New Zealand geologic time scale

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While also using the international geologic time scale, many nations–especially those with isolated and therefore non-standard prehistories–use their own systems of dividing geologic time into epochs and faunal stages.

Geologic time scale for context with proportional representation of eons/eonothems and eras/erathems. Cenozoic is abbreviated to Cz. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.
International geologic time scale for context with proportional representation of eons/eonothems and eras/erathems mentioned on this page. Currently we are in the Cenozoic (abbreviated to Cz) era. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life. Ma represents one million Earth years.

In New Zealand, these epochs and stages use local place names (mainly Māori in origin) back to the Permian. Prior to this time, names mostly align to those in the Australian geologic time scale, and are not divided into epochs.[1] In practice, these earlier terms are rarely used, as most New Zealand geology is of a more recent origin. In all cases, New Zealand uses the same periods as those used internationally; the renaming only applies to subdivisions of these periods. Very few epochs and stages cross international period boundaries, and the exceptions are almost all within the Cenozoic Era. New Zealand updates will always be behind any significant international updates in the International Geological Time Scale.

Although the New Zealand geologic time scale has not been formally adopted, it has been widely used by earth scientists, geologists and palaeontologists in New Zealand since J. S. Crampton proposed it in 1995. The most recent calibrated update was in 2015.[2] [3]

A standard abbreviation is used for these epochs and stages. These are usually in the form Xx, where the first letter is the initial letter of the epoch and the second (lower-case) letter is the initial letter of the stage. These are noted beside the stage names in the list below.

Currently, from the New Zealand perspective we are in the Haweran stage of the Wanganui epoch which is within the internationally defined Holocene epoch of the Quaternary period of the Cenozoic era. The Haweran, which started some 340,000 years ago, is named after the North Island town of Hāwera. The New Zealand stages and epochs are not the same as internationally defined periods and epochs (e.g. the Wanganui epoch started at 5.33 Ma which is within the Neogene period and matches the start of the international Pliocene epoch, but contains also the international Holocene and Pleistocene epochs).

List of New Zealand geologic time epochs and stages

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Times given indicate the start of the respective stages and epochs. Several of these stages are further divided into upper and lower or upper, middle, and lower, although this has not been noted below unless unique names have been given to these sub-stages. As with the international geologic scale, these epochs and stages are largely named for locales where rock dating from these time periods is in evidence, with stage names predominantly but not always named for locales close to their epoch's namesake site. Where known, these places are also linked in the list below.[2]

Cenozoic Era

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Name Abbreviation Start date (Ma) International equivalent Named after
Wanganui epoch W 5.33 Pliocene, Pleistocene and Holocene Wanganui (Wanganui Basin)
Haweran stage Wq 0.34 Hāwera
Castlecliffian stage Wc 1.63 Castlecliff (suburb of Wanganui)
Nukumaruan stage Wn 2.40 Nukumaru, near Waitotara
Mangapanian stage Wm 3.00 Mangapani, near Waitotara
Waipipian stage Wp 3.70 Waipipi Beach, near Waverley
Opoitian stage Wo 5.33 Opoiti, near Wairoa
Taranaki epoch T 11.04 Upper Miocene Taranaki
Kapitean stage Tk 7.2 Kapitea Creek, near Kumara
Tongaporutuan stage Tt 11.04 Tongaporutu
Southland epoch S 15.9 Middle Miocene Southland
Waiauan stage Sw 13.05 Waiau River
Lillburnian stage Sl 15.1 Lill Burn
Clifdenian stage Sc 15.9 Clifden
Pareora epoch P 21.7 Lower Miocene Pareora
Altonian stage Pl 18.7 Alton Burn
Otaian stage Po 21.7 Otaio
Landon epoch L 34.6 Oligocene to Lower Miocene Landon Creek, Pukeuri
Waitakian stage Lw 25.2 Waitaki River
Duntroonian stage Ld 27.3 Duntroon
Whaingaroan stage Lwh 34.6 Whaingaroa (Raglan Harbour)
Arnold epoch A 42.6 Middle to Upper Eocene Arnold River
Runangan stage Ar 36.7 Runanga
Kaiatan stage Ak 39.1 Kaiata, near Greymouth
Bortonian stage Ab 42.6 Bortons
Dannevirke epoch D 66.0 Lower Palaeocene to Middle Eocene Dannevirke
Porangan stage Dp 45.7 Poranga
Heretaungan stage Dh 48.9 Heretaunga
Mangaorapan stage Dm 52.0 Mangaorapa, southern Hawke's Bay
Waipawan stage Dw 56.0 Waipawa
Teurian stage Dt 66.0 Te Uri

