Wanted: Oscar Obsidian - Auckland Museum

S c i e n c e • Y e a r s 1 - 1 3
GEOLOGY
AT THE AUCKLAND MUSEUM
Education Kit
Auckland Museum
Te Papa Whakahiku

Contents
CONTENTS
Booking Information 1
Introduction to the Resource 2
Plan of Natural History Galleries 2
Teacher Background:
Earth's Structure 3
Plate Tectonics/ Continental Drift 3
Types of Rocks 4
The Rock Cycle 6
Minerals 6
Dating Rocks and Rock Layers 7
Volcanism and Earthquakes 7
Auckland - City of Volcanoes 10
New Zealand's Geological Origins 12
The Geological Origins of Auckland 14
What are Fossils? 15
New Zealands Dinosaurs, Pterosaurs
and Marine Reptiles 16
Curriculum Links, Pre and Post-Visit Activities 18
Curriculum Links Level 1-8 18
Level 1-2 Pre and Post-visit Activities 19
Level 3-4 Pre and Post-visit Activities 20
Level 5-6 Pre and Post-visit Activities 22
Level 7-8 Pre and Post-visit Activities 23
Classroom Activity Sheets 25
BOOKING INFORMATION
All school visits must be booked.
Phone: 306 7040 Fax: 306 7075
A small service charge applies to school groups.
Charges as at 1999 are:
Self-conducted Visits:
free
Gallery Introductions:
free to member schools,
$1.00 per student non-member schools
Hands-on Sessions:
$1.00 per student member schools,
$1.00 per student non-member schools
Auckland Museum 1
page

INTRODUCTION TO THE RESOURCE
Geology at the Auckland Museum focuses on the Origins Gallery in
Auckland Museum’s Natural History Floor. This gallery looks at the geological
origins of our land and the origins of our plants and animals.
Visiting schools may book for the following learning opportunities:
· Self-conducted visit with supporting resource material.
· Gallery Introduction with Museum Educator (approx 15 minutes), plus
resource material.
· Hands-on activity session with Museum Educator (approx 45 - 50 mins), plus
resource material. Students have the opportunity to handle rock collections,
fossils, lava bombs etc. Sessions can be tailored to suit the level and focus of
your visit.
ABOUT THIS RESOURCE:
This resource has been designed to meet the needs of Science classes, Years 1-13.
The kit includes:
· Teacher Background Material
· Curriculum Links and Pre and Post Visit Activities
· Classroom Activity Sheets
· Gallery Activity Sheets are available on booking your group
MAORI NATURAL
HISTORY
EAST
GALLERY
LOGAN
CAMPBELL
GALLERY
MEZZANINE
GALLERY
WEST
GALLERY
HUMAN
IMPACTS
ORIGINS
LAND
MATAPUNA
Natural History
Resource Centre
2
OCEANS
DISCOVERY
CENTRE
First Floor.
Auckland Museum
Introduction

Background
TEACHER BACKGROUND
THE EARTH'S STRUCTURE
4.6 billion years ago the Earth was formed. A
dynamic planet, its continents move constantly over
a hot fluid interior. Radioactive decay at its centre
generates the heat engine powering this
motion.
Crust
Outer core
3560km
Inner core
Mantle
2800
The Earth is composed of several layers. The solid
inner core is surrounded by a liquid outer core.
The mantle is solid, but the top 250 kilometres is
plastic enough to move, and carry the thin but
rigid crust above.
Auckland Museum 3
PLATE TECTONICS / CONTINENTAL DRIFT
The Earth's crust is broken into many fragments
called tectonic plates. These move at different
rates. They spread apart, push past, override
and dive under each other, constantly moving the
continents around the globe.
There are three main types of plate boundaries:
divergent/spreading centres, convergent/ subduction
zones and transform margins.
Upwelling in the mantle forms new oceanic crust,
which then spreads apart. The crust ultimately gets
recycled as it becomes subducted under more buoyant
crust, like continental or younger, oceanic crust.
Sea Floor Spreading Zones
The mantle reaches the Earth's surface through an
opening between two tectonic plates, up to 5km
under the sea surface in the middle of some
ocean basins. It solidifies to produce new crust
and pushes out the older crust symmetrically away
from this 'spreading centre'. This produces a long
chain of undersea volcanoes, also called a midoceanic
ridge.
Subduction Zones
Old oceanic crust is heavy and dense. Over time,
parts of it sink back into the mantle, creating a
tectonic plate boundary as it slips under another
World map showing the boundaries of tectonic plates. The arrows show the directions they
move in. As the plates move, they pull apart, collide, grind past or dive beneath one another,
the way luggage does on an airport conveyer belt.

piece of crust. Subduction of old oceanic crust
can happen under continents, such as the South
American west coast or under younger oceanic
crust, such as in the Tonga-Kermadec area, just
north of New Zealand.
As the crust goes into the mantle, a deep trench
develops at the point of subduction, where the
sea can be up to 10km deep. A New Zealand
example is the Hikurangi Trough, which is off the
east coast of the North Island.
During subduction, sediment that has settled on the
ocean floor is scraped off the subducting plate
and gets plastered onto the edge of the upper
plate. The compression causes friction between
the two plates, which in turn causes earthquakes
and pushes up mountains.
The Alpine fault,
as seen from
space.
4
New crust forming and spreading
out from an upwelling in the
mantle.
Once this oceanic crust sinks well down
into the mantle, it starts to soften and
become plastic again. But because
there are traces of water in this crust,
partial melting occurs and this extra hot
material rises up in bubbles through the
mantle and over-riding crust. Once it reaches
Earth's surface, it gets erupted to form volcanoes.
Transform Margins
Transform margins occur where 2 plates slide past
each other, neither creating or destroying oceanic
crust.
An excellent example of a transform boundary is
the Alpine Fault in the South Island, one of the
longest natural straight lines on Earth.
TYPES OF ROCKS
What is a rock?
It is a naturally-occurring aggregate of minerals.
A piece of concrete is made up of minerals, but
since it is artificial, it is NOT a rock. Rocks can be
classified in three broad categories: Igneous,
Sedimentary and Metamorphic.
TYPE 1: Igneous Rocks
Are formed when magma (molten rock) cools and
solidifies. There are two types of igneous rocks -
plutonic and volcanic.
Igneous Plutonic
Plutonic rocks form from magma trapped under
the Earth's surface. This magma cools slowly, and
large crystals of minerals form in the rock. The
slower the rocks have cooled, the larger the crystals.
Examples:
Granite - Granites crystallise from magmas with a
composition similar to the continental crust. They
are high in silica, and rich in elements such as
potassium and sodium. Granite polishes well and
is prized for its colourful appearance which is due
to the crystals of quartz (whitish) feldspar (often
pinkish) and brown biotite. It is often used as
flooring or benchtops.
Auckland Museum
Background

