New Zealandbrochures and maps of New ZealandNatural History BrochuresThese A3 fold-out, full colour brochures are explanations and discussions of spectacular geological landforms and events in New Zealand, with photographs mainly by Lloyd Homer and text by GNS Science staff. The information is accessible for students, tourists and the general public. The brochures are valuable teaching resources, excellent references for student projects and absolutely essential for field trips.

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Solander Island (Te Niho a Kewa, Hautere) is an eroded stump of its former self.

A Guide to the Geology of the Riverton - Aparima District

Places to go and things to see

Waiau Group and Ice AgeGemstone Beach, McCrackens Rest

Near Monkey Island the hard, rocky Median Batholith coast gives way to eroding cliffs of soft sandstone and mudstone. These are the Waiau Group rocks. They record widespread submergence beneath the sea from about 40 million years ago. The terraces, benches and gravels along the coast formed during the last 2 million years when the Earth was in an Ice Age. They are a record of � uctuating sea levels and erosion. At this time the Waiau River was loaded with gravels eroded by glaciers near Te Anau.

Fossil wood in pebbly sandstone, Gemstone Beach cliffs

Sketch cross section between Tuatapere and Riverton - Aparima.

© Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Ltd. 2009

For further information about New Zealand geology, including books, maps and photographs and videos, visit the GNS Science website www.gns.cri.nz

The Geological Society of New Zealand (www.gsnz.org.nz) has many detailed � eld guides. Te Hikoi Southern Journey Heritage Museum (www.tehikoi.co.nz) has excellent displays on local settlement history.

This brochure was written by Nick Mortimer in cooperation with Te Hikoi Southern Journey Heritage Museum. Comments by Oraka Aparima Runaka, Hamish Campbell, Russell Beck, Kay Roughan, Carole Power, Julian Thomson, Jane Forsyth and Ian Turnbull are acknowledged.

ISSN 1177-2441GNS Science Miscellaneous Series 26

© Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Ltd. 2009

Orepuki is less than 200 km from one of the Earth’s major plate boundaries. Starting 20 million years ago, the Australian Plate began to dive (subduct) beneath the Paci� c Plate. This pushed up the rocks of Fiordland, a process that is continuing today. At 9.22 pm on 15 July 2009 a magnitude 7.8 earthquake, the biggest in New Zealand for 78 years, occurred on this plate boundary in Fiordland. In fact the entire Southland region is acting as a giant west-end-up spirit level or

tilt meter (yellow dashed lines in cross section on back page). Solander Island (Te Niho a Kewa, Hautere) is a Paci� c Ring of Fire volcano associated with the plate boundary. It last erupted about 150,000 years ago.

At Gemstone Beach (Mullans Rd West) look at the Waiau Group sediments in the cliffs. On the beach, the stones are nicely polished. Here you can � nd minerals such as jasper (blood red), hydrogrossular (waxy greenish white-yellow), epidote (apple green), quartz (white), almandine garnet sand (red) and rare sapphires (blue), as well as different rocks (including Brook Street Terrane) brought down the Waiau River from near Te Anau.

There is no beach access at McCrackens Rest but it provides excellent views of Solander Island (Te Niho a Kewa, Hautere), Fiordland and Te Waewae Bay.

Geological map of the Riverton - Aparima district.

Photo 8: Braided channels of the Waiho River lead from the Franz Josef Glacier, Aoraki/Mt Cook on

the skyline (right). The terminal moraine (w), known as the Waiho Loop, marks the position of the

glacier terminus 13,000 years ago. Forest covering this moraine escaped pastoral clearing. The

Alpine Fault runs along the foot of the mountains, arrows indicating the sense of movement.

Photo: D.L. Homer.

The Franz Josef and Fox GlaciersK Roimata o Hine Hukatere e Te Moeka o Tuaweā

Photo 7: This meltwater tunnel has

been uncovered by melting and

upward ice movement. Such tunnels

merge near the terminus, water often

flowing from the glacier via a

spectacular ice cave. The glacier front

is a very unstable area, the ice

constantly moving and collapsing.

Heavy rain may cause tunnels to

collapse, trapping water within the

glacier. A spectacular dam-burst often

follows, carrying blocks of ice

downstream. Photo: Petr Hlavacek,nzicescapes.com

Photo 6: Surface water often flows

down vertical shafts (moulins) which

lead to a labyrinth of tunnels deep

inside the glacier. This moulin is three

metres across. Photo: Julian Thomson

ww

Photo 5: Advances of the Franz Josef Glacier in the

last few hundred years have left several vegetation

trim lines. Mature forest only survives above the

‘1600 or earlier’ ice level. Photo: T.J. Chinn

1600 rlieror ea

1820

1930

1950

Photos 4 a, b & c: These photos, taken from near Sentinel Rock, show different positions of

the terminus of the Franz Josef Glacier.

(a) from 1939-49, there was a lake in front of the glacier.

(b) In 1979 the glacier had retreated far up the valley.

(c) Re-advance in the 80's and 90's saw the glacier advance to this 2000 position.

Photo: Westland National Park Historic Photo Collection

Photo: T.J. Chinn

Photo: Westland National Park Historic Photo Collection

Original text by Trevor Chinn and Glen Coates, revised for this edition by Julian Thomson (GNS Science)and Brian Anderson (Victorial University).

