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S
ONTIER
2008RApplication
Form
Frontiers Abroad
New Zealand Geology and Earth
System Science Programmes
A B R OAD
New Zealand Study Abroad Programmes
Earth System Science and Geology
Frontiers Abroad
63 A Te Kawa Road
One Tree Hill
Auckland NZ
[email protected]
Go2NZ
January 13 to June 30, 2008
The Geology of New Zealand semester programme (Go2NZ) is designed specifically for Geology majors and consists of 4
courses, including a field focused research course based on a 5 week field camp experience. Following field camp, students
will transition into a semester at a university of their choosing; either the University of Auckland (North Island) or the
University of Canterbury (South Island).
Field Camp
For 5 weeks, students will travel throughout the North and South Islands, deciphering the geologic evolution of New Zealand
from a series of dedicated and linked field modules. This is a field camp experience and our goal is to provide students with
a skill base of field focused techniques that will enable them to understand the fundamental causes and timescales of
geologic processes. Field work is complemented by map preparation and exercises in the evenings, as well as lectures that
highlight a wide variety of our staff’s field and laboratory-based studies.
Field modules will include:
Gondwanaland to New Zealand: reconstructing the jigsaw-like geologic architecture of the South Island
When is the next big one: mapping fault-driven landscapes and quantifying paleoseismic events associated with
an active plate boundary zone
Magmatic, tectonic and volcanic interactions at Taupo, the most active silicic caldera volcano in the world:
quantifying eruption dynamics from careful field observations of pyroclastic flow and fall deposits
How to build a composite-cone volcano: mapping lava flows on the flanks of Mt. Ngauruhoe (Mt. Doom from Lord
of the Rings)
Land vs. Sea: mapping volcanic units as chronostratigraphic markers in marine and terrestrial sediments to
determine rates of tectonic processes and fluctuations in Quaternary sea levels
A research project based on an element or piece of field work will be decided upon by the student and form the basis of a
semester course at the University of Auckland or University of Canterbury.
Campus Semester
The field camp experience will transition into a semester at either the University of Auckland or the University of Canterbury.
Students will enroll and receive credits for 3 courses of their choosing (as approved by their home college or university) and
a required fourth course based on research initiated during the Go2NZ field camp.
Tuition: $14,900 USD. Includes all field camp costs and University of Auckland or Canterbury course costs. Room and board
in Auckland or Canterbury, and travel to and from New Zealand are not included, but Frontiers Abroad will facilitate.
F
S
ONTIER
2008RApplication
Form
Frontiers Abroad
New Zealand Geology2and Earth
System Science Programmes
A B R OAD
Frontiers Abroad
63 A Te Kawa Road
One Tree Hill
Auckland NZ
[email protected]
Go NZ field camp: itinerary, modules, and research projects
Week 1 (West Coast, South Island):
Gondwanaland to New Zealand: reconstructing the jigsaw-like geologic architecture of the South Island
This module provides an important introduction to New Zealand geology as a context for the subsequent modules. In this
module igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary geology are integrated into a series of short field mapping exercises
designed to illustrate the dynamic tectonic evolution of the South Island. Emphasis will be placed on observing and
describing small-scale structural, textural and mineralogical features in an array of rock types, and interpreting the tectonic
setting associated with their formation. Field work will be accompanied by evening talks that emphasize the latest research
on big scale New Zealand tectonic processes. Student field mapping areas will shift from year to year with results
contributing to a broader mapping and research programme.
Week 2 (Southern Alps, South Island):
When is the next big one: mapping fault-driven landscapes and quantifying paleoseismic events associated with an active
plate boundary zone
The collision between the Pacific and Australian plates in New Zealand began 25 million years ago and is responsible for
upheaval of the South Island’s Southern Alps. In addition, there has been 460 kilometres of right-lateral displacement along
the plate boundary. Most of the vertical and horizontal plate motions are being accommodated by the Alpine Fault (New
Zealand’s equivalent to California’s San Andreas Fault). In this module, students will document the structural styles and
quantify rates of earth movements within an active plate boundary zone, and observe and interpret the geomorphic
evolution of fault-driven landscapes.
Week 3 (Central Volcanic Plateau, North Island):
Magmatic, tectonic and volcanic interactions at Taupo, the most active silicic caldera volcano in the world: quantifying
eruption dynamics from careful field observations of pyroclastic flow and fall deposits
The North Island of New Zealand is one of the most volcanically active regions on earth. Quaternary volcanism ranges from
relatively small-scale basaltic tuff and scoria cone-building eruptions to stratovolcano formation and huge silicic
caldera-forming eruptions (the largest and most explosive eruptions known to man). We will provide students with a skill
base of field-focused techniques that will enable them to understand the fundamental causes and timescales of magmatic
and volcanic activity, decipher eruptive processes, and interpret processes of transport and deposition of volcanic products.
Week 4 (Central Volcanic Plateau, North Island):
How to build a composite-cone volcano: mapping lava flows on the flanks of Mt. Ngauruhoe (Mt. Doom from Lord of the
Rings)
Predicting volcanic eruptions with any real precision is a very difficult task, but it is essential to the assessment of volcanic
hazards. Therefore, knowing the age and number of volcanic eruptions are critical. In this module students will employ a
number of field techniques (i.e. looking at contact relationships, identifying chronostratigraphic marker planes, describing
geomorphic features, and assessing vegetation growth) to map lava flows on the flanks of Mt. Ngauruhoe and assess their
F
S
ONTIER
2008RApplication
Form
Frontiers Abroad
New Zealand Geology2and Earth
System Science Programmes
A B R OAD
Frontiers Abroad
63 A Te Kawa Road
One Tree Hill
Auckland NZ
[email protected]
Go NZ field camp: itinerary, modules, and research projects
relative ages. The age of Mt. Ngauruhoe has been estimated by a professional geologist, but the accuracy is in question. The
goal for students is to constrain the age of Mt. Ngauruhoe as a baseline for assessing eruption rates and volcanic hazards and
to compare their results with those of a professional geologist.
Week 5 (Bay of Plenty, North Island):
Land vs. Sea: mapping volcanic units as chronostratigraphic markers in marine and terrestrial sediments to determine rates
of tectonic processes and fluctuations in Quaternary sea levels
Sedimentary successions with alternating marine and terrestrial sediments are related to fluctuations in sea level (eustasy),
land moving up and down (isostasy), or a combination of both. In this module students will describe a sedimentary
succession on the shoulder of an uplifted fault block, looking for clues that may elucidate the timing of tectonic vs.
paleoclimate and paleoenvironment processes. One of the most useful tools for this type of geologic mapping exercise is the
identification of chronostratigraphic marker beds (i.e. widespread pyroclastic units related to explosive volcanism). This
module will bring together several disciplines of geology including sedimentology, paleontology, structural geology,
geomorphology, and paleoclimate and paleoenvironment studies.
Research Topic
Students will choose a topic from one of the field modules and develop a research project as part of one of their 4 courses
at the University of Auckland or Canterbury. Research at either of these universities may include processing of field data
and/or use of technical lab equipment. Data will be processed and interpreted in the form of a report that will be written and
presented at Auckland or Canterbury. Student reports will contribute to broader scale research programmes and data may
be used in publications.