deposits (Q1r) consisting of poorlysorted gravels up to boulder size occur on the InlandKaikoura Range (Fig. 53). Eight rock glaciers up to 1.2 kmlength and 500 m wide occur at elevations exceeding 2100m (Bacon & others 2001). These are probably activelyexpanding and moving, and result from permafrostconditions in an arid climate where there is a high ratio ofrock debris to snow supply.
Figure 51 Loess on the south bank ofthe Clarence River near SH 1 showingtypical vertical fluting. The faint darkerbanding part way up the loess may bea paleosol, or buried soil. Thethickness of the loess and thepresence of the paleosol suggest thatthe age of the underlying gravel depositis at least OIS 4 (Q4a).
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Figure 52 Screes on the southern flanks of Dillon Cone merge into alluvial fans near a prominent gradient changemid-slope towards the Clarence River valley. The Elliott Fault crosses the range close to the change in slope. Q1a andremnant Q2a alluvial terraces occur close to the river.
Photo CN8171/25: D.L Homer.
Figure 53 Rock glaciers (left, lower right) and screes mantling the southern slopes of Mt Alarm on the Inland KaikouraRange.
Photo CN25751/11: D.L. Homer.
46
Till deposits
The aggradational terrace surfaces capping the alluvialgravels (see above) can commonly be traced up the valleysto terminal moraines and associated till deposits (Q1t, Q2t,Q4t, Q6t, Q8t, Q10t, eQt, uQt) in the mountains. The tillsconsist of subrounded to subangular clasts up to bouldersize in a tight clayey matrix, and older tills are generallymore weathered than younger.
Landslide deposits
Mass movement deposits (Q1l, uQl) are widespread,although large deep-seated landslides are relatively rare.Small superficial failures, rock falls and slope creep arecommon, but only deposits >1 km2 in area are shown onthe map. The large landslide deposits (Fig. 54) range frommasses of shattered, but relatively coherent rock, to siltyclay containing unsorted angular rock fragments. Largelandslide deposits, many triggered by severe earthquakeground shaking, dam several lakes such as lakes Matiri,Constance, Alexander and McRae. Moderately largelandslides, commonly with ill-defined margins, haveoccurred in areas of Pahau terrane in the Flaxbourne River,and in mélange zones in the lower Waiau valley and nearCheviot. Extensive failures, mostly along bedding planes,are common in the Late Cretaceous to Cenozoic rocks andhave resulted in chaotically mixed landslide deposits. LateCretaceous and Eocene rocks containing montmorillonite-rich clays (smectite) are particularly prone to instability.
Swamp and lake deposits
Holocene swamp deposits (Q1a) are common in manyvalleys but are generally small in area. Adjacent to thecoast, swamps have developed where drainage has beenimpeded by dunes and marine sand and gravel. Lakedeposits of Late Pleistocene age are present in manyvalleys, either upstream of terminal moraine dams, or inside valleys dammed by lateral moraines or aggrading fans.The lake deposits range from silt to gravel, the latter locallydisplaying foreset bedding. Most deposits are intermingledwith or overtopped by alluvial gravel. Late Holocene lakesediments are present behind landslide dams, many ofwhich were produced by earthquake ground shaking. NearMurchison township the Murchison Lake Beds (Q7k), ofmiddle Quaternary age, consist of consolidated bandedsilt, gravel and sand. As the upper and lower contacts ofthe beds have not been seen, the processes that led tolake formation are not known (Suggate 1984).
A swamp deposit at Pyramid Valley (too small to be shownon the map) contains numerous well-preserved fossilvertebrates including at least 46 species of birds (waterfowl,moa, kiwi, weka, parrots amongst others), as well as tuatara,bats and geckos (Scarlett 1951; Holdaway & Worthy 1997).Other swamp sites and some alluvial and colluvial depositsaround Waikari and limestone cave sites around MtCookson contain more examples of these and other species(Worthy & Holdaway 1995, 1996). The deposits haveaccumulated over the last 40 000 years.
Figure 54 The large landslide deposit in Gore Basin, near the crest of the Seaward Kaikoura Range, has originatedfrom Pahau terrane rocks forming the ridge on the right.
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Marine deposits
Marine sand and gravel deposits (Q7b, Q9b, uQb) cropout as poorly exposed remnants up to 280 m above sealevel, particularly on eastern slopes of the HawkswoodRange. The older deposits are partly dissected and tilted,and their altitude largely reflects tectonic uplift rather thanthe height of the interglacial sea levels (Ota & others 1984;Warren 1995). Younger marine deposits (Q4b, Q5b) aremore extensively preserved along the coast (e.g. Ota &others 1995, 1996; Figs 39, 45a). All the deposits generallyconsist of boulders, rounded gravel and moderately sortedcoarse sand. They are generally poorly fossiliferous, butlocally contain remarkably well-preserved trace fossilassemblages (Ekdale & Lewis 1991). Holocene marine sandand gravel (Q1b) crop out in a narrow strip along much ofthe coast.
Sand deposits
Sand deposits (Q1d) occur locally along the coast andcomprise wind-blown sand forming dunes that may extendup-slope onto the fringing hills (Fig. 11). The Kaikouramap area characteristically has coarser beach sand andgravel than many other parts of the country and dunes arecomparatively poorly developed.
OFFSHORE GEOLOGY
Offshore, from the Clarence River mouth north towardsCook Strait, the continental shelf is underlain by asedimentary basin identified from abundant seismic data.This Flaxbourne (Clarence) Basin contains up to 4.5 km ofprobable Late Cretaceous to Recent strata (Uruski 1992;Field, Uruski & others 1997; Barnes & Audru 1999b). Basalsequences in the basin thicken to the southeast and onlapolder units towards the northwest, indicating a rifted half-graben. Growth strata of probable Miocene age resultedfrom subsequent compressional tectonics (Uruski 1992).A blanket of Holocene mud up to 45 m thick covers the
central part of the basin, but around the edges Miocene(Motunau and Awatere groups) to Pleistocene rocks areexposed at the sea floor (Barnes & Audru 1999b). Up toseven Pleistocene unconformities are present within thebasin.
The basin is being deformed by active, dextral strike-slipand oblique-slip faults that offset and fold Late Quaternarysediments (Barnes & Audru 1999a,b). These faults includereactivated NNE- to northeast-striking Miocene structuresand younger (<1 Ma?) faults striking ENE that have formedapproximately parallel to the current plate motion vector.The northeast trend of the basin probably also resultsfrom inheritance of a Miocene structural fabric (Barnes &Audru 1999b).
South of the Kaikoura Peninsula, the Kaikoura Canyon isdeeply incised into the continental shelf. Although no largerivers feed into the canyon, it is a major sink for north-drifting sand and mud, most of which bypasses thecontinental shelf sediment prism and is transported furtheroffshore along the Hikurangi Channel and into theHikurangi Trough (Lewis & Barnes 1999). Gravel andcoarse sand turbidites, interbedded with pelagic mud thatreflects background sedimentation conditions, are commonin the lower part of the canyon. A seismically non-reflectivelayer in the central part of the canyon, overlain by beddedturbidites, is probably a slump that may have beengenerated by (c.1833) earthquake shaking.
The northern slope of the Chatham Rise has been subjectedto strong, north-flowing ocean-bottom currents since atleast the mid-Pliocene (Barnes 1994a). Sea-floor scourchannels are evident in the bathymetry and in theunderlying geology, suggesting episodic erosion andsediment blanketing events. Lenticular, Late Quaternarysediment drifts have accumulated at the mouths of thechannels where they open out onto the toe of the ChathamRise, reflecting the localised nature of erosion anddeposition in this area.
