Mesozoic stratigraphy of the Marokopa area

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F r o n t i s p i e c e : The c o a s t south

of

Te R u a o t e e t s Point.

K i r i t e h e r e B e a c h

and

Pehimatea i n t h e

d i s t a n c e

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MESOZOIC STRATIGRAPHY OF THE MAROKOPA AREA

A t h e s i s ' p r e s e n t e d a s a p a r t i a l requirement f o r t h e d e g r e e o f

Master o f Science w i t h Honours i n Geology

December 1975

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I w i s h t o t h a n k t h e f o l l o w i n g p e o p l e whose h e l p h a s made t h i s work p o s s i b l e :

A s s o c i a t e P r o f e s s o r J. A. Grant-Mackie, my s u p e r v i s o r , f o r h i s h e l p , a d v i c e and c o n s t r u c t i v e c r i t i c i s m a t a l l s t a g e s o f t h i s p r o j e c t .

M r a n d M r s 8 . D. Weal, M r a n d M r s J. M i t c h e l l , H e s s r s J i m N e a l , I v a n G r i c e , and Bob Meyer, and many o t h e r r e s i d e n t s o f t h e Marokopa a r e a f o r t h e i r h o s p i t a l i t y , h e l p and l o c a l knowledge,

David B a r c l a y , Donald Lawton and J u n e Reuben f o r a s s i s t a n c e i n t h e f i e l d .

D r P. F. B a l l a n c e and D r G. W. Gibson f o r c r i t i c a l l y r e a d i n g p a r t s o f t h e m a n u s c r i p t .

D r G. R . S t e v e n s f o r r e i d e n t i f y i n g many N.Z.G.S. f o s s i l c o l - l e c t i o n s and c h e c k i n g t h e c e p h a l o p o d i d e n t i f i c a t i o n s .

Mr I. W. Keyes f o r h e l p w i t h t h e N.Z.G.S. c o l l e c t i o n s .

D r J. D. Campbell, M r J . B u c k e r i d g e and M r B. C h a l l i n o r f o r d i s c u s s i o n s on s y s t e m a t i c p a l a e o n t o l o g y .

M r D. A. F r a n c i s f o r d i s c u s s i o n s on s t r a t i g r a p h y .

M r M. J. I s a a c and M r R . J. Merchant f o r h e l p a n d a d v i c e w i t h p e t r o l o g y .

M r R . H a r r i s and M r P. G. Couper f o r a s s i s t a n c e w i t h photography.

P r o f e s s o r T. Sameshima f o r t h e l o a n of camera.

M r D. P r y o r f o r h e l p i n p r e p a r i n g f o s s i l s w i t h t h e F o s s i l Record F i l e .

Mrs B a r b a r a Lawrence f o r a s s i s t a n c e w i t h some v e r y o b s c u r e l i t e r a t u r e .

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Mr B. Zutelija for assistance with the German language, Miss Robyn Thompson for typing this manuscript.

M y fellow students and especially the denizens of the "Vaile"

for ideas, advice, suggestions and many cups of strong coffee.

M y parents and family for their support, encouragement and incredible tolerance.

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ABSTRACT

The u p p e r T r i a s s i c a n d J u r a s s i c ( ~ a r a k o p a n t o H e t e r i a n ) r o c k s of t h e Marokopa a r e a , which form p a r t o f t h e w e s t e r n l i m b o f t h e Kawhia S y n c l i n e , a r e mhpped l i t h o l o ~ i c a l l y i n terms o f u n i t s b a s e d on t y p e s e c t i o n s a t K i r i t e b e r e a n d Kamhia. T h e K i r i t e h e r e (200 m t h i c k ) a n d N g u t u n u i (1550 m) f o r m a t i o n s o f t h e A r a w i Group;

t h e Arawhero Group, which c o u l d n o t be s u b d i v i d e d (1160 m); t h e U r u r o a S h e l l b e d ( 2 m) a n d U r u r o a F o r m a t i o n (280 m ) o f t h e U r u r o a Group; t h e Rengarenga Group, which c o u l d n o t b e s u b d i v i d e d

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t o 930 m); t h e Oraka S a n d s t o n e (180 m), C a p t a i n K i n g ' s S h e l l b e d (I m), O h i n e r u r u F o r m a t i o n (280 t o 700 m); t h e K i w i S a n d s t o n e and W a i k u t a k u t a F o r a a t i o n o f t h e K i r i k i r i Group. The l a s t two forma- t i o n s i n t e r f i n g e r and h a v e a combined t h i c k n e s s o f a t l e a s t 240 m.

S a n d y s i l t s t o n e s and f i n e s a n d s t o n e s a r e t h e d o m i n a n t l i t h o - l o g i e s e x c e p t i n t h e R e n g a r e n g a Group, which c o n s i s t s l a r g e l y o f medium t o c o a r s e s a n d s t o n e s . C o n g l o m e r a t e s a r e r a r e t h r o u g h o u t . The p e t r o l o g y of t h e d i f f e r e n t r o c k t y p e s i s d i s c u s s e d a n d a n ande- s i t i c v o l c a n i c - g r a n i t i c p l u t o n i c s o u r c e s u g g e s t e d ,

E i g h t s p e c i e s o f r h y n c h o n e l l i d and t h r e e t e r e b r a t u l o i d b r a c h i o p o d s , a s c a p h o p o d , n i n e g a s t r o p o d s , f o u r t e e n b t v a l v e s and a s c a l p e l l i d b a r n a c l e a r e d e s c r i b e d . A number o f t h e s e b e l o n g t o g e n e r a n o t p r e v i o u s l y r e c o r d e d from New Z e a l a n d .

