NZ Geology

The New Zealand landmass, including the North, South, and outlying islands, is part of a larger submerged microcontinent that originally formed on the eastern margin of the Gondwanaland supercontinent. It separated from Gondwanaland during the Late Cretaceous. Its location on the mobile margin of the Pacific Ocean has resulted in a complex geological history of punctuated tectonic activity from the Cambrian to the present. The origin and development of New Zealand's continental crust are
researched to understand basement rocks and the growth and development of the New Zealand continental area. This is fundamental to appreciating natural resources, particularly mineral and hydrocarbon potential.

Twenty-eight geological maps cover the country at 1:250 000, and a modern series of 1:250 000 geological maps (QMAP) is underway. It interprets existing maps (at a variety of scales), includes new field research, and is the base for a Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
database. Digital geological information is available to Institute scientists and external agencies, and is providing valuable resource and natural hazard information. Data from various published and unpublished sources are integrated with new field data onto a modern topographic base. The Institute holds 20 major databases and collections of scientific importance and constructive for planning and management related to land use, the environment, hazards, and resources. They include the Stratigraphic Lexicon, type and reference collections of fossils, digital datasets of
mineral resources, the Volcano Database, and the Landscape and Aerial Photograph Library.