Story: Geology – overview

Gneissic rocks

Gneissic rocks

This view looks eastwards, from the coastline near Charleston towards the Paparoa Range in the background. The foreground area is banded gneiss and was formerly thought to be the oldest rock in New Zealand. It is now recognised that this gneiss (called Pecksniff Metasedimentary Gneiss) is formed from rocks of the Greenland Group that have been heated and metamorphosed at depth.

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Photograph by Simon Nathan

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How to cite this page:

Eileen McSaveney and Simon Nathan, 'Geology – overview - New Zealand’s oldest rocks', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/8300/gneissic-rocks (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Eileen McSaveney and Simon Nathan, published 12 Jun 2006