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Story: Geology – overview

Banks Peninsula – extinct volcanoes

Banks Peninsula – extinct volcanoes

This aerial view shows Bank Peninsula, with the snow-covered Southern Alps in the background. Akaroa Harbour is at the centre left. Volcanic activity between 11 and 6 million years ago led to the formation of two overlapping volcanic cones. After this activity ceased, the volcanic complex became eroded to half its original height, and deep valleys formed. The present harbours at Akaroa and Lyttelton were formed when the valleys were flooded as the sea level rose to its present height about 6,000 years ago.

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GNS Science

Reference: CN23557

by Lloyd Homer

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/photograph/8382/banks-peninsula-extinct-volcanoes (accessed 11 June 2026).

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

Comments

aggy
02 June 2013
theres alot of scaremongering going on about volcanic eruption on banks peininsula, I had to laugh to myself when people where claiming that there was concentrations of sulphur in chch gutters last spring when it was obviously pollen, most people are that dumb! I'm not saying we shouldn't be worried about the port hills fault which caused the feb earthqauke, I think there could be more energy there particularly in the victoria park region, but volcaic eruption? I think the chances are very remote, temperature rise of artesian water after an earthquake is normal and not a sign of impending volcanic eruption! Dumbass's
Hazim Al Umari
25 June 2011
Well; I am an immigrant who started to know about Christchurch. What astonished me back in September 2010 and the major quakes thereafter was : liquification. I noticed the color as gray. It was gray mud. I came up to what I will write later in here, I have now some info from this site. The general coverage of the news presumes that the audience are "ignorant" so there was not a single geological map, nor any word about the gray mud source. I never heard or read that any sample was taken for analysis to be then compared with data presumably stored somewhere about mud / sand analysis in Christchurch. I will put one logical excuse only for that: To avoid mass panic but I find that excuse very weak. I mean people should know. Part of California is expected to slide in the sea. All information are availed on the net. Well, back to what I read in here, it looks this gray mud is possibly of volcanic source. That statement I put is very weak because I have no data at all to refer to but I have the general information from this site. Well the last quakes in June 2011 were all jelly type moves. There must be more analysis and studies, and they (whoever they are), must listen to experience of immigrants like myself. We are brought in to be shelved. Alas.
RV Coman
23 June 2011
Unnamed officials have been quoted as saying continuing earthquake activity around Canterbury, indicating a volcanic eruption is brewing, has been "hushed up". Others say the water in Lyttelton Harbour has heated up as a consequence of volcanic activity, and in some parts the water is already too hot to touch. Some of the country's top earthquake and volcano experts are now determined to quash the gossip before it scares even more people. Natural Hazards Research Platform manager Kelvin Berryman, of GNS Science, said a Banks Peninsula eruption was "just not possible".
Stef
15 April 2011
I have noticed on the earthquake map, a concentration of deep quakes in the Rolleston area and wondered if these could be from new volcanic activity. Considering that Banks Peninsula erupted about 12 M years ago, then 6 M years ago, is 'now' the next point in time? Also, there have been a lot of deep quakes under the Nelson Lakes area and more shallow at Kaikoura, could this be tectonic plate movement and could it be the precursor to something bigger?
Mia
11 March 2011
Gorham, my thoughts exactly....the earthquakes are volcanic in nature....Earthquakes at Mt Egmont as well....Earthquakes mainly at volcanic points around NZ at the moment.
Gorham
09 March 2011
The volcanoes of Banks Peninsula and Lyttleton are old, and are referred to in your material as "finally finished" nine million years ago. Is there any possibility that the current earthquakes are harbingers of volcanic activity?
Sarah
05 November 2010
Maybe on your website you could add more information about New Zealand Volcanoes and then have subheadings like: Banks Peninsula, Taupo are and where the mountains are. Include some pictures and information so that people like me can easily access the information we need on New Zealand Volcanoes. Thank you. Sarah