Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand abstracts

---

Waipa Supergroup, New Zealand: a proposal

David Kear

34 West End, Ohope, Whakatane, New Zealand.

Nick Mortimer*

Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences, Private Bag 1930, Dunedin, New Zealand.
*Author for correspondence.

Abstract  We propose the new name Waipa Supergroup for a regionally extensive Late Jurassic (to probable Early Cretaceous) stratigraphic unit in the central North Island of New Zealand. Waipa Supergroup is present on both sides of the Waipa Fault and includes Apotu and Huriwai Groups (formerly of Murihiku Terrane), Manaia Hill Group (formerly Waipapa Terrane), and rocks of the Waioeka petrofacies (formerly Torlesse Terrane). Although depositional setting, metamorphic grade, and style of deformation vary from east to west, distinguishing features of Waipa Supergroup include its age, volcaniclastic-dominated petrofacies, conglomerates, indications of reworking, presence of Belemnopsis aucklandica, and absence of basalt-chert-limestone associations. In a regional tectonic context, the Waipa Supergroup is a Late Jurassic overlap assemblage that rests on older, deformed and mutually amalgamated Murihiku, Maitai, Caples, and Rakaia Terranes in the North Island. Waipa Supergroup sandstones were deposited in forearc, slope, and trench settings and may have been sourced from the magmatic arc represented by the Median Batholith.

Keywords  Waipa Supergroup; Murihiku Supergroup; Apotu Group; Huriwai Group; Manaia Hill Group; Murihiku Terrane; Waipapa Terrane; Torlesse Terrane; Rakaia Terrane; Pahau Terrane; Waioeka petrofacies; Belemnopsis aucklandica; Tithonian; Late Jurassic; New Zealand

R02014 Received 4 June 2002; accepted 5 December 2002; published 30 April 2003
© Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 33, Number 1, March 2003, pp 149-163

PDF file of entire paper: Print-quality (2103K) | screen-quality (294K)

---

This year's abstracts | Journal home page | All abstracts | Publishing home page