48
TECTONIC HISTORY
Early to mid-Paleozoic
Greenland Group rocks of the Buller terrane were depositedon the Australo-Antarctic margin of Gondwanaland in theEarly Ordovician (Cooper & Tulloch 1992). In the Silurianthe group was tightly folded and metamorphosed to lowergreenschist facies (Adams & others 1975). The HaupiriGroup of the Takaka terrane formed in a volcanic island arcand back-arc setting at a convergent plate boundary(Münker & Cooper 1999). The carbonate-rich Mt ArthurGroup rocks were deposited on a passive continentalmargin, east of the volcanic arc, after cessation ofsubduction; they were subsequently thrust over thevolcanic rocks of the Haupiri Group and folded (Cooper &Tulloch 1992). Accretion of the Takaka terrane onto theBuller terrane occurred in the mid-Devonian, in part bymovement along the Anatoki Fault. The tectonic suturingwas followed shortly afterwards by the intrusion ofvoluminous granitic rocks of the Karamea Batholithbetween 370 and 328 Ma (Cooper & Tulloch 1992).
Late Paleozoic to Early Cretaceous
The emplacement of the Median Batholith, dominated inthe Kaikoura map area by Triassic to Early Cretaceousintrusions, occurred along the margin of Gondwanalandand sutured the Western Province to the western part ofthe Eastern Province (Bradshaw 1993; Mortimer & others1999). Subsequently much of the eastern part of thebatholith has been excised by the Delaware-SpeargrassFault Zone (Johnston & others 1987; Johnston 1990). TheEastern Province contains six terranes within the map areaand all record convergent margin tectonism and volcano-sedimentary processes (Coombs & others 1976; Bradshaw1989; Mortimer 2004). The westernmost is the volcanogenicBrook Street terrane, consisting of a tectonicallydismembered remnant of a calc-alkaline island arc. Anintrusive contact between the Brook Street terrane and theMedian Batholith in Southland constrains accretion of theterrane to Gondwanaland to between 230 and 245 Ma(Middle to Late Triassic; Mortimer & others 1999). In eastNelson the contact between the Brook Street and Murihikuterranes is faulted. However the Brook Street terrane mayhave originally been overlain by the volcaniclasticMurihuku terrane in a Triassic-Jurassic back-arc basin.
Farther east, a “slab” of Permian oceanic ridge or back-arcbasin crust, the Dun Mountain Ophiolite Belt, wasobducted onto Murihiku and Brook Street terranes duringEarly to mid-Permian subduction (Coombs & others 1976;Sano & others 1997). Overlying Late Permian to TriassicMaitai Group accumulated in a trench forearc settingadjacent to a convergent margin. Although faulted, andfolded into the Roding Syncline, the group has largelyretained internal stratigraphic coherence.
The Patuki Mélange separates the Dun Mountain-Maitaiterrane rocks from the Caples terrane; the latteraccumulated as an accretionary wedge in a Late Permianto Triassic trench or trench slope. The original suturebetween the Caples and Rakaia terranes (not seen in the
Kaikoura map area) is within a zone of greenschist toamphibolite facies schist with multiple generations ofrecumbent folds and penetrative foliations (Mortimer1993a,b; Johnston 1994; Begg & Johnston 2000). In theKaikoura map area the Caples-derived schist was laterjuxtaposed by Cenozoic movement of the Alpine Faultagainst non-schistose Rakaia terrane rocks. Greenschistfacies (garnet zone) schist is present in the western part ofthe Rakaia terrane (Turnbull & Forsyth 1986), includingthe Aspiring lithological association, but farther eastweakly metamorphosed, lithologically monotonous,quartzofeldspathic sedimentary rocks predominate. Theserocks accumulated in a Late Triassic to Early Jurassicsubduction setting and were progressively imbricated anddeformed in an accretionary wedge (MacKinnon 1983;Bradshaw 1989). The Esk Head belt, comprising mélangeand generally more deformed rock, including theSilverstream Fault Zone in Branch River, is the tectonicsuture between the Rakaia terrane and the Pahau terraneto the east. Rocks of the Pahau terrane were deposited in asubduction setting and deformed in an accretionary wedgein the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous. The Caples, Rakaiaand Pahau terranes were amalgamated during convergenttectonism along the Gondwanaland margin between theMiddle Jurassic and the late Early Cretaceous, whensubduction ceased (Coombs & others 1976; Bradshaw1989). Major igneous intrusion occurred in and beyondthe west of the Kaikoura map area in the Early Cretaceouswith the emplacement of the Separation Point suite andother granitoids (Tulloch 1983).
Mid- to Late Cretaceous and Paleogene
Following cessation of subduction and amalgamation ofthe Eastern Province terranes, a prolonged period ofextensional tectonics resulted in the opening of the TasmanSea and, within the Kaikoura map area, widespread erosionand deposition into numerous mid-Cretaceous basins(Crampton & others 2003). Intrusion of the TapuaenukuIgneous Complex and associated dikes was accompaniedby extrusive basalt flows, which interfingered withterrestrial and shallow marine sedimentary rocks.
In the Late Cretaceous, subsidence become more regionalin extent (Crampton & Laird 1997) as the tempo ofextensional tectonics waned and a passive margindeveloped. Relative quiescence from the end of theCretaceous resulted in regional subsidence and marinetransgression, followed by the slow accumulation ofwidespread, fine-grained clastic and carbonate rocks (Field,Browne & others 1989). This was punctuated by sporadicintraplate volcanism, particularly in the Canterbury Basin(Browne & Field 1985). In the northeast of the map areathis passive, basinal regime continued through into at leastthe Middle Eocene (Strong & others 1995; Crampton &others 2003). In northern Canterbury, deposition on a broad,relatively sheltered shallow shelf led to accumulation offine-grained clastic rocks and glauconitic sands. Thenorthern basins extended southwards during the Eoceneand Oligocene, resulting in the deposition of a blanket ofcarbonate rocks. The Early Oligocene period of erosion
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and/or non-deposition (including the MarshallParaconformity), was accompanied by mild deformationassociated with the initiation of the modern plate boundary(Lewis 1992; Nicol 1992). Apart from localised basalticvolcanism the remainder of the Oligocene was characterisedby tectonically subdued, regional deposition of carbonaterocks into several distinct depocentres (Browne 1995).
Neogene
The early Neogene is marked by a major influx of coarserclastic sediment eroded from rising mountains in the west.Uplift of mountain ranges was in response to increasinglyconvergent tectonics across the developing Australian-Pacific plate boundary through the New Zealand continent(Walcott 1978). Convergence associated with the plateboundary in Marlborough is recorded by Early Miocenethrust faults preserved north of Kaikoura (e.g. Rait & others1991; Townsend 2001). Erosion of the rapidly risingKaikoura ranges, Spenser Mountains and Southern Alpsresulted in deposition of the Early Miocene GreatMarlborough Conglomerate (Reay 1993) and westernconglomerate units such as the Rappahannock (Cutten1979) and Tadmor (Johnston 1990) groups. Uplift andcooling of the Tapuaenuku Igneous Complex at 22 Ma(Baker & Seward 1996) indicates significant convergenceon the Clarence Fault by the earliest Miocene (e.g. Browne1992).
Paleomagnetic and sea floor spreading data suggest thatthe entire coastal part of northeastern Marlborough rotatedclockwise about a vertical axis by as much as 100º in theMiddle Miocene (Sutherland 1995; Vickery & Lamb 1995;Townsend 2001; Hall & others 2004). The dominantnortheast strike of the steeply dipping Torlesse rocks inMarlborough is inferred to have been folded from anoriginal northwest strike at this time (Little & Roberts 1997).The rotation was probably due to locking of thesubduction interface beneath Marlborough, possibly
triggered by thickened oceanic lithosphere of the Hikurangiplateau entering the trench system, and also because therelatively buoyant continental crust of the Chatham Risewas pinned against the Australian plate to the west (Lamb& Bibby 1989; Eberhart-Phillips & Reyners 1997; Little &Roberts 1997; Reyners 1998).