M a r w i c k ' s N e w Z e a l a n d T r i a s s i c and J u r a s s i c s t a g e s a r e d i s c u s s e d a n d a m o d i f i e d z o n a l s u b d i v i s i o n of t h e O t a p i r i a n , U r u r o a n a n d

H e t e r i a n p r o p o s e d .

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Acknowledgements A b s t r a c t

Chzpter.1 I n t r o d u c t i o n C h a p t e r

2

P h y s i o g r a p h y Chaptely 3 S t r a t i g r a p h y

Arawi Group

K i r i t e h e r e F o r m a t i o n N g u t u n u i F o r m a t i o n Arawhero Group

U r u r o a Group

Ururoa S h e l l b e d Ururoa F o r i n a t i o n Rengarenga Group X i r i k i r i Group

Oraka S a n d s t o n e

C a p t a i n ~ i n g ' s S h e l l b e d Ohineruru F o r m e t i o n K i w i S s n d s t o n e and

C a i k u t z k u t a S i l t s t o n e C h a p t e r 4

C h a p t e r 5

C h a p t e r 6

S t r u c t u r e P e t r o l o g y

Common Rock T y p e s I m p o r t a n t M i n e r a l s Rock P r a g n s n t

s

lie t a m o r p h i s m P r o v e n a n c e F a l n e n t o l o g y

B r a c h i o p o d a Sssphopoda G a s t r o p o d s B i v a l v i a

C i - t 7 r i p e d i i ?

iii

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C h a p t e r 7 B i o s t r a t i g r s p b ~ Idarakopan S t a g e O t a p i r i z n S t a g e A r a t a u r a n S t a g e Ururoan S t a g e

Temaikan S t a g e H e t e r l a n S t a g e

Chapter 8 C o n c l u s i o n s 132

Znvironment

of

D e p o s i t i o n

132

Palaeogeographg 134

G e o l o g i c a l H i s t o r y 135

Appendix I

Appendix

2

Appendix 3

F o s s i l L o c a l i t i e s and Faunas

F o s s i l L o c a l i t y Xap; Coast S e c t i o n 159 Rock Sample L o c n l i t y Map

Appendix

4 L i 2 h o l o g i c D e s c r i p t i o n s of Thin

T h i n S e c t i o n s

I 5 1

Appendix 5 X-ray D i f f r a c t i o n Data

References

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FIGURES

Fa ge F r o n t i s p i e c e The c o a s t s o u t h o f Te R u a o t e a t a

P o i n t .

I ,I

L o c a t i o n map

Marokopa R. and n o r t h e r n end of

Herangi Ronge. 7

Kairiinu V a l l e y 9

E a s t e r n s i d e o f Kairimu V a l l e y 9

Composite s t r a t i g r a p h i c columns, Pomarangai

Rd

and Marokopa

V a l l e y 12

C o r r e l a t i o n s between Xawhia,

Awakino and i6arokopa 13

Tuff b e d s n o r t h of Waipaua Stream 17 Tuff b e d s , Te R u a o t e a t a P o i n t

Coarse s a n d s t o n s , 3e R u a o t e a t a

P o i n t 1 8

G r e n i t e p e b b l e i n g r a n u l e

conglomerate h o r i z o n

1 8

S t r a t i g r a p h i c column, Narokopa

River t o K i r i t e h e r e Beach 20 Pinch and m i e l l s t r u c t u r e s 24

Overturned ? i p p l e s 24

Coal and p l a n t S e d s of t h e

Xengarenga Group 45

Stream abovz Eairimu F a l l s 45

F a u l t map

5 0

F a u l t a t mouth cf i'd?rokopa Ftiver: 52

QZ'R

diagram 57

EJLQ

diagram 57

Photornicrogrkph, l a m i n a t e d

t u f f

60 F h o t o r n i c r o g : ~ . ~ h , C a p t a i x 1 , i n g ' s -

Shlvllbed

60

P h o t o m i c r o ~ r a ~ k , Ururoc

S h e l l b e d

55

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- v i i -

Page Photomicrograph, f r a c t u r e d

p l a g i o c l a s e 65

Photomicrograph, p o l y c r y s t a l l i n e

q u a r t z 70

Photomicrograph, c o a r s e s a n d s t o n e 70 Ranges of i m p o r t a n t f o s s i l s 1 21

8.1 B i o t u r b a t i o n

1

33

I n Back Pocket

G e o l o g i c a l Map, 1

:

20,000 C r o s s S e c t i o n

Brachiopoda 80

Brachiopoda 87

Brachiopoda, Scaphopoda, Gastropoda 94

Gastropoda, B i v a l v i a B i v a l v i a

B i v a l v i a

B i v a l v i a , C i r r i p e d i a

Faunal L i s t , Xgutunui Formation Faunal L i s t , Arawhero S r o u p Faunal L i s t , Ururoa Formation Faunal L i s t , Bengerenga Group Faunal L i s t , Oraka Sand s t o n e Faunal L i s t , C a p t a i n K i n g t s

S h e l l b e d

F a u n a l L i s t , Ohineruru Forination F a u n a l L i s t ,

-- K i w i

Sandst one-

Waikutskuta E i l t s t o n e

P o i n t c o u a t i n g r z s u l t s