Mesozoic Era

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Name Abbreviation Start date (Ma) Named after
Mata epoch M 86.5
Haumurian stage Mh 83.6 Haumuri Bluff
Piripauan stage Mp 86.5 Piripaua (Spyglass Point), Kaikoura District
Raukumara epoch R 95.2 Raukumara Range
Teratan stage Rt 90.5 Te Rata, Gisborne District
Mangaotanean stage Rm 93.7 Mangaotane, Gisborne District
Arowhanan stage Ra 95.2 Arowhana, Gisborne District
Clarence epoch C 108.4 Waiau Toa / Clarence River
Ngaterian stage Cn 99.5 Ngateretere, Bay of Plenty Region
Motuan stage Cm 103.3 Motu River
Urutawan stage Cu 108.4 Urutawa, a hill north of Matawai
Taitai epoch U 145.0 Taitai, a hill near Ruatoria
Korangan stage Uk 117.5 Koranga River
Undifferentiated Taitai 145.0
Name Abbreviation Start date (Ma) Named after
Oteke epoch O 150.0 Otaka Stream, Waikato
Puaroan stage [1] Op 150.0 Puaroa Stream, Waikato
Kawhia epoch K 176.0 Kawhia Harbour
Ohauan stage Ko 154.5 Nathan Point/Ohaua, Kawhia Harbour
Heterian stage Kh 164.3 Heteri Point, Kawhia Harbour
Temaikan stage Kt 176.0 Te Maika, Kawhia Harbour
Herangi epoch H 201.3 Herangi, Aotea Harbour
Ururoan stage Hu 188.9 Ururoa Point, Kawhia Harbour
Aratauran stage Ha 201.3 Arataura Point, near Kawhia Harbour
Name Abbreviation Start date (Ma) Named after
Balfour epoch B 227.5 Balfour
Otapirian stage Bo 208.5 Otapiri, near Winton
Warepan stage [2] Bw 217.0 Warepa, near Balclutha
Otamitan stage Bm 221.0 Otamita Stream, Hokonui Hills
Oretian stage Br 227.5 Ōreti River
Gore epoch G 251.5 Gore
Kaihikuan stage Gk 238.0 Kaihiku Stream, The Catlins
Etalian stage Ge 246.0 Etal Hill, north of Nightcaps
Malakovian stage Gm 249.0 Malakoff Hill, near Ohai
Nelsonian stage Gn 251.5 Nelson
Makarewan stage (see Permian Period, below)

Palaeozoic Era

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Name Abbreviation Start date (Ma) Named after
D'Urville epoch YD 259.8 D'Urville Island
Makarewan stage YDm 253.2 Makarewa River
Waiitian stage YDw 254.2 Wai-iti River
Puruhauan stage YDp 259.8 Puruhaua Stream, The Catlins
Aparima epoch [3] YA 288.5 Aparima River
Flettian stage YAf 266.0 Flett's Hut, Takitimu Range
Barettian stage YAr 276.0 Barrett's Hut, Takitimu Range
Mangapirian stage YAm 285.0 Mangapiri Downs, east of Lake Monowai
Telfordian stage YAt 288.5 Telford Burn, Takitimu Range
Pre-Telfordian epoch (not subdivided into stages) Ypt 298.9
Name Abbreviation Start date (Ma)
Carboniferous Period (not subdivided) F 358.9

Stages prior to the beginning of the Carboniferous Period use either international (Devonian/Silurian) or Australian (Ordovician/Cambrian) geologic stage names; very little New Zealand rock is known from these geologic periods.

