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Story: Geological exploration

Plate tectonic model

This clip shows a model of progressive tectonic plates moving.

The concept of plate tectonics revolutionised the study of geology in the 1960s and 1970s, and helped to explain many features of New Zealand in a global setting. It is now known that the boundary between the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates runs through New Zealand. The Pacific plate is moving relative to the Australian plate at a rate of about 40 millimetres per year – about the rate that fingernails grow. Over millions of years pressure from the colliding plates has caused uplift of the mountains and the separation of rocks on opposite sides of the Alpine Fault by almost 500 kilometres.

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How to cite this page

Simon Nathan, Geological exploration – Plate tectonics and other advances, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/video/8214/plate-tectonic-model (accessed 10 June 2026).

Story by Simon Nathan, published 2 March 2009.

Comments

adamn rat
21 September 2011
Frank, you sound like you actually believe these fairy tales. Poor you. Now run along and tell santa claws i said hello.
Frank Hudson
01 April 2011
I would humbly suggest that these "scientists" get their Bible out and read the facts about the 'Flood of Noah' - All this diatribe about 'millions of years' is just that, diatribe. The plate tectonic movements started less than 4500 years ago as a result of Noah's flood.