From Gondwana to the Ice Age: The Geology of New Zealand Over the Last 100 Million Years

Until about 100 million years ago, New Zealand lay on the Pacific-facing edge of the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana; the formation of our sedimentary rocks provides a fascinating view of the tectonic activity and changes since that time. This volume is the culmination of a comprehensive survey of New Zealand's Cretaceous-Cenozoic strata, begun in 1978, and presents an up-to-date synthesis and interpretation of regional sedimentary information from a variety of sources; the study has been expanded to include large areas of the continental shelf and beyond. Extensive references and indexing complete this essential work, a key resource for students, professional geologists and enthusiastic amateurs. Topics covered include: - sedimentary basins during the Cretaceous continental margin break-up; - the active tectonics of a 'passive margin'; - Late Cenozoic sedimentary basins in a new, evolving plate boundary; - eustatic sea-level change in an active tectonic setting; - basin scale and facies change on the new and thin continent Zealandia.