Name Abbreviation Start date (Ma)
Upper or Late Devonian epoch JU 382.7
Famennian stage Jfa 372.2
Frasnian stage Jfr 382.7
Middle or Mid Devonian epoch JM 293.3
Givetian stage Jgi 387.7
Eifelian stage Jei 393.3
Lower or Early Devonian epoch JL 419.2
Emsian stage Jem 407.6
Pragian stage Jpr 410.8
Lochkovian stage Jlo 419.2
Name Abbreviation Start date (Ma)
Pridoli epoch (not subdivided into stages) Epr 423.0
Ludlow epoch Elu
Ludfordian stage Eld 425.6
Gorstian stage Ego 427.4
Wenlock epoch Ewe
Homerian stage 430.5
Sheinwoodian stage 433.4
Llandovery epoch Ela
Telychian stage 438.5
Aeronian stage 440.8
Rhuddanian stage 443.8
Name Abbreviation Start date (Ma)
Late or Upper Ordovician epoch
Bolindian stage Vbo 448.4
Eastonian stage Vea 453.0
Gisbornian stage Vgi 448.4
Middle Ordovician epoch
Darriwilian stage Vda 467.3
Yapeenian stage Vya 468.3
Castlemainian stage Vca 470.0
Early or Lower Ordovician epoch
Chewtonian stage Vch 472.4
Bendigonian stage Vbe 476.0
Lancefieldian stage Vla 484.3
Warendan stage Vwa 485.4
Name Abbreviation Start date (Ma)
Datsonian stage Xda 486.8
Payntonian stage Xpa 489.5
Iverian stage Xiv 494.0
Idamean stage Xid 497.0
Mindyallan stage Xmi 499.0
Boomerangian stage Xbo 500.5
Undillan stage Xun 503.0
Floran stage Xfl 504.5
Templetonian stage Xte 508.0
Ordian stage Xor 511.5
Early Cambrian (not subdivided) XL 542.0
Name Abbreviation Start date (Ma)
(Not subdivided) Z ~4600

Footnotes to time scale

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  1. ^ This stage is sometimes further divided into Mangaoran (lower) and Waikatoan (upper). These are named after Mangaora Inlet (an arm of Kawhia Harbour) and the Waikato River.
  2. ^ This stage is sometimes further divided into Kiriteherean (lower) and Marokopan (upper). These are named after the Marokopa River and the nearby Kiritehere Stream.
  3. ^ Until the late 1960s, the Flettian and Barettian stages were together known as the Braxtonian stage (see Waterhouse 1969). This was named for Braxton Burn, a stream near Mossburn.
  4. Where not subdivided usual reason is no stages recognised due to absent record

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Cooper, R. A. (2004). "The New Zealand geological timescale". Institute of Geological and. Nuclear Sciences Monograph. 22: 1–284.
  2. ^ a b Raine, JI; Beu, AG; Boyes, AF; Campbell, HJ; Cooper, RA; Crampton, JS; Crundwell, MP; Hollis, CJ; Morgans, HEG; Mortimer, N (2015). "New Zealand Geological Timescale NZGT 2015/1". New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics. 58 (4): 398–403. doi:10.1080/00288306.2015.1086391. S2CID 131209497.
  3. ^ Raine, Ian (2015-03-20). "New Zealand geologic timescale poster 2015 (PDF format)" (PDF). Retrieved 2022-09-03.

Other References

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  • Bishop, D.G., and Turnbull, I.M. (compilers) (1996). Geology of the Dunedin Area. Lower Hutt, NZ: Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences. ISBN 0-478-09521-X.
  • Hollis, C.J., Beu, A.G., Crampton, J.S., Crundwell, M.P., Morgans, H.E.G., Raine, J.I., Jones, C.M., Boyes, A.F. (2010). Calibration of the New Zealand Cretaceous - Cenozoic Timescale to GTS2004, GNS Science Report, 2010/43, 20p.
  • Waterhouse, J.B. (1969). "World correlations of New Zealand Permian stages," New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 12:4, pp. 713–737
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