In the Late Miocene, strike-slip faulting dominated inMarlborough and associated local, fault-bounded grabens,half-grabens, and folded sedimentary basins arecharacteristic of this period (Figs 39, 55). In the Pliocenethe component of convergence across the plate boundaryincreased (Walcott 1998), as did transpression on theAlpine Fault and other strike-slip faults (Little & Roberts1997), resulting in the uplift of the Southern Alps and othermountains in the west. North of the fault, the MoutereDepression developed between the rising mountains ofeast and west Nelson. Early Miocene uplift of the InlandKaikoura Range was followed by Late Pliocene uplift ofthe Seaward Kaikoura Range (Kao 2002). Rotation of theHikurangi margin continued, but on a more localised scale,in the lower Awatere valley (Roberts 1992).
As the Chatham Rise continued to impinge onto theAustralian plate, new faults developed at the edge of thePacific plate, widening the plate boundary zone andresulting in the redistribution of fault slip towards the south(Knuepfer 1992; Holt & Haines 1995; Little & Roberts 1997;Little & Jones 1998; Barnes & Audru 1999b). The HopeFault is currently the most active structure of theMarlborough Fault System with a right-lateral slip rate of20–40 mm/yr (Cowan 1990; Van Dissen & Yeats 1991). Thenorthern Canterbury basin and range topography is aconsequence of spreading deformation associated withthe Australian-Pacific plate boundary. Some of the rangesare bounded by northeast-striking reverse faults or thrustsand associated folding (Nicol & others 1995; Pettinga &others 2001; Litchfield & others 2003).
Figure 55 The south-plungingPuhipuhi Syncline north of Kaikourais a spectacular example of foldsdeveloped along the eastern coast.The Miocene core of the synclinelies in the valley (centre) and the foldlimbs are dominated by Paleogenelimestones underlain by mid- toLate Cretaceous sandstones.Folding, together with mountainuplift, occurred in response toincreasing convergence across theAustralia-Pacific plate boundary inthe Neogene.
Photo CN11019/4: D.L. Homer.
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GEOLOGICAL RESOURCES
The mineral resources of the Kaikoura map area arerelatively limited, both volumetrically and economically,and have been described in detail by Doole & others (1987)and Eggers & Sewell (1990). The following account issummarised from these publications with some updating.The most significant resources in the map area areaggregate, limestone and salt.
Metallic minerals
Chromium, occurring as grains and up to 15 cm thick lensesof chromite, is widespread in dunite and harzburgite of theDun Mountain Ultramafics Group in the Red Hills. Twoanalyses gave relatively low Cr2O3 percentages of 38.01and 39.51. No economic deposits are known or are likely tobe found.
Cobalt in the form of the cobalt-iron mineral wairauite hasbeen reported from the Dun Mountain Ultramafics Group,in the Wairau valley, but is of academic interest only (Challis& Long 1964).
Copper, commonly present as sparse malachite staining, isfound on surfaces or fractures of igneous rocks of theDun Mountain Ultramafics and Livingstone Volcanicsgroups, and in igneous rocks of the Pahau and Rakaiaterranes. The richest known deposit is near Mt Baldy, ingabbro of the Tinline Formation of the LivingstoneVolcanics Group. The deposit comprises chalcopyritewithin a quartz vein stockwork, up to 1 m thick and possiblycontinuous over a distance of 3 km, from which a series ofsamples gave between 0.58 and 7.7% Cu (Johnston 1976).In the northeast of the map area, at Tapuae-o-Uenuku andBlue Mountain in the Inland Kaikoura Range, mafic-ultramafic complexes of Cretaceous age contain sub-economic, disseminated copper-nickel and magnetite-ilmenite mineralisation (Pirajno 1979; Brathwaite & Pirajno1993). The Tapuaenuku Igneous Complex consists of alayered intrusion with widespread but irregulardisseminated pyrite, pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite at or nearthe contact between pyroxenite and gabbro layers. Chipsamples contain up to 1% Cu and 0.3% Ni. At BlueMountain, disseminated pyrrhotite and chalcopyritemineralisation forms irregular zones within a marginal ringdike of titanaugite-ilmenite gabbro, and at the contactbetween the ring dike and olivine-pyroxenite. The highestrock geochemical values are 1.6% Cu and 1.3% Ni (Pirajno1979). The Late Jurassic layered Rotoroa Complex insoutheast Nelson contains minor quartz-pyrite-chalcopyrite veins and disseminations adjacent to diorite,on the margins of intrusions of Separation Point granite.Copper values of up to 0.25% have been reported (Challis& others 1994).
Gold occurs widely as placer deposits in and adjacent tothe rivers draining west from the Main Divide. Gold wasfirst discovered in the late 1850s with the last significantfind being in 1915 in the Howard valley, between lakesRotoiti and Rotoroa. Most gold production occurred duringthe 1860s in the Mangles, Matakitaki and Glenroy valleys
from river beds or from ground sluicing of small alluvialclaims on adjacent terraces (Fyfe 1968). Larger claims weredeveloped in the Matakitaki valley downstream fromterminal moraines. The gold is largely derived from quartzreefs in Rakaia terrane semischists and schists, and wascarried westwards by Quaternary glaciers to accumulatein moraines and outwash gravels. Further erosion andreworking of the deposits has concentrated the gold inflood plains and riverbeds. Minor amounts of gold havealso been eroded from the basement rocks west of theAlpine Fault, such as in the Owen valley, and from reworkingof the basal Tertiary sequences of the Murchison Basin.No economic quartz reefs have been found in the mappedarea.
Iron in the form of magnetite (up to 50%) is associatedwith ilmenite and forms layers up to several metres thick inleucogabbro and anorthosite in parts of the TapuaenukuIgneous Complex (Brathwaite & Pirajno 1993).
Nickel is widespread throughout the Dun MountainUltramafics Group, with up to 0.5% Ni present within thelattice of olivine crystals, or as the iron-nickel alloy awaruite(Challis & Long 1964), but economic deposits are unlikelyto be present. Copper-nickel sulphide mineralisation formssub-economic disseminations within the TapuaenukuIgneous Complex and at Blue Mountain (see above).
Platinum group minerals (PGMs) are present in some ofthe gravels in the northwest of the map area and havebeen noted during alluvial gold mining (Morgan 1927).The greatest concentrations are in the tributaries of theHoward River, between lakes Rotoiti and Rotoroa, and river-flattened nuggets up to 4 mm across have been reported.The minerals consist of platinum and Cu-richisoferroplatinum probably derived from the nearby layeredRotoroa Complex (Challis 1989; Challis & others 1994).Platinum group metals have been found in creeks drainingthe Dun Mountain Ultramafics Group in the Red Hills andin the Matakitaki valley. There is restricted outcrop of likelysource rocks, and the amount of PGMs in deposits derivedfrom them is likely to be insignificant.
Titanium in ilmenite is present in the Tapuaenuku andBlue Mountain layered intrusions (see above). Ilmenite isa very minor component of black sand in tributaries of theBuller River which drain the garnet zone of the Haast Schist.
Non-metallic minerals
Clay deposits are widespread throughout the map areaalthough there are no large deposits of uniform quality.Most of the clay deposits are residual, being derived fromthe weathering of bedrock units. In the northwest, clayminerals are widespread in the Moutere Gravel and PorikaFormation but mostly as matrix to greywacke-derivedgravel. Porika Formation lake beds contain large volumesof clay to sandy clay, with chlorite and a minor componentof vermiculite or interlayered chlorite-vermiculite (Johnston1990). Southeast of the Alpine Fault, illite and interlayered
51
hydrous mica clay are widespread as the result ofweathering of Torlesse-derived loess. Bentonitic clay,consisting largely of montmorillonite and derived from theweathering of volcanic ash, is associated with LateCretaceous and Early Eocene volcanic rocks in thesoutheast of the Kaikoura map area. Early Eocenebentonite of marine origin is more extensive and thicker,but relatively low grade (Ritchie & others 1969).
