Geology of Fairfield-Waldronville area.
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A sequence of sedimentary rocks ranging from upper Cretaceous to Holocene in age in Fairfield-Waldronville area is described. The Taratu, Fairfield and Abbotsford Formations were studied in more detail than the other rock units. Each of those formations is subdivided into lower and upper members based on grain size, content of glauconite, matrix, quartz shape and other characters.
The oldest sedimentary rock is the Taratu Formation which was deposited on a terrestrial peneplain surface cut in Otago Schist. Petrographic analysis shows that the Taratu Formation is derived from the Otago Schist as indicated by the presence of abundant poly crystalline quartz, mica, and schistose rock fragments. Polycrystalline quartz in the Taratu Formation is more abundant near the Otago Schist contact compared with the samples located farther away from the Otago Schist.
The younger sedimentary rocks Which include the Fairfield Formation, the Abbotsford Formation, the Green Island Loose Sand, the Burnside Mudstone, and the Caversham Formation were deposited in a marine environment as indicated by fossils and in part by the grain size analysis. They are derived in part from schist and in part from a granitic terrane. The sequence shows some significant differences from the correlative sequence in the Brighton area.
This late Mesozoic-Tertiery sequence is overlain by Quaternary deposits including Terrace deposits, Solifluction deposits, Loess deposits and sand dunes. They probably formed during late Pleistocene to Holocene times.
The oldest sedimentary rock is the Taratu Formation which was deposited on a terrestrial peneplain surface cut in Otago Schist. Petrographic analysis shows that the Taratu Formation is derived from the Otago Schist as indicated by the presence of abundant poly crystalline quartz, mica, and schistose rock fragments. Polycrystalline quartz in the Taratu Formation is more abundant near the Otago Schist contact compared with the samples located farther away from the Otago Schist.
The younger sedimentary rocks Which include the Fairfield Formation, the Abbotsford Formation, the Green Island Loose Sand, the Burnside Mudstone, and the Caversham Formation were deposited in a marine environment as indicated by fossils and in part by the grain size analysis. They are derived in part from schist and in part from a granitic terrane. The sequence shows some significant differences from the correlative sequence in the Brighton area.
This late Mesozoic-Tertiery sequence is overlain by Quaternary deposits including Terrace deposits, Solifluction deposits, Loess deposits and sand dunes. They probably formed during late Pleistocene to Holocene times.
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99 leaves : illus.,(part col.) map (in pocket) ; 31 cm.
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1978Situmorang
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POLYGON ((170.377323745624807 -45.937733055708733,170.371924082122717 -45.907543034459451,170.412529753077649 -45.905493471376786,170.415903364760823 -45.93384963478848,170.377323745624807 -45.937733055708733))
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Situmorang, Mangatas., “Geology of Fairfield-Waldronville area.,” Otago Geology Theses, accessed May 15, 2025, https://theses.otagogeology.org.nz/items/show/114.