Background
Igneous Volcanic
Magma cools quickly when it reaches the Earth's
surface in a volcanic eruption. Small crystals
already form underneath the ground, but when
the eruption happens the rest of the magma chills
almost instantly to form tiny crystals and glass.
Gas is often trapped during the formation of
these rocks, resulting in many holes in the rock surface.
Examples:
Rhyolite - Rhyolite is a low density high silica rock,
most commonly erupted through continental crust.
It is the volcanic equivalent of granite. Pumice
and obsidian have an identical rhyolitic chemical
composition, so what makes them look so different?
The Pumice is full of holes and represents the
froth on top of the magma, resulting from the
rapid release of gases in the initial stages of an
eruption. The Obsidian is a volcano’s dying gasps.
Although the quietly erupted magma cools quickly
to form glass, the microstructure is such that light is
absorbed by its surface, making Obsidian appear
dark. Rhyolitic rocks can be found around Lake
Taupo. Obsidian can also be found on Mayor
Island.
Basalt - Basalt is a dark, dense volcanic rock low
in silica. It is erupted in vast quantities from midoceanic
ridges, forming the sea floor. The
Auckland volcanoes (not Waitakeres) are basaltic
volcanoes. Scoria is a form of basalt produced
by fire fountaining. The rock has many holes due
to being produced in a frothy, gas-filled manner.
Andesite - Andesite has an intermediate composition
between basalt and rhyolite, and is erupted
from volcanoes usually at convergent plate boundaries,
such as the Waitakeres and Ruapehu in
New Zealand, or the Andes mountains of South
America, from which andesite gets its name.
TYPE 2: Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary rocks are rocks made from other
rocks. Sedimentary rock comes from older rocks
eroded from the land, carried into lakes or seas
by rivers, deposited, and then compacted into a
solid mass. Other sedimentary rocks form from
plant and animal matter, like coal and limestone.
Still others are precipitated from mineral-rich solutions,
such as halite from brine.
Auckland Museum 5
As more sediment is deposited on top, it squeezes
water from the underlying sediments and packs
the particles closer together. Sometimes the particles
are cemented together with calcite, deposited
from new fluids percolating through the sediment.
Other times the cement is clay, formed from some
of the particles breaking down.
Examples:
Limestone - When shelled organisms die, their
shells fall to the sea floor and become cemented
together, forming limestone. Limestone is usually a
chalky white colour. Limestone fizzes with acid.
Sandstone - Sand deposited by rivers and on
beaches, when compressed and cemented,
becomes sandstone. Because of all the vigorous
washing, the particles are all a similar size and
can be seen with the naked eye. Sandstone varys
in colour according to its composition.
Mudstone - Mudstone is made up of particles too
fine to be seen by the naked eye. Mud usually
settles in lakes and the deep ocean where the
water currents are quiet. Mudstone varies in
colour from dark grey to pale yellow.
Shale - Shale is mudstone which flakes in fine layers.
Conglomerate - In high energy environments like
river channels and steep slopes, pebbles and
boulders are deposited along with finer sediments,
which then consolidates into conglomerate.
Conglomerate particle sizes vary greatly. A rock
containing particles all the same size is well sorted,
a conglomerate is poorly sorted. Colour
varies according to the rocks composition.
Breccia - Breccia is similar to conglomerate rock,
although its particles are angular. This means the
particles have not been in water long. Breccia
also can be made of angular volcanic particles.
Type 3: Metamorphic Rocks
Rocks can get deeply buried in the crust, experiencing
high pressure and temperature. They
deform, change (morph) and recrystallise in a
process called metamorphism. It is possible to see
layers in many metamorphic rocks.

Examples:
Slate - In the first stage of metamorphism, a rock
becomes flattened like book pages. Slate is a
fine-grained rock which was originally a mudstone.
Slate varies in colour although is often
black with greenish tints. It cleaves (splits) into thin
layers and is often used for footpaths and
rooftiles because of this.
Schist - Schist is metamorphosed slate or basalt.
Under higher pressure and temperature, new crystals
start to grow and form bands of different
mineral composition. Schist contains mica and can
have garnets.
Gneiss - With further metamorphism, the crystals
grow larger and the bands become thicker. The
schist turns into a gneiss (pronounced 'nice').
Gneiss exhibits mixes of pale and dark layers,
with frequent bands of quartz and feldspar
throughout.
Marble - High temperature and pressure changes
limestone into marble. Marble is made of calcite
and will fizz with acid. Colours of marble vary.
In New Zealand, marble can be found in a number
of areas including around Takaka (Nelson).
Marble is often used in flooring, or statues.
Greenstone (Pounamu) - New Zealand's most
famous metamorphic rock is Greenstone- composed
mostly of the mineral nephrite. Pounamu is
tougher than steel, hence its use in early Maori
tools. Pounamu can be found in the West Coast
rivers of the South Island.
Igneous volcanic
rocks (blown out)
The Rock Cycle.
heat
Magma
6
THE ROCK CYCLE
The continents are continuously recycling themselves.
This Rock Cycle involves processes such as
volcanism, erosion, deep burial and remelting.
MINERALS
What is a mineral?
It is a natural inorganic solid with a specific internal
structure and chemical composition.
There are many different types of minerals.
These are based on their chemical composition
e.g. Silicates, Oxides, Sulphides, Halides,
Carbonates, Hydroxides, Phosphates, Nitrates
amongst others. However, there are only a few
common rock-forming minerals.
The silicates are the main rock-forming minerals
that make up most of the crust and mantle.
Silica and oxygen combine with metallic ions to
form the building blocks of our planet.
Examples:
Quartz - Quartz is made of silica. The colour
ranges according to impurities and can be clear,
opaques, white or purple (amethyst). Quartz
crystals are six-sided. They are hard and cannot
be easily scratched. Quartz is common in many
rocks.
Feldspar - Feldspars contain silica, aluminium and
a number of other elements. Colour ranges from
white to pink, the pink being common in granite.
Feldspar crystals are four or six-sided. They are
used to make porcelain and also are used in some
kitchen abrasive cleaners.
Weathering and erosion
Igneous plutonic
(buried)
Metamorphic
rock
pressure
Water
Sedimentary layers
Auckland Museum
Background

Background
Mica - Mica flakes into thin sheets. One form is
blackish and shiny and is called biotite, a mix of
iron and magnesium. Flakes are sometimes called
'fools gold' as they resembles flakes of gold.
Another form is white and silvery and is called
muscovite. Muscovite was used in windows in
Moscow, hence the name. Mica is found in granite
and schist.
Calcite - Calcite is calcium carbonate and does
not contain silica. Calcite crystals are soft and
are easily scratched.
Identifying Minerals
When identifying minerals, we can use their physical
properties as an aid.
Crystal form: the way the crystal faces are
arranged.
Cleavage: the tendency for a mineral to break
along certain weak planes in their crystal structure.
Hardness: a measure of a mineral's resistance to
abrasion.
Specific gravity: the density of a mineral.
Colour: there can be many colours for each mineral,
not very diagnostic.
Streak: each mineral leaves a distinctive streak
when rubbed against unglazed porcelain.
DATING ROCKS AND ROCK LAYERS
Geologists often work out the age of rocks by the
fossils that occur in them. Many organisms that
were alive in the past have since become extinct.
So even if the actual age of the rock is not known
in years, it can still be assigned to a Geological
Era or Period eg Devonian, because of the unique
fossils it contains.
When igneous rocks are found in a record such as
this they can be radiometrically dated ie an age
in years can be worked out by the decay of
radioactive elements in the rock
After rocks are deposited they become buried
and can be buckled or folded by tectonic processes
such as mountain building. Earthquakes fracture
rock, causing displacement of blocks along
fault lines.
Auckland Museum 7
Lower rock layers are generally older than upper
rock layers. Sometimes the rocks may get pushed
up and eroded and a soil may develop on this
new surface. When younger rocks are deposited
over the surface, it produces what geologists call
an unconformity which is an interval of geologic
time missing from the rock record.
VOLCANISM AND EARTHQUAKES
A large proportion of Earth's earthquakes and
active volcanoes occur around the edge of the
Pacific Ocean. This is called the Pacific Ring of
Fire and includes the currently active volcanoes in
New Zealand, from White Island to Ruapehu.
Earthquakes
Earthquakes can be deep or shallow. Shallow
earthquakes occur along plate boundaries and
along plate spreading zones, and are the most
destructive. Deep earthquakes occur in subduction
zones, where one edge of a plate is forced
beneath another.
New Zealand experiences both shallow earthquakes
and deep earthquakes. This is because
we are on the collision boundary of the Pacific
and Australian plates.
Volcanoes
Volcanoes occur in three plate tectonic settings:
1. Subduction zones, where parts of the subducted
plate melt and rise through the overlying crust to
erupt as volcanoes eg New Zealand, Japan,
Indonesia.
2. Mid-Oceanic Ridges, where tectonic plates are
pulling apart and new oceanic crust is being produced
as a chain of undersea basalt volcanoes. eg
Antarctica.
3. Hot Spots, where 'plumes' of extra hot mantle
rise through the crust, regardless of the location on
a tectonic plate. When the plate moves over this
hotspot, a chain of volcanoes is produced eg
Hawaii, Auckland.
New Zealand's active volcanoes mostly occur in
the Taupo and Rotorua areas of North Island, also
known as the Taupo Volcanic Zone. This zone continues
offshore to the north into the Kermadec
Islands, including some submarine volcanoes. The
other area of active volcanoes in New Zealand is
in Auckland City.

