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Story: Volcanoes

The Andesite Line

The Andesite Line

In a far-sighted scientific paper in 1912, New Zealand geologist Patrick Marshall identified what he called the Andesite Line. This is a chain of active volcanoes around the margins of the Pacific Ocean, which we now know to follow the edge of the Pacific tectonic plate.

Using this item

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Reference: J. J. Reed, 'Mineralogy and petrology in the New Zealand geological survey 1865-1965.' New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics 8, no. 6 (December

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How to cite this page

Richard Smith, David J. Lowe and Ian Wright, Volcanoes – Pacific Ring of Fire, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/map/8696/the-andesite-line (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Richard Smith, David J. Lowe and Ian Wright, published 2 March 2009.

Comments

Irene
11 March 2011
Why were we told by media after Feb.22., that CC earthquakes had occurred along a previously unknown fault line? Obviously, this is a volcanic plate and with the depth of the aftershocks decreasing, surely this is pointing to a volcanic eruption/forming of a new one in the near future?