Geology
Recent Deposits
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The Pigroot scandal; how a phonolite came to bear mantle xenoliths: an experimental analysis of the Pigroot phonolite, Central Otago, New Zealand
Phonolite is a type of nominally evolved alkaline magma, with some occurrences, however, hosting mantle xenoliths. This project aims to characterise the dynamic conditions of magma evolution of the xenolith-hosting Pigroot ... -
A Modern Reinvestigation of the 1987 Moutere Depression Seismic Survey
The quality of seismic processing and interpretation in the past has always been shackled to the limitations of the acquisition equipment and analysis systems used. The variability of seismic processing between different ... -
Environmental geochemistry of mine waste and waters at Macraes gold mine, Otago
The mineralogy and geochemistry of mine waste can determine the mobility of elements into the wider environment. This research covers four phases of mine waste at Macraes, an active orogenic gold mine in Otago, New Zealand. ... -
Quaternary deformation at the leading edge of the Otago reverse fault province
The southeast Otago region forms the present leading edge of the outboard zone of continental collision between the Pacific and Australian plates. This study focuses on Quaternary motion of two northeast-striking, steeply ... -
Manuherikia group of Central Otago, New Zealand : stratigraphy, depositional systems, lignite resource assessment and exploration models
Dunstan Formation lignite bearing strata within the 1,000m thick Miocene Manuherikia Group of Central Otago represent an important coal resource. Three principal coalfields, Blackstone, Roxburgh and Nevis are identified. Detailed ... -
The basement geology and palaeontology of the Wairaki Hills, Southland.
Lithologic and biostratigraphic mapping of the Wairaki Hills was commenced to provide detailed geologic maps on which to base data subsequently derived from palaeontological study. Faunas found were collected quickly during ... -
The evolution of deformation mechanisms during the mechanical weakening of polycrystalline ice: a quantitative microstructural study
Flowing glaciers and ice sheets play key roles in shaping planetary surfaces, and form important feedbacks with climate, both on Earth and elsewhere in the solar system. Ice becomes mechanically weaker during the deformation, ... -
Image analysis of x-ray computed tomographic datasets, quantification of porosity, and applications to understanding fracturing of rock masses
X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) is a non-destructive and powerful imaging technique allowing scanned objects to be three-dimensionally inspected and characterized across a wide range of sample sizes (from meters to micrometres) ... -
The Cascade Rock Avalanche: Structure and deformation in a catastrophic rock avalanche
Catastrophic rock avalanches involving large volumes of bedrock are primary drivers of surface erosion in mountainous landscapes and pose a considerable threat to both human life and infrastructure. These events typically ... -
Permian arc volcanism and aspects of the general geology of the Skippers Range, NW Otago
The Skippers Range in NW Otago is a structurally isolated block bounded by the Alpine Fault to the northwest, the Glade-Darran Fault to the west and the Hollyford Fault to the east. Within it are five intrusive and fault ... -
Integrated petrologic, geochemical and experimental investigation of intraplate alkaline magmas at Dunedin Volcano: constraints on mantle sources, differentiation trends and magmatic processes
Intraplate volcanic settings have long been recognized for the compelling diversity of magma compositions if compared to plate boundary magmatism. Alkaline volcanoes are typically characterized by an impressive variety of ... -
Bottom water production at the Antarctic Peninsula, ODP Site 1101
During the Pleistocene period Antarctica underwent cyclic variations in ice volume known as glacial and interglacial stages. Bottom water production is intricately linked to changes in ice volume, climate, and particularly ... -
Paleoseismology of the NW Cardrona Fault, Central Otago
This thesis documents a paleoseismic study of the Northwest (NW) Cardrona Fault at the Branch Creek Road site in the Cardrona Valley, Central Otago. The northeast-striking NW Cardrona Fault is a major range-bounding reverse ... -
Characterising the Quaternary stratigraphy of the paleovalley underlying Dunedin and Otago Harbour
Beneath the surface of the low-lying densely populated suburbs of Dunedin and the adjacent Otago Harbour is an extensive record of past sea level change over the Quaternary. Prior research into the Quaternary stratigraphy ... -
Characterising the internal structure of major fault zones, using samples from outcrops and boreholes from the Alpine Fault Zone, New Zealand
It is important to characterize the internal structure of major fault zones to understand their gross physical attributes, including their mechanical, seismic, and hydraulic properties. Using the Deep Fault Drilling Project ... -
Seabed pockmarks and subsurface fluid migration at multiple scales: Investigations using hydroacoustic and seismic data
Fluid migration from deep sedimentary basins towards Earth’s surface has various implications for hydrocarbon accumulations and influences slope stability, climate and ecological systems. Fluids seeping from the seafloor ... -
The Paragenesis of the Orogenic Gold Deposits of Te Oneroa Bay, Preservation Inlet, Southwest Fiordland
The Te Oneroa Bay area in Preservation Inlet, southwest Fiordland, has been a well-known source of hard rock and alluvial gold since the late 1800’s. Such Au-deposits are found within the Buller Terrane mid-Ordovician ... -
Alpine Fault fluid composition and transport in proximity to the fault, using analyses of out-crop samples and gases entrained in drill fluids
The chemistry of fluids and gases within fault zones can provide information about their sources/origins, flow rates and paths, and further fluid-rock interactions along those paths. New Zealand’s tectonically active Alpine ... -
Tectonic geomorphology of the Rock and Pillar Range and Taieri Ridge, Otago, New Zealand
In the South Island of New Zealand, east Otago is a region of low seismicity with many potentially active faults, and profound data gaps. I use geomorphic observations, and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating ... -
Middle Cenozoic unconformities in the Waihao Valley, South Canterbury Basin
This thesis presents descriptions and interpretations of stratigraphic sections in the lower Waihao Valley, southern Canterbury Basin. The aim of this reconnaissance study was to describe and interpret the age, origin and ...