The Southern Alps are not volcanoes. They lie
along the Alpine Fault where plates are pushing
past each other. Collision forces have pushed the
edge of the Pacific plate up along the alpine
fault to form the alps. The Alpine Fault is the
longest line on land visible in space.
Types Of Volcanic Rock
Volcanoes erupt different types of magma that
are classified mainly by silica content (SiO2).
They range from a silica content of about 50% in
basalt to greater than 70% in rhyolite. The higher
the silica content the more viscous and sticky
the magma is, and that controls how explosive the
eruption will be. Once magma reaches earth's
surface and flows along the ground, it becomes
known as lava.
Basalt - Basaltic magma has the hottest temperature,
around 1200 °C. It is very fluid, basic and
produces the least violent eruptions. Auckland's
volcanoes are basaltic. Scoria is a form of basalt
formed during gaseous fire-fountaining.
Associated volcano shapes include: scoria cones,
shield volcanoes and tuff rings.
Andesite - Intermediate in composition between
basalt and rhyolite, andesite magma erupts at
temperatures around 1100 °C. Mt Ruapehu is an
andesitic volcano. Associated volcanic shapes
include stratovolcanoes and scoria cones.
Rhyolite - This is very sticky, acidic, viscous magma
which erupts at the lowest temperature of around
800 °C. It can produce the most violent types of
eruptions and leaves deposits called ignimbrite.
Taupo is a rhyolitic volcano. Pumice and obsidian
are rhyolitic rocks. Associated volcanic shapes
include: calderas and lava domes.
Caldera volcano
8
Shapes of Volcanoes
The composition of the magma controls the type
of volcano that forms.
Shield Volcano - Shield volcanoes form from the
outpouring of very fluid basaltic lava that produce
very gentle flanks. They are made up
almost entirely of lava flows. An example is
Rangitoto in Auckland. Shield volcanoes are some
of the largest volcanoes on Earth. Mauna Kea in
Hawaii is a shield volcano rising nearly 9 km from
the floor of the Pacific Ocean, making it the tallest
mountain on Earth
Scoria Cones - Scoria cones are formed by the
fire-fountaining of gas-rich magma, which reaches
the surface without coming into contact with water.
Frothy lava thrown high into the air cools to form
scoria which piles up in steep slopes. Mt Eden
and One Tree Hill are examples of Scoria cones.
Tuff Rings - Tuff rings are formed during explosive
eruptions when groundwater is heated to produce
superheated steam. The resulting explosion
sends a cloud of pulverised rock and ash into the
air, settling in a ring hundreds of metres from the
explosion. Tuff rings are a mixture of ash and
lapilli (pebble sized lava particles). The Auckland
Domain and Lake Pupuke are examples of Tuff
rings.
Stratovolcano - Stratovolcanoes have the typical
cone-shape usually associated with volcanoes, and
include famous examples like Mt Fuji in Japan, Mt
Etna in Sicily and Mt Vesuvius in Italy. They are
made up of layers of fluid lava flows and more
explosively erupted ash and scoria. Because
andesitic and dacitic lava is more viscous, the stratovolcano
has steeper sides than a shield volcano.
Lava dome Stratovolcano
Scoria cone Tuff ring Shield volcano
Auckland Museum
Background

Background
Ruapehu, Taranaki and Ngauruhoe are typical
New Zealand examples. The Pacific Rim of Fire
consists mostly of stratovolcanoes.
Caldera - Caldera volcanoes are huge craters in
the ground and can often lack any type of built
up flanks around them. They form from gigantic
explosions of rhyolite magma. The sudden
release of large volumes of ash drains the
magma chamber and results in collapse of the
structure forming a large depression called a
caldera. Some calderas can be as much as 50
km in diameter such as in Yellowstone National
Park in the USA. Lakes Taupo and Rotorua are
typical New Zealand examples of this type of
volcano.
Dome - After an explosive dacitic or rhyolitic
eruption, some magma can remain around the
edges of the caldera. This material is very viscous
and all the gases have already escaped, so it
oozes out like toothpaste to form steep sided
domes of obsidian. A New Zealand example is
Ngongotaha on the shores of Lake Rotorua.
Eruption Styles
The driving force of an eruption is the escape of
gases which are pressurised (eg water, carbon
dioxide) underground in the magma. If the
magma is not viscous the gases escape easily and
the eruption is not violent. When the magma is
viscous the release of gas is highly explosive.
Examples:
Lava flows - When gases are released quietly, the
lava will flow along the ground. Sometimes blobs
of lava fly through the air producing aerodynamically
shaped bombs.
Fire fountaining - Spectacular fire fountaining produces
frothy gas-rich fragments of basalt called
scoria. Scoria forms steep sided cones like Mt
Eden.
Auckland Museum 9
Pyroclastic fall - In viscous magma the gases are
explosively released as a jetblast, producing an
ash column into the atmosphere. The ash can blow
hundreds of kilometres away from the volcano
and mantle the landscape. Volcanic ash is very
abrasive.
Raindrops falling through ash clouds can produce
fossil raindrops, called accretionary lapilli. Each
one grows like a snowball as ash is added onto
the surface as it falls.
Pyroclastic flows - Sometimes the eruption column
above the vent becomes so ash-laden that it collapses
back to earth and flows along the ground.
This is called a pyroclastic flow. These flows consist
of gas and fine volcanic debris that are hot
(700°C) and can travel at high speeds (100 to
700 km/h). When pyroclastic flows stop and cool,
they leave deposits called ignimbrite.
Size Does Matter
The 1995-6 eruptions from Mt Ruapehu affected
human activities such as skifields and airports. But
these events were small compared to the 1991
Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines which lowered
the average global temperature by at least 0.5
°C.
The largest eruption in modern history was when
Tambora in Indonesia erupted in April 1815
(erupting 150kms 3 of rock). The effects on the
weather were marked- Europe and North America
experienced 'a year without a summer' in 1816.
The Taupo Volcanic Zone is the most active rhyolitic
region on Earth, regularly producing many
large-scale eruptions. The most recent was the
hugely explosive Taupo eruption of AD 232
(erupting 145kms 3 of rock). However, even this is
dwarfed in size by its predecessor from the same
caldera 26 000 years ago (which erupted
800kms 3 of rock). In comparison, the largest
known volcanic eruption was 76 000 years ago
when the Indonesian island of Sumatra exploded
to form the Toba Caldera, erupting 2800 km 3 of
rock.
From right, Lake Taupo (26,000 years ago), Lake Rotorua (230,000 years ago), Tambora (1815), Lake Taupo
(232 AD), Pinatubo (1991), St Helens (1980), Tawawera (1886), Ruapehu (1995-6).

