- New Zealand geologic time scale
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While also using the international Geologic time scale, many nations - especially those with isolated and therefore non-standard prehistories - use their own system of dividing geologic time into epochs and faunal stages.
In New Zealand, these epochs and stages use local place names (mainly Maori in origin) back to the Permian. Prior to this time, they largely use the same terms as used in the Australian geologic time scale, and are not divided into epochs. In practice, these early terms are rarely used, as most New Zealand geology is of more recent origin. In all cases, New Zealand uses the same periods as used internationally; it is only the subdivisions of these periods that have been renamed. Very few epochs and stages cross international period boundaries. Of those that do, almost all are within the Cenozoic Era.
Though the New Zealand geologic time scale has not been formally adopted, it has become widely used by New Zealand earth scientists, geologists and palaeontologists since its proposal by J. S. Crampton in 1995.
A standard abbreviation is also used for these epochs and stages, mostly in the form Xx where the first letter is the initial letter of the epoch and the second (lower-case) letter is the initial letter of the stage. These are listed alongside the stage names in the list below.
Currently, we are in the Haweran stage of the Wanganui epoch. The Haweran, which started some 340,000 years ago, is named after the North Island town of Hawera.
Contents
List of New Zealand geologic time epochs and stages
Times given indicate the start of the respective stages and epochs. Several of these stages are further divided into upper and lower or upper, middle, and lower, although this has not been noted below unless unique names have been given to these sub-stages. As with the international geologic scale, these epochs and stages are largely named for locales where rock dating from these time periods is in evidence. Where known, these places are also linked in the list below.
Cenozoic Era
Name Abbreviation Start date (Ma) International equivalent Named after Wanganui epoch W Pliocene, Pleistocene and Holocene Wanganui Haweran stage Wq 0.34 Hawera Castlecliffian stage Wc 1.63 Castlecliff Nukumaruan stage Wn 2.40 Nukumaru Mangapanian stage Wm 3.00 Mangapani Waipipian stage Wp 3.60 Waipipi Opoitian stage Wo 5.28 Opoiti Taranaki epoch T Upper Miocene Taranaki Kapitean stage Tk 6.5 Kapiti Island Tongaporutuan stage Tt 10.9 Tongaporutu Southland epoch S Middle Miocene Southland Waiauan stage Sw 12.7 Waiau River Lillburnian stage Sl 15.1 Lillburn Valley Clifdenian stage Sc 15.9 Clifden Pareora epoch P Lower Miocene Pareora Altonian stage Pl 19.0 Alton Otaian stage Po 21.7 Otaio Landon epoch L Oligocene to Lower Miocene Waitakian stage Lw 25.2 Waitaki River Duntroonian stage Ld 27.3 Duntroon Whaingaroan stage Lwh 34.3 Whaingaroa Arnold epoch A Middle to Upper Eocene Arnold River Runangan stage Ar 36.0 Runanga Kaiatan stage Ak 37.0 Kaiata Bortonian stage Ab 43.0 Bortons Dannevirke epoch D Lower Palaeocene to Middle Eocene Dannevirke Porangan stage Dp 46.2 Poranga Heretaungan stage Dh 49.5 Heretaunga Plains Mangaorapan stage Dm 53.0 Mangaorapa Waipawan stage Dw 55.5 Waipawa Teurian stage Dt 65.0 Te Uri Mesozoic Era
Cretaceous Period
Name Abbreviation Start date (Ma) Named after Mata epoch M Haumurian stage Mh 84.0 Haumuri Bluff Piripauan stage Mp 86.5 Piripaua Raukumara epoch R Raukumara Range Teratan stage Rt 89.1 Mangaotanean stage Rm 92.1 Mangaotane Arowhanan stage Ra 95.2 Arowhana Clarence epoch C Clarence River Ngaterian stage Cn 100.2 Motuan stage Cm 103.3 Motu River Urutawan stage Cu 108.4 Urutawa, a hill north of Matawai Taitai epoch U Taitai, a hill near Ruatoria Korangan stage Uk 117.5 Koranga Undifferentiated Taitai 145.5 Jurassic Period
