Story: Geology – overview

Hawks Crag Breccia (2nd of 2)

Hawks Crag Breccia

Hawks Crag Breccia is a mixture of angular fragments of greywacke in a muddy matrix. Such sediments are typical of alluvial fans, and the Hawks Crag Breccia is thought to be part of an alluvial fan deposited from nearby mountains.

Fossil pollen indicates that the Hawks Crag Breccia is of middle Cretaceous age (95–100 million years old). It may be evidence for mountain building caused by movements in the earth’s crust immediately before the break up of Gondwana.

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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 breaks away from Gondwana', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/8315/hawks-crag-breccia (accessed 17 April 2024)

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