AUCKLAND- CITY OF VOLCANOES
Living On A Hotspot
About 100 km beneath Auckland City lies an
active hotspot- an area of extra hot mantle. This
hotspot creates bubbles of magma that rise
through the crust and erupt at the surface, creating
Auckland's basalt volcanic field, similar to
Hawaii.
Auckland Volcanic Field.
10
Forty eight volcanoes have erupted within 29 km
of Auckland Museum over the last 150 000 years.
The Museum itself is built on the rim of the Domain
Volcano. The most recent eruption, 600 years
ago, formed Rangitoto Island at the entrance to
the harbour. Another eruption within Auckland
City can be expected at any time.
Auckland Museum
Background

Background
Shapes of Auckland Volcanoes
Auckland's volcanoes come in a variety of landforms,
depending on the style of eruption. Each
volcano is formed by one eruption, or a short
series of eruptions lasting no longer than a few
months. Then a plug of lava solidifies in the vent,
and later bubbles of magma find another place
to erupt.
Fieldtrips Around Auckland's Volcanic Field
The following is a list of places which provide a
great opportunity to study Auckland's volcanic
field at first hand. The list does not include all the
possibilities.
Meola Reef, Pt Chevalier - Auckland's longest lava
flow, home to burgeoning mangrove swamps and
being redeveloped as a park.
Mt Eden, One Tree Hill, Mt Albert, Big King,
Mangere Mountain etc - Scoria cones, craters and
lava flows, also providing evidence of use by
Maori and Pakeha. Use the map to check out volcanoes
in your area.
Three styles of eruption were involved in building
the Auckland volcanic field. Each has produced its
own type of rock and landform. While some volcanoes
were created by one style, others were
created by a combination. The landforms and
eruption styles have been discussed previously, but
this chart provides a summary of the events in
forming Auckland's volcanoes.
Eruption Style Rock type Volcanic Shape Examples
Lava Flows and
Fields
Conditions:
Magma is free of gas and
oozes out of volcano rim or
side vent
Fire fountaining
Conditions:
Gas-rich magma reaches
surface without contact with
water
Explosive eruption
Conditions:
Rising magma meets
groundwater causing
superheated steam
Solid basalt
There are two types of
lava flow:
pahoehoe fluid, fast
flowing and smooth.
a'a thick, slowmoving and
rough
Auckland Museum 11
Shield Rangitoto
Auckland Domain - Tuff ring, Auckland's first
water supply and one of the earliest quarries,
evidence of layers in tuff ring.
Rangitoto - shield volcano, lava caves.
In addition many volcanoes
have lava flows but are
not shield volcanoes.
Meola reef is the longest
flow and was extruded
from the Three Kings
volcano.
Scoria Scoria cone Mt Eden, Three Kings, Mt
Albert, One Tree Hill etc
(these also exhibit other
eruption styles)
Tuff (ash and lapilli) Tuff ring Auckland Domain. Lake
Pupuke, Panmure Basin
Old Mt Eden Prison Quarry (Auckland Grammar
land) - basalt columns.
Takapuna Beach - fossil forest which was engulfed
by lava from Lake Pupuke.

NEW ZEALAND'S GEOLOGICAL ORIGINS
Eighty five million years ago, New Zealand began
to break away from the supercontinent called
Gondwana where it had been united with all the
other countries in the southern hemisphere. As
New Zealand drifted away from Australia taking
with it animals (including dinosaurs) and plants
that lived on it, the opening between them began
to form the Tasman Sea.
Gondwana.
12
Timeline.
Remnants of Gondwana in New Zealand
Rocks and fossils provide links to our past connection
with other countries. Most of the rock types in
the Southwest corner of the South Island match up
with rocks in south east Australia and Antarctica.
Fossil ferns found in rocks near Port Waikato grew
in coastal Gondwana forest 140 million years
ago. Fossils of the seed fern Glossopteris have
been found in New Zealand, Australia, Antarctica,
South America and India.
In the 60 million years since the Tasman
Sea finished opening, erosion, tectonic
processes and climate change have
drastically altered the shape of New
Zealand. These changes have had a
huge impact on our plants and animals.
New Zealand drifted north away from
Antarctica as a heavily eroded lowland
plain. As it moved, Earth's crust
stretched and thinned and the land
sank. From considerable continental
beginnings, New Zealand became an
archipelago of small swampy low-lying
islands.
Auckland Museum
Background

Background
As the land area reduced, species that had
evolved here faced advancing waters and
destruction of habitats, creating a biotic bottleneck.
The original Gondwanan flora and fauna
was considerably reduced. Later the survivors
diversified and new species evolved. Wrens, moa
and giant weta were all affected. Some modern
birds are probably descendants of a single surviving
species.
New Zealand did not remain a small archipelago
for long. About 25 million years ago, a plate
boundary started to develop through New
Zealand between the Australian and Pacific
plates.
The collision between these two plates has pushed
up our mountain ranges within the last 6 million
years. Sediments from the continuous erosion of
the mountains has extended our coastlines to create
new land.
Coal and Oil
Coal and oil are evidence of former widespread
lowland swamps with rich plant growth and a
warm climate. Until the beginning of the
Oligocene 35 million years ago, New Zealand's
climate was warmer than today's. Oil is produced
from the breakdown of dead animals and plants
after burial and moderate heating.
Coal results from the accumulation of dead plant
material in swamps which has then been deeply
buried and heated to higher temperatures. There
are a number of coalfields around New Zealand
including the West Coast of the South Island and
the Hauraki Plains area of the North Island.
In the late Cretaceous to Paleocene (70-60 million
years ago) organic matter accumulated, was
buried and turned into oil. During this process, the
oil moves underground to find a reservoir, a
porous rock that soaks the oil up like a sponge.
Reservoir rocks in New Zealand range in age
from Paleocene to Miocene. The Taranaki oilfields
are the most productive in New Zealand.
Climate Change and the Ice Ages
In the course of its history, New Zealand has
changed many times in both location and climate
from subtropical to subantarctic. All have had a
great influence on its plants and animals. The climate
changes are mediated by tectonic movements
as well as more cosmic events. The current
distribution of many indigenous animals is a lega-
Auckland Museum 13
cy of the Pleistocene glaciations which ended
some 10,000 years ago.
During the last 64 million years there has been a
global trend towards a cooler climate. In the
Paleocene and Eocene the oceans were sluggish
and Antarctica had no ice cap. During the
Oligocene the movement of Australia away from
Antarctica and the opening of the Drake Passage
at the bottom of South America allowed the formation
of a cold circumpolar current around
Antarctica. This thermally isolated Antarctica,
allowing an ice cap to form. There was a warming
trend in the late Oligocene- Middle Miocene.
The drop in temperature at the end of the
Miocene is due to the isolation and evaporation of
the Mediterranean Sea. This event decreased the
salinity of the oceans, allowing them to freeze at
higher temperatures. The polar ice cap increased
in size. The uplift of the Himalayas drove drier
winds over Northern Africa, and affected rainfall
in Asia.
Three million years ago, North and South America
joined, terminating warm currents around the
equator and promoting the warm Gulf Stream in
the North Atlantic. The Gulf Stream is responsible
for snowfall on the North Pole, creating the
Northern Hemisphere Ice cap.
A Touch of the Tropics
25 -14 million years ago warm currents from
tropical seas washed New Zealand shores and the
climate was subtropical. Coconuts, corals and
cone shells flourished. Warmth-loving plants
established. Some died out later when the climate
cooled again, others adapted and stayed.
The Ice Ages
Earth's climate has swung between warm and cold
about 50 times in the last 2.6 million years.
During particularly cold periods called Ice Ages
or Glaciations, ice sheets grew on the continents
causing sea levels to drop up to 120 m. The frequency
and regularity of the oscillations tell us
that it is changes in Earth's orbit that controls the
amount of heat reaching Earth's surface
The ice age climate had a large impact on New
Zealand's flora. This included the expansion of
grasslands in both islands and the growth of
alpine shrubs and herbs at much lower elevations
than today.