Name Abbreviation Start date (Ma) Named after Oteke epoch O Puaroan stage [1] Op 148.5 Kawhia epoch K Kawhia Harbour Ohauan stage Ko 153.5 Heterian stage Kh 157.5 Temaikan stage Kt 175.6 Herangi epoch H Ururoan stage Hu 188.0 Aratauran stage Ha 199.6 Triassic Period
Name Abbreviation Start date (Ma) Named after Balfour epoch B Balfour Otapirian stage Bo 204.6 Warepan stage [2] Bw 212.0 Warepa Otamitan stage Bm 217.0 Oretian stage Br 227.5 Oreti River Gore epoch G Gore Kaihikuan stage Gk 238.5 Etalian stage Ge 244.5 Malakovian stage Gm 245.5 Nelsonian stage Gn 250.4 Nelson Makarewan stage (see Permian Period, below) Palaeozoic Period
Permian Period
Name Abbreviation Start date (Ma) Named after D'Urville epoch YD D'Urville Island Makarewan stage YDm 253.8 Makarewa River Waiitian stage YDw ? Wai-iti River Puruhauan stage YDp 260.4 Aparima epoch [3] YA Aparima River Flettian stage YAf 266.5 Barettian stage YAr 273.0 Mangapirian stage YAm 280.0 Telfordian stage YAt 283.0 Pre-Telfordian epoch (not subdivided into stages) Ypt 299.0 Carboniferous Period
Name Abbreviation Start date (Ma) Carboniferous Period (not subdivided) F 359.2 Devonian Period
Stages prior to the beginning of the Carboniferous Period use either international (Devonian/Silurian) or Australian (Ordovician/Cambrian) geologic stage names; very little New Zealand rock is known from these geologic periods.
Name Abbreviation Start date (Ma) Upper Devonian epoch JU Famennian stage 374.5 Frasnian stage 385.3 Middle Devonian epoch JM Givetian stage 391.8 Eifelian stage 397.5 Lower Devonian epoch JL Emsian stage Jem 407.0 Pragian stage Jpr 411.2 Lochkovian stage Jlo 417.2 Silurian Period
Name Abbreviation Start date (Ma) Pridoli epoch (not subdivided into stages) Epr 419.7 Ludlow epoch Elu Ludfordian stage 422.0 Gorstian stage 423.5 Wenlock epoch Ewe Homerian stage 426.2 Sheinwoodian stage 428.4 Llandovery epoch Ela Telychian stage 435.9 Aeronian stage 439.7 Rhuddanian stage 443.2 Ordovician Period
Name Abbreviation Start date (Ma) Upper Ordovician epoch Bolindian stage Vbo 449.7 Eastonian stage Vea 456.1 Gisbornian stage Vgi 460.5 Middle Ordovician epoch Darriwilian stage Vda 468.1 Yapeenian stage Vya 468.9 Castlemainian stage Vca 472.0 Lower Ordovician epoch Chewtonian stage Vch 473.9 Bendigonian stage Vbe 476.8 Lancefieldian stage Vla 488.7 Pre-Lancefieldian stage Vpl 490.0 Cambrian Period
Name Abbreviation Start date (Ma) Datsonian stage Xda 491.5 Payntonian stage Xpa 494.0 Iverian stage Xiv 498.5 Idamean stage Xid 501.0 Mindyallan stage Xmi 503.0 Boomerangian stage Xbo 504.0 Undillan stage Xun 505.0 Floran stage Xfl 507.0 Ordian/Templetonian stage Xor 513.0 Early Cambrian (not subdivided) XL 542.0 Proterozoic and Archaean Aeons
Name Abbreviation Start date (Ma) (Not subdivided) Z Footnotes to time scale
- ^ This stage is sometimes further divided into Mangaoran (lower) and Waikatoan (upper).
- ^ This stage is sometimes further divided into Kiriteherean (lower) and Marokopan (upper).
- ^ Until recently, the Flettian and Barettian stages were together known as the Braxtonian stage.
References
- Bishop, D.G., and Turnbull, I.M. (compilers) (1996). Geology of the Dunedin Area. Lower Hutt, NZ: Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences. ISBN 0-478-09521-X.
External links
Categories: Geologic time scale | Geology of New Zealand
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