Glauconite, a possible source of potassic fertiliser, occurswidely within the Late Cretaceous and Tertiary rocks inthe east of the map area, but no economic deposits arelikely to exist.
Salt is produced from the evaporation of seawater in LakeGrassmere (Fig. 56) in the northeast of the map area. Theseawater flows into shallow holding ponds or paddocksand evaporation is aided by a low rainfall, high sunshinehours and frequently strong, warm, northwesterly wind.Between 60 000 and 70 000 tonnes of salt is producedannually, mostly for national and international industrialuses (http://www.domsalt.co.nz/profile.html).
Serpentinite, or partly serpentinised harzburgite anddunite, is widespread within the Dun Mountain OphioliteBelt, but most of it is inaccessible. North of the Kaikouramap area near Nelson serpentinite has been quarried fromthese ultramafic rocks and used as a source of magnesiumfertiliser (Roser & others 1994).
Rock
Aggregate is the most important rock material produced inthe Kaikoura map area, in terms of both volume and value.With few exceptions, it is obtained from gravels formingthe beds of the major rivers. Roading uses include gravelon unsealed roads, and the production of sealing chip andmaterial for base course. A small amount is producedadjacent to the townships in the map area for concreteaggregate. Most of the aggregate is processed fromsandstone clasts from the rivers draining Torlesse rocks,but granite clasts are a major component in the northwestof the map area. Suitable gravel also exists in flood plainsand Late Pleistocene outwash deposits. However, in theolder outwash deposits the clasts are commonly weatheredand may be unsuitable for high quality uses. Quarrying ofunweathered bedrock units can also provide suitableaggregate although softer lithologies, such as mudstone(“argillite”) in the Torlesse composite terrane, are generallyunsuitable. Rocks of Late Cretaceous-Tertiary age, oldergravel deposits such as Moutere Gravel, and foliated schistare unsuitable as sources of high quality aggregate.Continuing uplift and erosion of the mountains ensuresthat the rivers generally supply more gravel than is requiredto meet demand.
Sand is present in many of the river deposits and iswidespread in the Holocene marine deposits and dunesadjacent to the coast.
Figure 56 Lake Grassmere is a modified estuarine lagoon where salt is mined from evaporated sea water.
Photo CN46332/25: D.L. Homer.
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Figure 57 St Oswalds Churchon State Highway 1 at Wharanuiis built from blocks of Mead HillFormation, quarried locally fromWoodside Creek.
Rip-rap is readily obtainable. Potential sources includeigneous rocks northwest of the Alpine Fault, andsandstone-dominated parts of the Torlesse compositeterrane and Paleogene limestones southeast of the fault.Rip-rap is used for river bank or coastal protection and islargely obtained from hard rock quarries. Talus deposits,such as ultramafic-derived boulders on the southwest ofthe Red Hills, have been used locally because of theirproximity to the area of demand.
Argillite blocks within the serpentinitic Patuki Mélangeof east Nelson have been altered by the introduction ofminerals such as albite and tremolite. River boulders ofaltered argillite (pakohe) are tough with a characteristicconchoidal fracture. They were worked by Maori into adzesand other implements.
Dimension and ornamental stone of varying rock type arereadily available, but the quantities obtained to date havebeen small. Basement rocks are commonly jointed andfractured, and generally difficult to access. A blackgabbronorite in the Rotoroa Complex in the Howard valleynear Lake Rotoroa has been investigated as a source ofdimension stone. Although it is readily accessible, closelyspaced jointing would limit the size of blocks to <1 m(Challis & others 1994).
Oligocene pink limestone from the middle Waiau River(Hanmer Marble) and Mead Hill Formation have been usedlocally as a building stone (Fig. 57). Several rock typeswould be suitable for ornamental chips, either loose or indecorative paving and precast panels. Rocks suitable forthis purpose include calcareous and siliceous componentsof the Mead Hill Formation and Amuri Limestone, and redargillite and chert in the Torlesse composite terrane.
Limestones occur widely in the Kaikoura map area. InMesozoic basement rocks, however, limestone depositsare sparse and largely restricted to the Esk Head belt in theLeatham valley of Marlborough. This grey to whitelimestone is fine-grained and crystalline with a CaCO3content of 97–99% (Kitt 1962). In Enchanted Stream in theLeatham valley a 20 m thick limestone lens has beenintermittently quarried with the greatest annual productionnot exceeding 6000 tonnes. On the western flank of theRed Hills, the steeply dipping and faulted Permian WoodedPeak Limestone is largely inaccessible. Some of the moreaccessible Wooded Peak Limestone in the Matakitaki valleyhas been sporadically quarried. Near Lake Daniells theOrdovician Sluice Box Limestone consists of crystallinelimestone with between 50 and 98% CaCO3 (Willett inWilliams 1974), but it is not easily accessible.
Limestones of Paleogene age northwest of the Alpine Faultare generally inaccessible and of poor quality. Along theeastern part of the map area immense reserves of MeadHill Formation and Amuri Limestone crop out but much ofthe limestone is too isolated to be used and the quality isalso variable, ranging from a soft marly limestone to a hard,highly siliceous rock. Quarries in the softer limestone existnear Cape Campbell and Ward, where the limestone hasbeen crushed by faulting or landsliding.
In northern Canterbury a number of Oligocene limestoneunits are quarried. While CaCO3 content is generally high(Eggers & Sewell 1990), thickness is highly variable. Southof Waiau, at Isolated Hill, well-bedded Oligocene limestoneis broken up by landsliding, which assists quarrying. Southof the Hanmer Plain on SH 7, limestone (Hanmer Marble)forms an easily quarried dip slope.
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Dunite boulders are sporadically collected from streamsdraining from the Red Hills into the Wairau River for use insaunas and hangi because they withstand rapid coolingwithout explosively disintegrating.
Coal
Coal occurs locally in rocks of Late Cretaceous age andcommonly near the base of Paleogene sequences. However,the only coal of economic significance in the map area is inthe Murchison Basin (Suggate 1984). Up to five seamshave been recorded from the basal Maruia Formation nearthe lower Matiri valley. Although the coal is stronglyswelling and of high-volatile bituminous rank, the seamshave a maximum thickness of only 1.2 m, the structure isunfavourable for mining and the coal has a medium to highsulphur content. The Longford Formation in the lowerMatakitaki and Owen valleys contains several seams oflow-swelling, low-moisture, high-volatile bituminous coalwith low (c. 1%) sulphur. The seams pinch and swell,reaching a maximum thickness of 3 m, and the coal iscommonly crushed. The easily accessible coal has beenworked out and, because of the irregularity of the seamsand structure, the prospects for renewed mining are poor.Total production was probably in the order of 150 000tonnes (Suggate 1984).
Water
Groundwater availability is generally restricted east of theMain Divide where rainfall is lower and aquifers have limitedextent. The best yields occur in Late Quaternary alluvialgravel, particularly adjacent to the major rivers drainingthe hard basement rocks or from the fan gravel aprons onthe flanks of the major ranges (Brown in Eggers & Sewell1990). In the lower Awatere valley, the gravels are thin andoverlie Pliocene siltstone of low permeability that restrictsriver recharge. In the minor rivers and streams, includingthose draining soft and/or weathered rock, an increase infine-grained material in the gravel deposits tends to reducepermeability. Along the coast, Holocene beach sands anddunes have a high permeability and porosity but rechargein many areas is dependent on frequent rainfall, and over-extraction can result in saline intrusion (Doole & others1987; Brown in Eggers & Sewell 1990). The Neogene toPleistocene gravel and sand deposits have generally low,but usually reliable yields.