Copyright © Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Ltd 2009

PO Box 30368, Lower Hutt, New Zealand. Telephone: +64-4-570 1444 Facsimile+64-4-570 4600

For further information visit the GNS Science website www.gns.cri.nz

ISSN 1177-2441

GNS Science Miscellaneous Series 24

Climate change and the history of advance and retreatThe Earth’s climate is constantly changing, temperatures varying from warmer thanpresent to 4-6°C cooler during the Ice Ages. The latest period of global warming began at

the end of the 19 century and, in response, glaciers have in general been retreating. TheFranz Josef and Fox Glaciers are unusually sensitive to climate changes because theirlarge catchments feed into narrow valleys, and a change in snow accumulation producesdramatic changes at the terminus. This is why the overall retreat of these two glaciers hasbeen punctuated by minor advances at about 20-year intervals. The latest advance sincethe 1980's has been the most spectacular and comes after increased snowfalls on theSouthern Alps.

th

Cover photo: Ice features on the Franz Josef Glacier,Petr Hvalacek, nzicescapes.com

Māori heritage

Māori understanding of the alpine world was based on the great creation myths of thewaka Aoraki and Tū Te Rakiwhānoa. The deepsignificance of the great peaks, snowfields and glaciers of Te Waipounamu (the SouthIsland) are preserved in the language. The Māori names of the glaciers Kā Roimata o HineHukatere (Franz Josef Glacier) and Te Moeka o Tuawe (Fox Glacier) are derived from atūpuna (ancestor) Tū Awe who fell to his death while exploring the area. The bed of TeMoeka o Tuawe became his moeka (final resting place). It is said that when his lover, HineHukatere, wept, the bed of the glaciers filled with her everlasting tears of ice. The storyenabled generations of Māori to commit to memory the unique landforms of the area.

two(double-hulled sailing vessels) named

,,

a. 1939–40 lake b. 1979

c. 2000

~1800*

1920

1940

1960

1980

2000

~1600*<1600*

1900

RETREATADVANCE

*These positions known from vegetation analysis

0 1 2 312

Sentinel Rock

Distance (km) from Sentinel Rock

Advance 1907–09

Advance 1921–34

Advance 1946–51

Advance 1965–67

Advance 1983–2000Fletcher Bridge destroyed 1990

Shelter hut removed 1986

‘Glacierburst’ flood Dec 1965Pioneer Hut destroyed by rockfall 1963

First ski-plane landing (on Fox Gl.) 1956

Proglacial lake 1939–49

Viewing gallery destroyed 1907

1880

1860

First photograph 1867Visit by von Haast 1864

First description 1859(from at sea)

FRANZ JOSEF GLACIERHistoric variations of terminus position and notable events

Advance 2004–

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Geological Map of New ZealandNew Zealand is a jigsaw of many different rock types. They range from hard gneiss to soft mudstone, from the oldest fossils to volcanic rocks erupted in the last few years. Our rocks represent vanished river plains, ancient peat swamps, deep sea floors, volcanic islands, beach sands and shell beds, the roots of mountain ranges, and much more. New Zealand’s rock types are displayed on a 590 x 910 mm GNS Science colour poster, ideal for schools and wall displays. The map is also available on the web, with supporting information including photos and text.

$25.00 Ps40

Natural History Brochures (cont.)

Maps

BR1 Scenery and geology from the Summit Road, Christchurch*

BR3 A guide to the Routeburn track, New Zealand BR4 The Dunedin VolcanoBR5 Tarawera Volcano*BR6 Volcanic landscape : a guide to the Auckland

Volcanic Field*BR7 A guide to Milford Sound, New Zealand* BR9 The Mount Cook Rock Avalanche of 14 December 1991BR12 The Kaikoura PeninsulaBR13 The Volcanoes of TaranakiBR14 Crossing Cook Strait (also available in German)BR16 The Haast landscapeBR17 Cape Kidnappers

BR18 The Glaciated landscape of Mount Cook*BR19 Tauranga HarbourBR20 Lake Moeraki wildernessBR21 Waitomo CavesBR22 The Oamaru VolcanoBR24 Taupo the Volcano (new edition)BR25 Taupo the Eruption (new edition)BR26 New Zealand Adrift (new edition)BR27 Pancake Rocks Punakaiki (new edition)

$6.00 GBR1 The Moeraki Boulders (new edition)GBR2 The Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers (new edition)GBR3 A Guide to the Geology of the Riverton – Aparima

District

* NOW OUT OF PRINT – colour photocopies available on request.

New Zealand ContinentNew Zealand is part of a vast submerged continent. This New Zealand continent (sometimes referred to as Zealandia) is shown in relation to the southwest Pacific and eastern Australia in a 900 x 685 mm GNS Science colour poster. Major underwater features, islands and island nations are labelled. Water depths are coloured and contoured to show the texture of the sea floor. An alternative version of the poster is also available showing the New Zealand Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The poster is ideal for schools, boardrooms, wall displays and for people who are interested in the physical settings of New Zealand.

$25.00 GPS4 (with EEZ)

$20.00 Ps35