Some Aspects of the Geology of the Mossburn District, Southland, New Zealand.
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INTRODUCTION
The township of Mossburn lies 150 miles south-west of Dunedin by road. It is situated on the south side of the Oreti River at the western end of the Hokonui Hills.
The area studied is north-east of Mossburn and covers the south and east flanks of West Dome, Black Ridge and part of Conical Ridge. Black Ridge lies between two streams, the Acton to the west and the Diston to the east.
The rocks of the area studied can be divided into
(a) Recent river gravels and Pleistocene glacial outwash and terraces.
(b) Upper Palaeozoic and lower Mesozoic rocks consisting of steeply dipping overturned sediments and volcanics.
(c) Serpentinite mass with associated tectonic inclusions. This serpentinite is the southern extremity of the Great Ultramafic Belts of Coleman (m.s.)
Broadly, the Great Ultramafic Belts of New Zealand occupy a weak crustal zone in the Upper Palaeozoic sediments and volcanics, constituting what has been termed the marginal geosyncline. The serpentinites and ultramafics of this type occur as discontinuous, thin, elongated belts occupying one broad stratigraphic zone within the folded geosyncline (Wellman 1952). The Mossburn serpentinite mass lies at the eastern end of this zone.
The township of Mossburn lies 150 miles south-west of Dunedin by road. It is situated on the south side of the Oreti River at the western end of the Hokonui Hills.
The area studied is north-east of Mossburn and covers the south and east flanks of West Dome, Black Ridge and part of Conical Ridge. Black Ridge lies between two streams, the Acton to the west and the Diston to the east.
The rocks of the area studied can be divided into
(a) Recent river gravels and Pleistocene glacial outwash and terraces.
(b) Upper Palaeozoic and lower Mesozoic rocks consisting of steeply dipping overturned sediments and volcanics.
(c) Serpentinite mass with associated tectonic inclusions. This serpentinite is the southern extremity of the Great Ultramafic Belts of Coleman (m.s.)
Broadly, the Great Ultramafic Belts of New Zealand occupy a weak crustal zone in the Upper Palaeozoic sediments and volcanics, constituting what has been termed the marginal geosyncline. The serpentinites and ultramafics of this type occur as discontinuous, thin, elongated belts occupying one broad stratigraphic zone within the folded geosyncline (Wellman 1952). The Mossburn serpentinite mass lies at the eastern end of this zone.
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52 leaves, photos, map (folded in pocket); 27 cm.
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1963Meder
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POLYGON ((168.273944417000052 -45.61279236699994,168.206290780000018 -45.610037591999969,168.209587357000032 -45.606806123999945,168.226343980000024 -45.590374778999944,168.273117268000078 -45.544437195999933,168.280320164000045 -45.54474653799997,168.301463398000124 -45.545644077999953,168.314048833000015 -45.573802110999964,168.31874959400011 -45.584306023999943,168.332557198000018 -45.615146315999937,168.273944417000052 -45.61279236699994))
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Citation
Meder, AE, “Some Aspects of the Geology of the Mossburn District, Southland, New Zealand.,” Otago Geology Theses, accessed February 7, 2025, https://theses.otagogeology.org.nz/items/show/16.