The pre-Quaternary Cenozoic rocks in the mapped areagenerally have few open joints, and except along faultplanes and in limestones, groundwater yields are low. Thebasement rocks have numerous joints, particularly alongfault zones, which provide sufficient permeability to yieldsmall quantities of groundwater. In some basement rocks,such as schist, igneous and early Paleozoic rocks, thepresence of sulphide minerals tends to reduce water quality.However, where this occurs surface water supplies areabundant.
Thermal and mineralised hot springs are widespread,although not common, throughout the Southern Alps and
the ranges of northern Canterbury (Mongillo & Clelland1984). These springs are the result of groundwaterpercolating to considerable depth along fault zones beforedischarging on valley floors (Barnes & others 1978; Allis& others 1979). Measured temperatures range from 27.5°Cto 60°C and are commonly accompanied by a sulphurousdischarge (Mongillo & Clelland 1984). Commercial thermalresorts have been developed at Hanmer Springs and MaruiaSprings along the Hope and Fowlers faults respectively.
Oil and gas
Oil and gas shows are present in a number of places withinthe Murchison Basin. The basin contains approximately9000 m of Late Eocene to Miocene sedimentary rocks in itscentre and up to a further 3000 m may have been removedby erosion (Nathan & others 1986). The basin was drilledin the late 1920s and in 1968, 1970 and 1985 although onlythe last hole, Matiri-1, reached bedrock (at 1467 m; Dunn& others 1986). The rocks in the basin are generally steeplydipping, having been folded into a series of synclinesseparated by faulted anticlines. No closed structural trapsare known and there are few potential reservoir rocks withsufficient permeability or porosity, and consequently thehydrocarbon prospects are assessed as low (Nathan &others 1986).
In Marlborough, oil seeps are known from Pahau terranerocks at London Hill and the Amuri Limestone in IsolationCreek, south of the Waima River. Both seeps occur in closeproximity to major faults. The oil is likely to have beensourced from the Late Cretaceous Seymour Group and havemigrated up the fault zones to the surface (Field, Uruski &others 1997). While both source rocks and potentialreservoir rocks are favourable, deformation has limited thepossibility of any significant hydrocarbon traps. Mudstoneat the base of the Amuri Limestone in Mead Stream hasbeen correlated with the Waipawa Formation, ahydrocarbon source rock in the eastern North Island (Field,Uruski & others 1997). However, in Marlborough, themudstone is only a few metres thick, and significanthydrocarbon potential from this rock is unlikely.
In northern Canterbury hydrocarbons have been reportedfrom a number of locations, principally in the Cheviot area(Field, Browne & others 1989). Several seeps occur in theTorlesse rocks although the hydrocarbons are most likelyto have originated in adjacent Late Cretaceous-Paleogenerocks (e.g., the Eyre Group), which include potential sourceand reservoir rocks as well as other seeps. Significantstructural traps have not yet been identified, and there isthe potential for stratigraphic traps. Gas containing a veryhigh ethane content escapes from the Hanmer thermalsprings (Field, Browne and others 1989).
The offshore area of the Kaikoura map has had limitedpetroleum exploration but seismic data of varying qualityhas identified several deep sedimentary basins (Uruski1992; Field, Uruski & others 1997). The basins may containpotential source rocks that have been buried sufficientlyto generate hydrocarbons.
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ENGINEERING GEOLOGY
It is beyond the scope of this summary text to discussengineering geological parameters of Kaikoura map arearocks except in very general terms. Site specificinvestigations should always be undertaken withexploratory trenching and/or drilling, and other testing asappropriate under geotechnical supervision.
Basement rocks
The majority of the basement rocks, of Cambrian to EarlyCretaceous age, are generally hard and strong. Rockstrength may be diminished or influenced by grain size,degree of weathering, joint spacing, cleavage, shearingand bedding. Examples of weaker rocks are the higher gradeschists that have a well-developed foliation and mineralssuch as micas, which decrease rock strength. Mélangeand other zones of deformed rocks commonly have afractured, sheared fine-grained matrix and are consequentlyless competent than less-deformed basement rocks suchas greywacke. Slope failure is common in these zones.
Late Cretaceous-Pliocene rocks
The Late Cretaceous to Pliocene rocks vary considerablyin lithology and although some of the older sandstoneshave characteristics similar to Torlesse greywackes, mostare less indurated or are only weakly cemented. As aconsequence their engineering properties are diverse.While most sandstones and conglomerates are relativelyhard, fine-grained lithologies such as siltstone and
mudstone are soft. Finer grained lithologies tend to weathermore rapidly on exposure, forming clay-rich material with afurther reduction in rock strength and an increased potentialto fail, particularly where water saturated and/or sheared.Where constituent clay minerals have high plasticity orhave swelling properties, such as smectite, the risk of failureon slopes or in excavations is extreme (Fig. 58). Limestonesand most igneous rocks are usually competent, with theexception of uncemented or weathered tuff. Rocks withonly a slightly elevated carbonate content tend to be morecompetent than those lacking CaCO3.
Quaternary sediments
Quaternary sediments are characteristically weak,particularly where weathered. Deposits dominated byserpentinite or Cenozoic mudstone clasts are particularlyprone to a loss in strength on weathering. However, manydeposits have a silty or sandy clay matrix making themless prone to failure on slopes, even where weathered. Anexample is weathered Moutere Gravel which is usuallystable in steep natural or artificial cuts. Loess is widespreadin the east of the map area and, on older terraces and ingullies, may form deposits up to several metres thick. Loesshas a relatively high internal strength but on hillsides it isprone to tunnel gully erosion. Landslide deposits aregenerally composed of incompetent materials, containnumerous failure planes and are extremely weak. Many arecurrently active or are only marginally stable (see below).
Figure 58 Bentonitic mudstone within the relatively weak Waima Formation is prone to slipping, and movement of thislandslide north of Kekerengu (known as Blue Slip) periodically closes State Highway 1 and the Main Trunk Railway.The active trace of the Kekerengu Fault lies at the base of the steeper slopes behind.
Photo CN8369/2: D.L. Homer.
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GEOLOGICAL HAZARDS
Parts of the Kaikoura map area are subject to geologicalhazards including landslides, earthquakes, tsunami, andcoastal erosion. The main hazards are discussed here ingeneral terms, but the information presented in this mapand text should not be used for detailed natural hazardzonation or assessment of specific sites without additionalgeotechnical advice. Recording of site-specific naturalhazard information is the responsibility of local authorities,and an awareness of the presence of major hazards, andtheir potential for recurrence, is essential for regional anddistrict planning purposes.
Landslides
Slope instability is widespread in the map area in all rockunits underlying sloping ground. Some failures are theresult of weak, water-saturated ground, but many areearthquake-induced, as demonstrated during the 1888Hope and 1929 Buller (Murchison) earthquakes. Excludingfailures triggered by earthquakes, extensive failures arerare in the Cambrian-Early Cretaceous rocks northwest ofthe Alpine Fault. Large, isolated failures occur in Rakaiaand Pahau rocks southeast of the fault. Prominent,probably earthquake-induced, failures have damned lakesConstance, Alexander and McRae as well as Lake Matirinorthwest of the Alpine Fault. The Hope Fault scarpbetween Hanmer and Kaikoura has numerous landslides
attributed to fault movement and earthquake shaking(Eusden & others 2000). Landsliding is widespread in weakmélange rocks and in Cretaceous and Cenozoic rocks, wherebedding dips parallel to the slope, or where weak rocks areundercut by the sea or rivers. Examples are the largelandslides that dammed the Matakitaki (Fig. 59) and otherrivers during the 1929 Murchison earthquake. There aremany failures involving Cenozoic rocks in the Waima Riverarea. Late Cretaceous to Early Eocene rocks containingbentonitic clays also tend to be unstable (Fig. 58). Inmountainous terrain, rock falls are relatively widespreadand superficial failures involving soil regolith are commonon most steep slopes in the map area.