THE GEOLOGICAL ORIGINS OF AUCKLAND
Auckland's geological history started 250 million
years ago just off the coast of Gondwana.
Sediments were eroded off the supercontinent
and accumulated in layers until 140 million years
ago, when this part of the sea floor was uplifted
by large earthquakes to become new land along
the Gondwana coast.
Then, 85 million years ago, Gondwana started to
break up. A large rift formed in the eastern part
of the continent, becoming the Tasman Sea. New
Zealand started to move away to the east, until
60 million years ago when it reached its present
position. Part of the Auckland region remained
land until the beginning of the Miocene (25 million
years ago). By then, the Pacific and Australian
plates had started to collide, pushing the Pacific
plate beneath the Australian plate. Sediments that
had accumulated on the sea floor were scraped
off the down going Pacific plate, and plastered
onto the area we now call Northland. These tectonic
forces created a 'bow wave' of subsidence in
front of the huge mass, submerging the Auckland
region and forming the Waitemata Basin 22 million
years ago.
14
About this time the huge Waitakere and Kaipara
volcanoes started erupting offshore from the present-day
west coast of Auckland, as part of a
large chain of volcanoes that formed along the
western shores of Northland. Over time, the
forces of erosion have levelled the Waitakere volcano
which now forms the Waitakere Ranges.
The Waitemata Basin started filling up with sand
and sediment 17-22 million years ago, eroding
off the newly formed land to the north.
Waitemata Sandstone is a familiar sight around
our local coastlines e.g. Long Bay. Sometimes
gravelly deposits of volcanic debris from the
Waitakere volcano are included in the Waitemata
Sandstones. These are called Parnell Grit.
Lahars and debris flows from the volcanoes also
flowed into the basin.
Then, volcanism ceased 15 million years ago and
the whole Auckland region was uplifted to
become land. Other periods of uplift tilted
Auckland to the west, creating what later became
the Manukau and Kaipara harbours.
Auckland Museum
Background

Background
WHAT ARE FOSSILS?
Most fossils are the preserved hard parts of
plants or animals, such as wood, shells, bones and
teeth. Less common are the traces of soft parts
like leaves and soft tissues. Some fossils show
where an animal has been, such as footprints and
worm trails. Fossils are found in sedimentary rocks
in many parts of New Zealand, from sea level to
mountain tops.
When an animal or plant dies, its soft parts are
usually eaten by scavengers or decay rapidly.
The hard parts may be buried by soil, mud, or
sand, which protects them from further decay or
damage.
Many layers of sediment may accumulate on top.
Eventually, they harden into rock.
Auckland Museum 15
Forces deep within the earth may fold or tilt the
rock and push some of them up to form land and
mountains.
We find fossils in cliffs and road cuttings where
natural erosion or bulldozers have exposed layers
of rock.
Animal and plant remains may be preserved as
fossils in a number of ways:
Shells and skeletons - The most common fossils are
an animal's hard skeletal parts composed of bone
or shell. These can remain virtually unchanged in
the rock.
Mummification - When both the hard and soft
parts of an animal is preserved, it is called mummification.
Some examples are the mummified
remains of moa in caves, the freezing of mammoths
in ice, or the complete preservation of
insects in gum.
Petrification - Dissolved minerals that seep slowly
through rock often add to or replace the original
fossil. This gradual process often increases the
fossil's weight and hardness and literally turns it to
stone.

Moulds and casts - After a shell has been buried
and the surrounding sediments hardened into rock,
water may creep through the rock and dissolve
the shell. This leaves a cavity, with the same
shape and markings as the original shell - a natural
mould.
If a fossil shell was hollow inside it may have filled
with mud and sand during burial. If the shell dissolves,
a hardened internal cast of the shell is also
left as a fossil.
Carbonisation - turned to soot - Where buried
plants and animals decayed in places without
oxygen, they left a thin flattened fossil behind.
These fossils are rich in carbon and have a black
colour.
Trace fossils - leaving tracks - A fossil may also be
the preserved track, burrow, footprint or even
excrement of a passing animal. Burrow shape
and size can often be used to identify the animal
that once lived in it.
Examples of Fossils found in New Zealand:
Giant Ammonite - Ammonites are extinct shellbearing
squid, the closest living relative of which
is the Pearly Nautilus. The cast on display is of
the largest ammonite fossil found in New Zealand.
It was uncovered near Kawhia Harbour.
Ammonites became extinct at the same time as
dinosaurs. This ammonite is 145 million years old.
Belemnites - Belemnites were the ancestors of
today’s squid. Only the hard bullet-like tail skeletons
remain. Belemnites became extinct at the
same time as dinosaurs.
Belemnite fossils.
16
Trilobites - Trilobites resembled sea lice. They
were the first animals to develop hard parts that
could be fossilised and have been found worldwide.
Their bodies are divided into three parts
(hence the name) and vary in size from 4mm to
70cm. Fossil trilobites found in the Cobb Valley of
Nelson are New Zealand's oldest fossils, at 530
million years.
Trilobite fossil.
Many other fossils including those of plants and
dinosaurs can also be viewed in the exhibition.
NEW ZEALANDS DINOSAURS, PTEROSAURS
AND MARINE REPTILES
The Age of Reptiles is known as the Mesozoic era,
which consists of the Triassic, Jurassic and
Cretaceous periods. At this time, New Zealand
was closer to the South Pole and had a polar
environment. It is uncertain how the dinosaurs
adapted to the cold winters with few daylight
hours, but it is now known that some of these
dinosaurs must have been warm-blooded.
No complete dinosaur skeletons have been found
in New Zealand and the fragments found have
not been sufficient to classify as new species or
species found elsewhere. The first dinosaur bone
was discovered by Joan Wiffen in the
Mangahouanga Valley (Hawkes Bay), and was the
tail bone of a theropod dinosaur.
Auckland Museum
Background

Background
Other dinosaurs fossils indicate the existence of
agile ornithopod dinosaurs and large
four-footed sauropods.
Theropod Dinosaurs
Theropods were agile
predators that walked
upright on strong hind
legs, had short front
legs and large heads
with sharp teeth.
Tyrannosaurus and
Allosaurus were
theropods. The cast
on display is of
Cryolophosaurus, an
Antarctic dinosaur.
One small species of
theropods evolved into the
first birds around 150 million
years ago.
Sauropod Dinosaurs
Sauropods were large four footed dinosaurs with
long necks and tails. They were herbivores which
probably lived in herds. A fragment of rib bone
has been found in New Zealand.
Ornithopod Dinosaurs
Ornithopod dinosaurs were bird-hipped dinosaurs
which were herbivorous and walked exclusively on
their back legs. Part of a pelvis has been found
in New Zealand.
Icthyosaur fossil.
Cryolophosaurus.
Auckland Museum 17
Pterosaurs
Pterosaurs were flying reptiles, not
dinosaurs. They had bat-like wings
formed by a membrane of skin,
although only the fourth finger
was elongated to support
the wing whereas
all four fingers in bats
are elongated. Two
small bones have
been found in New
Zealand.
Marine Reptiles -
Mosasaurs, Plesiosaurs
and Icthyosaurs
Mosasaurs were giant
marine lizards similar to
Komodo dragons. At least
five species were known in New
Zealand. Mosasaurs were predators
that grew as long as 12 metres.
Plesiosaurs were predators with small heads,
sharp teeth and limbs which were paddle-shaped.
Some grew to 13metres long. Elasmosaurs were
long-necked forms, while Pliosaurs were shortnecked
forms. The plesiosaur fossil on display
was removed recently from the Kaikoura region.
Icthyosaurs were fast-swimming marine predators
like dolphins (although dolphins are mammals).
They probably fed on squid-like belemnites.

CURRICULUM LINKS AND
PRE AND POST-VISIT ACTIVITIES
This section is divided into the learning levels.
Curriculum links are made but may not be all
inclusive.
The suggested pre-visit learning activities will provide
opportunities to gain the minimum knowledge
required by students before visiting the Museum.
These are sample indicators of the type of activity
that may be carried out.
Post-visit learning activities are also suggested,
although some of these may also be used as previsit
material. These are sample indicators of the
type of activity that may be carried out.
Teachers may wish to select material from different
levels, according to the ability of their students.
CURRICULUM LINKS LEVEL 1
Science in the New Zealand Curriculum Level 1
Making Sense of Planet Earth and Beyond
Students can:
1/ 4 share their ideas about some easily
observable features and patterns that occur in
their physical environment and how some of these
features may be protected, e.g. hills, beaches,
cliffs
2 suggest ways that their immediate physical
environment was different in the past e.g. land
use
Making Sense of the Material World
Students can:
2 clarify and communicate their own ideas
on appropriate choices of materials for familiar
activities based on simple, easily observable
properties
CURRICULUM LINKS LEVEL 2
Science in the New Zealand Curriculum Level 2
Making Sense of Planet Earth and Beyond
Students can:
1/ 4 investigate easily observable features
and patterns and consider how the features are
affected by people e.g. local landscapes, rocks,
soils
2 understand that Earth is very old and
that animals and plants in past times were very
different
18
Making Sense of the Material World
Students can:
1 group familiar objects, using observable
physical properties
CURRICULUM LINKS LEVEL 3
Science in the New Zealand Curriculum Level 3
Making Sense of Planet Earth and Beyond
Students can:
2 gather and present information about the
origins and history of major natural features of
the local landscapes, e g volcanic cones
Making Sense of the Material World
Students can:
2 investigate and describe how the physical
properties of materials are related to their
use
CURRICULUM LINKS LEVEL 4
Science in the New Zealand Curriculum Level 4
Making Sense of Planet Earth and Beyond
Students can:
2 collect and use evidence from landforms,
rocks, fossils, and library research to describe the
geological history of the local area
Making Sense of the Material World
Students can:
3 investigate and explain how use of
everyday materials are related to their physical
and simple chemical properties
CURRICULUM LINKS LEVEL 5
Science in the New Zealand Curriculum Level 5
Making Sense of Planet Earth and Beyond
Students can:
1/ 2 investigate and describe processes which
change the Earth's surface over time at local and
global levels e.g. earthquakes, volcanoes, continental
drift, plate tectonics
CURRICULUM LINKS LEVEL 6
Science in the New Zealand Curriculum Level 6
Making Sense of Planet Earth and Beyond
Students can:
1/ 2 (a) investigate and classify some common
minerals and rocks according to their easily
observed properties and relate to their common
use e.g. calcite, feldspar, quartz, road aggregates,
use in industry
Auckland Museum
Curriculum
Links

