Kōrero: Mountains

Greywacke and schist

Greywacke and schist

The Southern Alps, Kaikōura ranges and North Island axial ranges are formed mainly from a hard, grey sandstone which in New Zealand is called greywacke (left). When it is deeply buried and heated, greywacke is converted to a flaky rock called schist (right). The western side of the alps has been uplifted more than the east, so the deeper layers that contain schist are revealed there.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

GNS Science
Photograph by Nick Mortimer

Permission of GNS Science must be obtained before any use of this image.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Te tuhi tohutoro mō tēnei whārangi:

Andy Dennis, 'Mountains - How mountains form', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/mi/photograph/14316/greywacke-and-schist (accessed 29 March 2024)

He kōrero nā Andy Dennis, i tāngia i te 24 Sep 2007, updated 1 Feb 2017