Coastal erosion
Hard basement rocks form about half of the coastline inthe Kaikoura map area and coastal erosion is only locally asignificant hazard. North and south of Kaikoura township,SH 1 is cut into coastal cliffs or built out into the heads ofsmall bays and rip-rap is placed as necessary to mitigatelocal marine erosion. Even where more extensive coastalplains (composed of softer terrestrial, aeolian or marinesediments) are present, adjacent headlands of hard rocktend to stabilise the coast. Between 1942 and 1974, along a30 km stretch of coastline from Oaro to Mangamaunu therehas been overall net coastal accretion (up to 40 m in places)
Figure 59 The 1929 Buller (Murchison) earthquake triggered widespread landsliding, causing considerable damageand some loss of life. This example originated from east-dipping Mangles Formation on the west bank of theMatakitaki valley, and slid over 1 km to demolish an occupied farmhouse and temporarily dam and divert the river.
Photo CN46447/21: D.L. Homer.
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but locally up to 15 m of land lost because of coastal erosion(Gibb 1978). The effects of coastal erosion, and short-termphenomena such as storm and tsunami surges, can bemitigated by ensuring new housing and other structuresare set back a prudent distance from the coast. Provisionshould be made for a potential rise in sea level in responseto global warming. A rise in sea level is likely to initiateincreased coastal erosion and increase the risk of marineflooding of very low-lying areas inland of beach ridges ordunes.
Earthquake hazards
The Kaikoura map area is situated within a region of highseismicity (earthquake activity) as historical recordsindicate (Figs 3, 60). Large shallow earthquakes, inparticular, commonly result in surface rupture and thenumerous active faults in the Kaikoura map area aretestament to the relatively high frequency of large andshallow earthquakes in the region (Table 1).
Offshore faults include the Needles, Campbell Bank andBoo Boo faults and the Chancet and North Mernoo faultzones. Many more unnamed faults have been mappedonshore and offshore. Active faults by definition havehad demonstrable displacement in the last 125 000 years,or two or more movements in the last 500 000 years. Activity
is generally determined where faults displace LateQuaternary surfaces and deposits, particularly those ofalluvial terraces and fans (Q1a, Q2a). Activity may only beevident at a single locality along a fault but for mappingpurposes the fault activity has been extrapolated (orinterpolated where there are multiple localities) along strike.An active fold has been mapped near Ward where LateQuaternary surfaces are measurably tilted. The basin andrange topography in northern Canterbury is in part due toongoing active folding (Litchfield & others 2003).
Since written records of earthquakes have been kept inNew Zealand (from about 1840), eight shallow magnitude6.0 or greater earthquakes have originated within theKaikoura map area. Two of these earthquakes, the 1848Marlborough and 1888 North Canterbury earthquakes, hadmagnitudes over 7.0. They both caused moderate to strongshaking over a large part of the Kaikoura map and wereassociated with significant, clearly identifiable surface faultruptures. Historical documents record that in the 1848 M7.5Marlborough earthquake, rupture occurred along morethan 105 km of the Awatere Fault, from the coast to at leastas far as Barefell Pass (Grapes & others 1998). Shakingintensities of MM9, possibly MM10, were experienced inthe Wairau and Awatere valleys where most buildings(predominantly cob structures) were extensively damagedor destroyed. There were many instances of ground
Figure 60 Major historic earthquakes within and adjacent to the Kaikoura map area.
1965
Chatham Rise
1951 Cheviot
1888 North
Canterbury
1888 North
Canterbury
1948 Waiau1948 Waiau
1960
Acheron River
1960
Acheron River
1990 Lake
Tennyson
1977 Cape Campbell
ALPIN
EFA
ULT
ALPIN
EFA
ULT
AW
ATER
EFA
ULT
AW
ATER
EFA
ULT
CLA
REN
CE
FAU
LT
CLA
REN
CE
FAU
LT
HOPE FAULT
HOPE FAULT
1855 Wairarapa
1848
Marlborough
1848
Marlborough
1929 Buller1929 Buller
1968
Inangahua
1968
Inangahua
1929
Arthur’s Pass
1929
Arthur’s Pass
1995
Cass
1995
Cass
1994
Arthur’s Pass
1994
Arthur’s Pass
1946
Lake Coleridge
1946
Lake Coleridge
1888
1991 Hawks
Crag
1991 Hawks
Crag
1913
Westport
1913
Westport
^̂
^̂
^̂
^̂
^̂
^̂
^̂
^̂
^̂
^̂
^̂
^̂
^̂
^̂
^̂^̂
^̂
1901 Cheviot
1922 Motunau
172°E 175 E°
42 S°
43 S°
173 E° 174 E°
172 E° 175 E°173 E° 174 E°
42 S°
43 S°4-5
5-6
6-7
>7
Magnitude
Deep(>40km)
Shallow(<40km)
^̂
^̂
100 km
N
57
Table 1. Rupture event displacement, slip rate, last rupture, recurrence interval and likely magnitude of significantactive faults and associated earthquakes in the Kaikoura map area (after Pettinga & others 2001; Yetton 2002; Fraser& others 2006).
MM 2: Felt by persons at rest, on upper floors or favourably placed.MM 3: Felt indoors; hanging objects may swing, vibration similar to passing of light trucks.MM 4: Generally noticed indoors but not outside. Light sleepers may be awakened. Vibration may be likenedto passing of heavy traffic. Doors and windows rattle. Walls and frames of buildings may be heard to creak.MM 5: Generally felt outside, and by almost everyone indoors. Most sleepers awakened. A few people alarmed.Some glassware and crockery may be broken. Open doors may swing.MM 6: Felt by all. People and animals alarmed. Many run outside. Objects fall from shelves. Glassware andcrockery broken. Unstable furniture overturned. Slight damage to some types of buildings. A few cases ofchimney damage. Loose material may be dislodged from sloping ground.MM 7: General alarm. Furniture moves on smooth floors. Unreinforced stone and brick walls crack. Some pre-earthquake code buildings damaged. Roof tiles may be dislodged. Many domestic chimneys broken. Smallslides such as falls of sand and gravel banks. Some fine cracks appear in sloping ground. A few instances ofliquefaction.MM 8: Alarm may approach panic. Steering of cars greatly affected. Some serious damage to pre-earthquakecode masonry buildings. Most unreinforced domestic chimneys damaged, many brought down. Monumentsand elevated tanks twisted or brought down. Some post-1980 brick veneer dwellings damaged. Houses notsecured to foundations may move. Cracks appear on steep slopes and in wet ground. Slides in roadsidecuttings and unsupported excavations. Small earthquake fountains and other instances of liquefaction.MM 9: Very poor quality unreinforced masonry destroyed. Pre-earthquake code masonry buildings heavilydamaged, some collapsing. Damage or distortion to some post-1980 buildings and bridges. Houses notsecured to foundations shifted off. Brick veneers fall and expose framing. Conspicuous cracking of flat andsloping ground. General landsliding on steep slopes. Liquefaction effects intensified, with large earthquakefountains and sand craters.MM 10: Most unreinforced masonry structure destroyed. Many pre-earthquake code buildings destroyed.Many pre-1980 buildings and bridges seriously damaged. Many post-1980 buildings and bridges moderatelydamaged or permanently distorted. Widespread cracking of flat and sloping ground. Widespread and severelandsliding on sloping ground. Widespread and severe liquefaction effects.
The Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (MM) (in part; summarised from Downes 1995)
Average Last rupture Recurrence MagnitudeFault name (segment) displacement Slip rate(s) mm/yr (years before interval (years) (Mw)
per rupture present)(m)
Waimea Fault - 0.2 - - 7.1 – 7.5
Alpine (Wairau) Fault 7 4 - 5 >1000 1000 - 2300 7.3 – 7.7
Alpine Fault (Haupiri-Tophouse) 3 2.4 - 12 1600 - 1670 500 7.1 – 7.5
Awatere Fault (northern) 5.5 - 7.5 7.7 158 690 - 1500 7.5
Awatere Fault (southern) - 8 522 - 597 1900 - 4000 7.5
Clarence Fault (northern) ~7 4 - 7 - 1500 7.7
Clarence Fault (southern) 7 4 - 8 - 1080 -
Kekerengu Fault 5.5 5 - 10 - 730 7.2
Jordan Thrust 2 - 4 1.3 - 2.5 (vertical), - 1200 7.10 - 3.4 (horizontal)
Hope Fault (Conway-offshore) - 11 - 35 168 120 - 300 7.6
Hope Fault (1888 rupture) 1.5 - 2.6 14 ± 3 100 120 7.2
Hanmer Fault 1 - 3 1-2 <10000 1000 6.9
Kakapo Fault - 4.4 - 8.4 <10000 500 7.3
Esk Fault - - - 5000 - 10000 7.0
Hundalee Fault 1 - 2 0.4 - 1.5 <10000 800 - 5000 7.0
Kaiwara Fault - 0.5 <10000 2000 - 5000 7.1
Omihi Fault - 1 <10000 - 6.7
Balmoral Fault 2 - 6 1 - 2 1495 - 1925 5000 - 10000 -
58
Figure 61
(a) The Hope Fault at Glynn Wye ruptured in1888 and evidence from offset morainesindicates that lateral movements of 1.5 to2.6 m have occurred approximately every 120years on average. The Hope Fault here (centre)tracks towards Hanmer Basin (top centre).
Photo CN3602/26: D.L. Homer.
(b) Geologist Alexander McKay visited theHope Fault at Glynn Wye soon after it ruptured,noting the dextral displacement marked by the2.4 m offset of this fence. His inference thatfaults could have significant and repeatedlateral movement was an idea that was notsupported by the wider geological communityuntil many decades later.
Photo: A. McKay.
damage including landslides, ground cracking, liquefactionand differential settlement (Eiby 1980; Grapes & others1998). Ground damage may have occurred as far south asnorthern Canterbury. The 1848 earthquake also causedconsiderable damage in the then lightly populated town ofWellington.
Forty years later, the Kaikoura map area was stronglyshaken by the 1888 M7.0–7.3 North Canterbury earthquake,which ruptured a 30 ± 5 km segment of the Hope Fault westof Hanmer Springs. Up to 2.6 m horizontal displacement onthe fault was recorded at the time (Fig 61a,b). Many coband stone buildings were badly damaged or destroyed(MM9) in the Hope valley and on the Hanmer Plain in arelatively narrow zone parallel to the fault (Cowan 1991).Damage to household contents (MM6) extended as far asKaikoura and the West Coast. Landslides and grounddamage occurred in the highest intensity areas. Otherdamaging earthquakes centred in the Kaikoura map areainclude the 1901 M6.9 Cheviot earthquake which causedconsiderable damage to buildings in the Cheviot area, withintensities of MM8–9 occurring along a 30–40 km stripfrom Domett to Conway Flat (D.J. Dowrick, unpublisheddata). The 1922 M6.4 Motunau earthquake, on theafternoon of Christmas Day, brought down large numbersof chimneys from Cheviot to Rangiora (Downes 1995),reaching a maximum intensity of MM8 in the Motunau
area (D.J. Dowrick, unpublished data.). The 1948 M6.4Waiau earthquake caused minor structural damage,principally in and between the settlements of Hanmer andWaiau (Downes 1995).
Parts of the Kaikoura map area have also been subjectedto strong shaking from large earthquakes whose epicentreslie outside the area. The 1855 M8.1 Wairarapa earthquakethat ruptured the Wairarapa Fault in the southern NorthIsland (Grapes & Downes 1997) caused subsidence in thelower Wairau valley. Intensities of MM5 and above wereexperienced over a large part of the Kaikoura map area andthe maximum intensity of MM8, possibly MM9, occurredfrom the lower Awatere valley to Kekerengu and CapeCampbell.
The 1929 M7.0 Arthur’s Pass and 1929 M7.7 Bullerearthquakes ruptured the Poulter Fault (Berryman &Villamor 2004) and the White Creek Fault (Fyfe 1929)respectively. Both these earthquakes occurred in sparselypopulated areas outside the Kaikoura map area.Nevertheless, the Buller earthquake was responsible for15 deaths, the majority of which were caused by landslides(Henderson 1937). A large part of the Kaikoura map areawas shaken with intensities of MM6 or more. Northwesternparts of the area experienced intensities of MM8, resultingin considerable structural and environmental damage and
59
extensive landsliding (Hancox & others 2002). The 1968M7.1 Inangahua earthquake was less extensive in its strongground shaking effects, and the maximum intensity in theKaikoura map area was probably MM7 (Downes 1995).
A re-evaluation of seismic hazard in New Zealand byStirling & others (2001, 2002) uses models of the likelyground acceleration at any one place, based on historicalearthquakes and the Late Quaternary geological and activefaulting record. The highest levels of Peak GroundAcceleration (PGA) in the map area, corresponding to themost severe shaking and damage, are predicted along thewestern Hope Fault. The mean return periods for specificintensity levels of earthquake-induced ground shakingvary significantly across the area, the return perioddecreasing (i.e. earthquakes occurring more frequently)towards the Hope Fault (Table 2).
The consequences of a large, shallow earthquake in oradjacent to the Kaikoura map area will be strong groundshaking, multiple aftershocks, shaking-induced slopeinstability, and possible surface fault rupture. Fault ruptureis known to have occurred within the last 500 years on theHope and Awatere faults (Table 1; Fig 61). The recurrenceinterval on individual faults in the Kaikoura map area isbetween 120 and many tens of thousands of years.
During an earthquake the felt ground shaking intensitieswill vary considerably depending on ground surfaceconditions and on distance from the focus of theearthquake. Unconsolidated water-saturated sediments,such as swamp deposits, estuarine mud, marine sand andgravel, and landfill, will amplify shaking compared withhard competent basement rocks nearby. The towns ofMurchison, Hanmer Springs and Culverden are built onyoung Quaternary deposits, and it is likely that parts ofthese urban areas will show some shaking amplification,as Murchison did in the 1929 earthquake (Suggate & Wood1979). Surface rupture along a fault could result in grounddisplacements of several metres both horizontally andvertically. Such offsets would disrupt all services, such asroads, railways, water, and power and telephone cables.
Table 2. Mean return periods for earthquake shaking intensity for the towns of Murchison, Hanmer Springs, Culverdenand Kaikoura, derived from unpublished data of W.D. Smith using the seismicity model of Stirling & others (2002).
Tsunami
Coastal flooding and damage caused by tsunami arepossible along the entire coastline of the map area as wellas the lower reaches of rivers. The coastal town of Kaikouraand adjacent coastal communities are at risk. Large tsunamiof more than 4 m are life-threatening, and can be verydamaging to structures. Even small tsunami can causeerosion and create problems - for example, the strongcurrents generated affect boats at anchor. The impact of atsunami depends on the size of the energy source and itsdistance from the coastline, the propagation path of thetsunami and the morphology of the coast and the adjoiningseabed. It is difficult to predict the impact accurately.
In historical times the coastline has not been stronglyaffected by tsunami generated by earthquakes at distantlocations, such as South America. Locally generatedtsunami, potentially caused by near-shore fault rupture orsubmarine landsliding, pose a greater threat. The tsunamicaused by the 1855 M8.1 Wairarapa earthquake is thelargest known local source tsunami to have occurredhistorically in the Kaikoura map area. The tsunami wasobserved throughout Cook Strait area and along the Kapitiand northeastern Marlborough coasts (Grapes & Downes1997). Near the Clarence River mouth, the tsunami inundatedparts of the coastline to several tens of metres inland anddeposited boats above high-tide mark. Submarineslumping, particularly into the Kaikoura Canyon, has thepotential to generate a large tsunami that would arriveonshore with minimal or no warning.
