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Story: Geology – overview

New Zealand region 10 million years ago

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New Zealand region 10 million years ago

This is a reconstruction of the New Zealand region about 10 million years ago. The green area represents land. The major tectonic features we recognise today had formed, including the Alpine Fault in the South Island and the subduction zone, where the ocean floor is descending beneath the North Island.

Using this item

GNS Science

Reference: E. McSaveney and R. Sutherland, New Zealand adrift. 2nd ed. Lower Hutt: Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences, 2005

Permission of GNS Science must be obtained before any use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Eileen McSaveney and Simon Nathan, Geology – overview – New Zealand reborn, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/map/8378/new-zealand-region-10-million-years-ago (accessed 11 June 2026).

Story by Eileen McSaveney and Simon Nathan, published 2 March 2009.

Comments

George Losey
09 July 2013
What do the heavy black lines in these reconstructions refer to? Vry useful site!