Pre and Postvisit
Activities
(b) investigate how the three major types of rocks
are formed (igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary)
and describe how rock sequences provide evidence
for past events through geological time
CURRICULUM LINKS LEVEL 7
Science in the New Zealand Curriculum Level 7
Making Sense of Planet Earth and Beyond
Students can:
1/ 2 (a) use a range of techniques to infer
what events may have shaped local and national
landform features e.g. volcano formation, uplifting,
faulting, fossils
PRE-VISIT LEARNING ACTIVITIES
LEVELS 1 AND 2
Focus Questions
· What land shapes can I see where I live?
· Has the land always looked like this?
· What is in the ground under my feet?
· What do I notice about this rock? (descriptive
words)
· What is a dinosaur?
· What is a fossil?
· How do fossils begin?
Possible Learning Activities
1. Volcanoes
· Brainstorm what students want to know about
volcanoes.
· Ask students to draw a volcano or model one in
wet sand. Collect and chart their ideas about volcanoes,
lava etc.
· Read a story about a volcano e.g. a myth of
Rangitoto (refer activity sheets).
· Visit a local volcano, walk in the crater, try and
find rocks that might have come from the volcano.
2. Rocks
· Begin a rock collection. Walk around the school
to find some, then encourage children to bring
some rocks from around where they live. Look at
these rocks with magnifying glasses.
· Make a list of words which could describe rocks
e.g. hard, rough, bumpy, smooth, sparkling etc.
· Try sorting the rocks into groups which fit the
word list.
3. Dinosaurs and Fossils
· Brainstorm how they know whether something is
living. Look for words like: moving, growing, eating,
having babies, breathing.
Auckland Museum 19
CURRICULUM LINKS LEVEL 8
Science in the New Zealand Curriculum Level 8
Making Sense of Planet Earth and Beyond
Students can:
2 investigate and describe the sequence
and characteristics of major events in the earth's
geological past.
· Carry out a post box activity to identify what
students know about fossils and rocks. Record and
use to evaluate what has been learnt at the end
of the topic.
· Group things by playing 'Animal, Plant (vegetable),
Never Alive (mineral).
· Bury some things in a sandpit e.g spades, buckets,
shells, insects, leaves, rocks and stage a 'fossil
hunt'. Key idea: fossils were once living things.
· Make a collection of animal bones, leaf skeletons,
insect exo-skeletons and shells.
· Collect children's ideas about how old fossils are.
Discuss what they have found buried at beaches
etc, how long they have been buried, which parts
would last longest.
· Brainstorm ideas about dinosaurs: what they
looked like, when and where they lived, what they
ate, are there any around now, names of some.
· Make a collage of dinosaur pictures or children
draw their own.
· Make a model of a dinosaur using wire netting
covered with plaster, then layers of paper which
is then painted.
· Make several fossil or dinosaur jigsaw puzzles
for children to use in class, later play the fossilhunter
game by burying the puzzle pieces in a
sandpit.
POST-VISIT LEARNING ACTIVITIES
LEVELS 1 AND 2
1. Volcanoes
· Sit on the front steps of the Museum or on top of
another volcano and try and identify all the volcanoes
they can see. Draw one of them, walk
around the one they are on and use words like
crater, scoria cone, ash etc . Also look for evidence
that people have used the volcano.
· Try making a flip book of a volcano erupting (at

least 10 pages).
· Use volcano visit information and any other
ideas to construct a diagram of what has happened
to an Auckland volcano. Start with the
eruption. Discuss what happens next and continue
to include how Maori and Pakeha may have
changed the volcano.
· Collect newspaper and magazine pictures of
volcanoes around the world. Try and find one
that has been active recently.
2. Rocks
· Use rocks collected and additional volcanic rocks
to group and classify. Divisions may include:
heavy/light, rough/smooth, dark/light etc extend
by including whether they came from a volcano.
Rocks that come from a volcano have holes in
them e.g. scoria and pumice, or else have large
crystals e.g. granite. Play a 'guess my rock group'
game.
· Try some heating and cooling activities. List children's
ideas of what happens to things when they
get heated. Watch a candle melt, boil some
water, look at an element in a heater. Record
before and after ideas pictorially. Make jelly or
toffee. Predict what will happen when the mixture
cools. Children suggest and try different
ways of cooling e.g. on a bench, in a fridge, in
water. Record results. Try changing different
aspects e.g. the size of the container. Does it
affect the cooling? Link the ideas to lava cooling
and rock forming.
· Children could choose a rock that they really
like. Try and give them the correct name for it.
Children could then decide a way that they could
use the rock e.g. for jewellery, building etc, based
on some of its observable properties.
3. Dinosaurs and Fossils
· Borrow fossil samples or use photographs to
group and classify as animal or plant. Include
recent leaves and shells. Animal fossils could be
grouped further into those with wings, sharp teeth
etc.
· Make fossils. Select a shell or bone. Cover in
vaseline and press into plasticine or clay. Remove
the shell and fill the imprint with wet Plaster of
Paris mix. When set hard, remove the plaster fossil
from the plasticine mould.
· Use the skeleton collection from the pre-visit
activities to construct a ‘who passed here’ game.
Children match pictures or real objects with the
20
skeletons. The game could be extended by using
footprints, insect marks on leaves, droppings etc
· Compare dinosaurs with some familiar animals
today e.g. body form, teeth, skeletons, lifestyle.
Identify them as reptiles and look for examples of
reptiles around now. Show in a poster form.
· Make a display of what we know about
dinosaurs.
PRE-VISIT LEARNING ACTIVITIES
LEVEL 3 AND 4
Focus Questions
· Where are Auckland's volcanoes and how were
they made?
· Has the land always looked like this?
· What rock is this?
· What do I notice about this rock?
· How could I use this rock?
· What is a dinosaur?
· What is a fossil and how are they made?
· What things lived in New Zealand a long time
ago?
Possible Learning Activities
1. Volcanoes
· Carry out a post box activity to a) identify what
students want to know about volcanoes and b)
what they actually know. One question could ask
'what do I want to know?', and 4 questions could
be about volcanoes.
· Read a legend or story about a volcano e.g. a
myth of Rangitoto (refer activity sheets).
· Visit a local volcano. Identify the cone, crater,
any volcanic rocks, ash layers, lava etc Try and
identify other volcanoes. Are they the same
shape? Try and identify evidence indicating
human use of the volcano.
2. Rocks
· Begin a rock collection. Try and include rocks
which are igneous (volcanic). These might have
holes e.g. pumice and scoria, or have large crystals
e.g. granite. Also include some sedimentary
rocks (soft) e.g. sandstone, mudstone. Students
contribute to the collection with rocks they find.
· Make your own sandstone using half sand and
Plaster of Paris in water. Later experiment with
grinding other rocks against both real sandstone
and artificial sandstone. Compare hardness and
abrasiveness.
· Make a list of words which could describe these
rocks then try sorting the rocks into groups which
Auckland Museum
Pre and Postvisit
Activities