Locally generated tsunami are a cause for concern as waveheights may be large enough to be damaging and life-threatening, possibly catastrophic, and travel times aregenerally too short for Civil Defence warnings. The publicshould treat strong earthquake shaking as a signal to leavecoastal locations and move inland. Similarly unusualchanges in sea behaviour (sudden rise or withdrawal),possibly accompanied by roaring from the sea, could alsosignal the imminent arrival of a tsunami and the coastalarea should be evacuated.
MM6 or greater 8 8 9 9
MM7 or greater 34 21 25 35
MM8 or greater 230 53 100 120
MM9 or greater 2400 170 1000 410
Mean return period (years) Intensity
Murchison Hanmer Culverden KaikouraSprings
60
AVAILABILITY OF QMAP DATA
The geological map accompanying this book is derivedfrom information stored in the QMAP geographicinformation system (GIS) database maintained by GNSScience and from other GIS-compatible digital databases.The data shown on the map are a subset of the availableinformation. Customised single-factor and multifactor mapscan be generated from the GIS and integrated with otherdata sets to produce, for example, maps showing fossil ormineral localities in relation to specific rock types, or mapsshowing rock types in relation to the road network. Datacan be presented for user-defined specific areas, forirregular areas such as local authority territories, or in theform of strip maps showing information within a specifieddistance of linear features such as roads or the coastline.The information can be made available at any requiredscale, bearing in mind the scale of data capture and thegeneralisation involved in digitising. Maps produced at ascale greater than 1:50 000 will generally not show accurate,detailed geological information. The QMAP series mapsare available in GIS vector and raster digital form usingstandard data interchange formats.
For new or additional information, for prints of this map atother scales, for selected data or combinations of datasets or for derivative or single-factor maps based on QMAPdata, please contact:
QMAP LeaderGNS ScienceP. O. Box 30 368Lower Hutt
This map was compiled by M.S. Rattenbury (part or all ofNZMS 260 sheets M30, M31, M32, M33, N31), M.R.Johnston (M29, N29, N30, O29, P29, Q29) and D.B.Townsend (M33, N32, N33, O30, O31, O32, O33, P30, P31),with significant contributions from C. Mazengarb (N31,O31) and M.J. Isaac (O30). Major sources of contributinginformation were geological maps at 1:50 000, by Suggate(1984), Challis & others (1994), Johnston (1990), Reay (1993)and Warren (1995). Additional data came from publishedpapers, reports, bulletins, and unpublished material fromthe files of GNS Science, mineral exploration companyreports and university theses.
Fieldwork during 2000–2004 concentrated on visitingselected key areas and filling gaps in knowledge, especiallyin the greywacke rocks. Fieldwork was undertaken withconsiderable assistance from B. Allan, J.G. Begg, R.Jongens, J.M. Lee, B. May, T. Nash, G.A. Partington, J. H.Rattenbury. P. Sprung, D. Thomas, and I.M. Turnbull.
Aerial photograph interpretation of landslides by T.PCoote, G.D. Dellow and S.A.L. Read was compiled from theLandslide Map of New Zealand project. The offshoregeology has been compiled from Field, Browne & others(1989), Field, Uruski & others (1997) and unpublished andsome published data of P.M. Barnes and co-authors listedin the references. We thank the National Institute of Waterand Atmospheric Research for permission to reproduceoffshore bathymetry, faults and folds from their digitalrecords.
The co-operation of geology department heads fromVictoria, Canterbury and Otago universities in allowingaccess to student theses is gratefully acknowledged.Geological map data have been sourced from the followinguniversity theses; Adamson (1966), Allen (1962), Audru(1996), Botsford (1983), Challis (1960), Clegg (2001), Cowan(1989), Cutten (1976), Grapes (1972), Hall (1964), Harker(1989), Hill (1998), Jones (1995), Kirker (1989), Kundycki(1996), Lihou (1991), Lowry (1995), McLean (1986),Melhuish (1988), Montague (1981), Nicol (1977), Powell(1985), Prebble (1976), Ritchie (1986), Robertson (1989),Rose (1986), Slater (2001), Smith (2001), Stewart (1974),Stone (2001), Townsend (1996, 2001), Vickery (1994), Waters(1988), and Worley (1995). The North Canterbury GIScompiled by Pettinga & Campbell (2003) contains data fromUniversity of Canterbury student theses includingLitchfield (1995), Mould (1992), Nicol (1991), and infillmapping by A.M. Wandres.
Development and maintenance of the GIS database wereby D.W. Heron and M.S. Rattenbury, with digital captureand map production by J. Arnst, T. Browne, B. Carthew,D.W. Heron, B. Lukovic, M. Persaud, J.H. Rattenbury, P.Sprung, S. Tille and D.B. Townsend. Map design and digitalcartography were by D.W. Heron and M.S. Rattenbury.
The text was written by M.S. Rattenbury, D.B. Townsendand M.R. Johnston with considerable input to thegeological hazards section from G.L. Downes. The diagrams
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
were prepared by P. Carthew, M.S. Rattenbury and D.B.Townsend. Parts or all of the map and text were reviewedby G.H. Browne, J.S. Crampton, S.W. Edbrooke, B.D. Field,P.J. Forsyth, C.J. Hollis, M.G. Laird, N.J. Litchfield, T.A.Little, and I.M. Turnbull. The map and text were edited byP.J. Forsyth and D.W. Heron. Text layout was by P.L.Murray. M.J. Isaac checked proofs of the map and text.
R. Solomon of Te Runanga o Kaikoura provided thehistorical information for the front cover and frontispiecephotographs.
Funding for the QMAP: Geological Map of New Zealandproject was provided by the Foundation for Research,Science & Technology under contract C05X0401.
The base map is sourced from Land Information NewZealand. Crown copyright reserved.
61
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This map and text illustrate the geology of the Kaikoura area, extending east from Murchison tosouthern Marlborough, and south to Waikari in north Canterbury. Onshore geology is mapped at ascale of 1:250 000 while offshore the bathymetry, thick Quaternary sedimentary deposits and majorstructural elements are shown. Geological information has been obtained from published andunpublished mapping and research by GNS Science geologists, from work by staff and students of theUniversity of Canterbury, Victoria University of Wellington and the University of Otago, fromoffshore mapping by the National Institute of Water and Atmosphere, and from mineral explorationreports. All data are held in a geographic information system and are available in digital format onrequest. The accompanying text summarises the geology and tectonic development, as well as thegeological hazards and the economic and engineering geology of the map area. The map is part of aseries initiated in 1996 which will cover the whole of New Zealand.
The map area is mostly underlain by Mesozoic greywacke rocks of the Torlesse terrane, except in thenorthwest where narrow fault-bounded remnants of the Buller, Takaka, Brook Street, Murihiku, DunMountain-Maitai and Caples terranes occur, as well as the Median Batholith and other granitic rocks.Discontinuously preserved late Early Cretaceous to Pliocene, predominantly marine sedimentary andvolcanogenic rocks occur in the northwest, the east and the south of the map area. Quaternaryterrestrial sediments are widespread on land, including till, loess, scree, landslide, alluvial fan andalluvial terrace deposits. Numerous active faults of the Marlborough Fault System transect the maparea, marking the plate boundary zone between the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates. Several ofthese faults have moved in historic times contributing to the region's relatively high seismic hazard.
The highest point of the Inland Kaikoura Range is Mt Tapuae-o-Uenuku (2885 m) where the summit
region is composed of erosion-resistant Cretaceous mafic igneous intrusive rocks and associated
hornfelsed Pahau terrane greywacke. The active Clarence Fault separates the Inland Kaikoura
Range from the distinctive Chalk Range in the middle distance, and the white screes there and in
the foreground emanate from Paleogene carbonate rocks.Photo: D.B. Townsend
ISBN 0-478-09925-8
