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New Zealand Journal of Geology & Geophysics abstracts
Lithology and hardness of shore platforms and
surficial large
boulders at Turakirae Head , New
Zealand
Anne C. Hinton*
Maurice J. McSaveney
GNS Science
PO Box
30368
Lower Hutt 5040, New
Zealand
*Present
address: Department
of Geography, University of Cambridge Downing Place, Cambridge , CB2 3EN , UK .
Abstract Turakirae Head, at the
southern end
of the
North Island of New Zealand, has a sequence of up to five marine
terrace and
gravel barrier couplets, believed to be associated with coseismic
uplift during
the Holocene. Examination of the present shore platform and last raised
marine
terrace was made in order to provide an indication as to the origin of
the
material on them. A record of the lithology of the shore platform and
boulder
material was made and a type N Schmidt Hammer was used to assess the
relative hardness
of the rocks. Results indicate that the boulders are more resistant
than the
shore platform material, and they are not derived in situ since
there
are lithological differences with the underlying shore platforms. It is
suggested that the large boulders are derived from mass movement
processes on
the hinterland.
Keywords Turakirae; New Zealand;
shore
platforms;
boulders; marine terraces; Schmidt Hammer; lithology
G06018; Online publication date
0028–8306/07/5001–0027 © The Royal Society
of New Zealand
2007
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