Pre and Postvisit
Activities
fit the word list. Extend by grouping according to
whether they might have come from a volcano or
are soft rocks.
· Take a walk around your neighbourhood and try
and identify ways in which volcanic rocks have
been used e.g. walls, paving.
· Brainstorm who could be used as an expert by
the class e.g. Maori historians, geologists.
3. Dinosaurs and Fossils
· Brainstorm how they know whether something is
living. Look for words like: moving, growing, eating,
having babies, breathing.
· Group things by playing 'Animal, Plant (vegetable),
Never Alive (mineral). Identify which of
these could become a fossil.
· Make several different fossil rocks using Plaster
of Paris mixed with a number of items e.g. bones,
shell, leaves, twigs. Children break open the fossil
rock to discover the fossils. They can make up
their own stories about how the thing became a
fossil.
· Look at a number of sedimentary rocks. Identify
some of the properties of this rock. Discuss how
the rocks are formed and why it is that fossils are
sometimes found in sedimentary rocks.
· Brainstorm ideas about dinosaurs: what they
looked like, when and where they lived, what they
ate, are there any around now, names of some.
· Children select one type of dinosaur to research,
including factors like: what it was called, when it
lived, what it ate, what it looked like, any interesting
behaviours. Work can be developed as a
book, model, video, game etc. Each child presents
their work to the class in a short speech.
· Make a model of a dinosaur using wire netting
covered with plaster, then layers of paper which
are then painted.
POST-VISIT LEARNING ACTIVITIES
LEVEL 3 AND 4
1. Volcanoes
· Use volcano visit information and any other
ideas to construct a diagram or model of what
has happened to an Auckland volcano. Start with
the eruption. Discuss what happens next and continue
to include how Maori and Pakeha may have
changed the volcano.
· Try making a flip book of a volcano erupting (at
least 10 pages).
· Write a magazine article about a volcanic eruption,
including scientific information, pictures and
Auckland Museum 21
stories of individuals involved.
· Use Rangitoto or Auckland volcanic legends to
create your own legend about a specific volcano.
· Research volcano types in Auckland e.g. scoria
cones caused by fire-fountaining, tuff rings caused
by explosive eruptions, or shield volcanoes and
lava flows. As a class construct a model of
Auckland's volcanic field identifying the volcano
shapes, lava flows and relative sizes.
· Carry out a fieldtrip of Meola Reef or some
other area which demonstrates a volcanic formation
other than a scoria cone. What plants are
now growing? How has the land been used?
· Debate what should be done with Auckland's
volcanoes e.g. should they be quarried, made into
parks, tourist attractions etc. Find out what the
plans for your local volcano is from the City
Council.
· After research on Rangitoto, write a diary spanning
a week in the life of a village dweller on
Motutapu island.
· Research New Zealand's spectacular volcanic
events e.g. Tarawera, Mt Taranaki, Taupo, White
Island or recently Ruapehu.
2. Rocks
· Use rocks collected and additional volcanic rocks
to group and classify. Highlight the features of
volcanic (igneous) rocks e.g the holes in scoria,
pumice, basalt, the large crystals in granite, the
anomaly of obsidian. Identify the soft sedimentary
rocks which sometimes hold fossils.
· Try some heating and cooling activities. Make
hokey pokey rocks. Investigate how the rate of
cooling affects the final 'rock', e.g. cooling in a
fridge quickly, or cooling slowly on a bench.
Encourage students to repeat the experiment this
time changing one other aspect. Compare to the
textures of scoria and basalt, or pumice and
obsidian.
· Design experiments to test the best rocks for
specific uses e.g. a hangi stone (use hot water), a
piece of jewellery, an old Maori scraping tool or
fishing net float, a chopping tool.
· Grow a copper sulphate crystal. What happens
to crystal size if it is cooled quickly or slowly?
· Write a legend about a specific type of rock
e.g. pounamu, obsidian.
· Date rock layers using a picture or by visiting a
local road cutting or river bed. Alternatively construct
own rock layers using different coloured jellies.
Try to show what might happen in an earth-

quake. Write a story about each layer, reflecting
how that piece of land has been used and
changed over time.
· Design a 'Wanted - Rock Identification' Poster
linking rock properties to a picture and poem.
(refer activity sheets).
3. Dinosaurs and Fossils
· Design a dinosaur board or card game e.g.
match things to do with specific dinosaurs to a
name and picture card, or a game which maps
the extinction of dinosaurs.
· Make a 'what happened here?' mystery poster
using footprints or other clues to provide evidence
of events involving a dinosaur with something else.
· Children work in pairs to make set of dinosaur
footprints using plaster casts. Details in the cast
include skin texture, number of claws, size, whether
the dinosaur was walking or running, stood on two
or four legs. Student pairs then swap with another
pair to guess facts about the creature from the
prints.
· Make fossils. Select a shell or bone. Cover in
vaseline and press into plasticine or clay. Remove
the shell and fill the imprint with wet Plaster of
Paris mix. When set hard, remove the plaster fossil
from the plasticine mould.
· Research other forms of fossilisation.
· Research some of New Zealand's palaentologists
e.g. Joan Wiffen, Alexander McKay, Julius von
Haast (refer activity sheets).
· Make a mobile of some of New Zealand's
dinosaurs or other extinct giant reptile and fossils.
· Design your own dinosaur (refer activity sheets).
PRE-VISIT LEARNING ACTIVITIES
LEVEL 5 AND 6
Focus Questions
· What type of rock is that?
· What is the rock cycle and how are rocks made?
· What's in a rock? (minerals)
· How could I use that rock?
· How is a volcano formed?
· What causes earthquakes?
· What was Gondwanaland and where does New
Zealand fit in?
· What is plate tectonics and continental drift?
Possible Learning Activities
1. Rocks
· Make a rock collection and carry out an identification
activity, grouping into each of the three
22
rock types. Design a key to help intermediateage
students use the activity.
· Students select one rock and devise a 'what am
I?' game involving 3 questions which identify the
rock type and some properties of it. The answer
should be hidden on it somewhere.
· Investigate the physical properties of these rocks.
Students design own investigation to selects rocks
for specific jobs, e.g. for use as chopping or
scraping tools, as jewellery, for building, for heating
purposes etc.
· Investigate the rate of cooling on crystal growth
and relate this to igneous rocks, e.g. granite and
specifically pumice and obsidian. Copper sulphate
crystals can be grown, or hokey pokey can
be made.
· Make your own sandstone using half sand and
Plaster of Paris in water. Later experiment with
grinding other rocks against both real sandstone
and artificial sandstone. Compare hardness and
abrasiveness.
2. Volcanoes, Earthquakes, Continental Drift and
Plate Tectonics
· Carry out a post box activity to a) identify what
students want to know about volcanoes and earthquakes
and b) what they actually know. One
question could identify 'what do I want to know?'
3 questions could be about volcanoes and 3
about earthquakes.
· Ask students to draw a volcano or make a
model. Then provide key words with definitions
such as magma, dykes and sills, vents. Add into
diagram. Supporting activity sheet available.
· Visit a local volcano. Identify the cone, crater,
any volcanic rocks, ash layers, lava etc. Try and
identify other volcanoes. Are they the same
shape? Try and identify evidence indicating
human use of the volcano.
· Read a legend about a volcano e.g a myth of
Rangitoto (refer activity sheets).
· Construct models or mobiles of the earth's structure
which can be hung from the ceiling of the lab.
Concentric circles demonstrate the principle well.
· Examine a picture of the Ring of Fire. Identify
why this is an area of volcanic activity and of
earthquakes and name the plates that New
Zealand is situated over.
3. Gondwanaland
· Make a large jigsaw puzzle which shows how
several countries were once part of the landmass
Auckland Museum
Pre and Postvisit
Activities

Pre and Postvisit
Activities
called Gondwana. Pull the pieces apart to illustrate
relative positions of the countries today.
· Make fossils e.g. Glossepteris, and describe how
they provide evidence that New Zealand was
part of Gondwana.
POST-VISIT LEARNING ACTIVITIES
LEVEL 5 AND 6
1. Rocks
· Refer to the rock collection again, this time trying
to name individual rocks as well as classifying
them.
· Design a rock identification game which could be
used by primary school students.
· Construct a model or diagram which describes
the rock cycle. Terms such as sedimentary, metamorphic,
igneous volcanic, igneous plutonic should
be featured as should volcanoes, and areas of
water. Try also to include subduction zones to
show how volcanoes or earthquakes may be started.
· Make a piece of jewellery or a tool out of a
piece of rock, selecting for and identifying the
relevant qualities. Don't forget safety issues!
· Construct a geological map of part or all of
New Zealand showing sites of specific rocks
· Design an experiment to demonstrate how sedimentary
rocks are made.
· Make a flipchart showing the stages in fossil formation.
2. Volcanoes, Earthquakes, Continental Drift and
Plate Tectonics
· Study a geological map of New Zealand.
Identify areas where igneous rocks are found.
(Geological maps of Auckland and New Zealand
provided in teacher background). Identify the
Alpine Fault if possible. Find the most ancient
rocks. How has the Alpine Fault worked to shift
the two groups of ancient rocks?
· Construct a 3D model demonstrating an aspect
of plate tectonics / continental drift or earthquakes
e.g. New Zealand's placement , the Alpine
Fault, what a subduction zone is, making your own
seismograph.
· Design an experiment to demonstrate how convection
currents play a role in continental drift.
· Make a strata poster that shows the following
things: rock layers dated oldest to youngest, and
either an example of folding or faulting (refer
activity sheets).
· Use volcano visit information and any other
ideas to construct a diagram or model of what
Auckland Museum 23
has happened to an Auckland volcano. Start with
the eruption. Discuss what happens next and continue
to include how Maori and Pakeha may have
changed the volcano.
· Debate what should be done with Auckland's
volcanoes e.g. should they be quarried, made into
parks, tourist attractions etc. Find out what the
plans for your local volcano is from the City
Council.
· Produce a flipchart showing the stages in the life
of an Auckland volcano.
3. Gondwanaland
· Research a New Zealand palaeontologist such
as Joan Wiffen.
· Construct a mobile featuring animals and plants
(today and in the past) which provide evidence
that New Zealand was once part of Gondwana.
· Write a book for primary school students which
outlines how we know New Zealand was once
part of Gondwana.
· Design a game which demonstrates aspects of
New Zealand's geological history and highlights
effects on some species.
· Construct a timeline showing key stages in earth's
geological and biological history and including
relevant points for New Zealand e.g. breakaway
from Gondwana. Include details about evolution
of reptiles (dinosaurs), mammals, birds e.g. moa,
impact of ice ages, humans etc. A sample timeline
is provided in teacher background.
PRE-VISIT LEARNING ACTIVITIES
LEVEL 7 AND 8
Focus Questions
· How is a volcano formed?
· What causes earthquakes, and what are faults?
· What is continental drift and plate tectonics?
· What has happened in New Zealand's geological
past?
· What is Gondwanaland and where does New
Zealand fit in?
· What does a geological map show?
Possible Learning Activities
· Visit a local road cutting, Waitemata formations
in cliffs around Auckland's beaches, or river banks.
Identify layers, oldest to youngest. Look for evidence
that the layers have shifted e.g. folded.
· Examine a geological map of New Zealand.
Identify areas which are volcanic, identify what
rock types are common around your school and
district if possible.

· Design an experiment to investigate how crystal
size is affected by the rate of cooling. Relate this
to igneous rocks and mount a display of igneous
rocks showing crystal sizes.
· Research what the Ring of Fire is and why it is
such a volatile area.
· Design a book for a primary-aged child that
highlights the stages in the life of an Auckland
volcano. Start with the eruption. Discuss what
happens next and continue to include how Maori
and Pakeha may have changed the volcano.
· Visit a local volcano with an archaeologist and/
or a geologist.
· Write a myth about a local volcano or to
explain some other geological event.
POST-VISIT LEARNING ACTIVITIES
LEVEL 7 AND 8
· Debate what should be done with Auckland's
volcanoes e.g. should they be quarried, made into
parks, tourist attractions etc. Find out what the
plans for your local volcano is from the City
Council.
· Design a 'Rocks of Auckland' display suitable for
use in Weird &Wonderful Discovery Centre.
· Produce a video about ‘Auckland's Next
Eruption'.
24
· Make a flipchart demonstrating stages in the life
of an Auckland volcano.
· Construct a 3D model demonstrating an aspect
of plate tectonics / continental drift or earthquakes
e.g. New Zealand's placement , the Alpine
Fault, what a subduction zone is, making your own
seismograph.
· Construct a geological map of part or all of
New Zealand showing sites of specific rocks.
· Study a range of aerial photographs, identifying
relevant geological features.
· Write a tourist-style pamphlet about the geological
history of a specific area.
· Design an experiment to demonstrate how convection
currents play a role in continental drift.
· Construct a timeline showing key stages in earth's
geological and biological history and including
relevant points for New Zealand e.g. breakaway
from Gondwana. Include details about evolution
of reptiles (dinosaurs), mammals, birds e.g. moa,
impact of ice ages, humans etc. A sample timeline
is provided in teacher background.
· Invite an expert in climate change or New
Zealand's geological past to speak to your class.
Students then prepare an article suitable for New
Zealand Geographic on New Zealand's changing
shape, life since our split from Gondwana etc.
Auckland Museum
Pre and Postvisit
Activities

Activity
Sheet
ACTIVITY SHEET
BE A ROCK DETECTIVE
Choose your favourite rock and research carefully how it was created, where you would be likely to find
it and how it might be used by people.
Feel it and study it to really get to know the textures and colours.
Make a "WANTED" poster to hang on the wall. The rest of the class can try to match the 'guilty' rock with
your description. You can work alone or in groups.
Start off with a big heading, for example:
Wanted:
Oscar Obsidian
Oscar Obsidian is a sharp guy.
He can cut through most things.
He is hard to see in the dark.
Once he was really hot stuff.
But now he is a real cool dude.
Auckland Museum 25
Select a snappy name.
Begin with the same letter as the rock.
Describe some of the rock's properties.
Is it used in a special way? (shape/weight).
Describe something of the colour or texture.
Hint at the way the rock was created.
What is the rock like now? Compare it to someone's
personality. Add things about where this stone is likely
to be found, whether or not it is rare/precious/highly
valuable etc.
Picture of the wanted stone wearing the clothes you
think would suit its description.

ACTIVITY SHEET
CITY OF VOLCANOES
A Maori Legend Of The Auckland Isthmus
The name Pakuranga, or more correctly "Pakuranga rahihi" (battle of the sun rays), is derived from the legend
concerning a battle between the turehu (pale, fairy) of Waitakere and those of the Hunua. Hinemairangi,
a chieftainess of Hunua, had eloped with Tamaireia, whose home was Hikurangi south of Piha within the tribal
boundaries of the Kawerau a Maki people. Kowiriki, chief of the Hunua turehu, demanded her return which
was refused, so he led a taua or war party against Tamaireia and his people. A great battle took place near
Huirangi (Pigeon Mountain) but neither side could gain advantage until the tohunga of Hunua caused the sun
to rise prematurely. Over the rim of the hills rose Tamanui te Ra, the sun, his red hot fiery rays catching the
Waitakere people unexpectedly and many of them perished. Kowiriki moved on towards the Waitakere
ranges, but the tohunga of Hikurangi, seeing the war party advancing, caused the volcanoes to burst out all
around them and they were enveloped and killed in the ash and buried in the molten lava that flowed over the
country from the roaring vents. Fiery balls of hot rock shot forth and set the forests on fire, so that the people
of Hunua were driven to the deep areas of that range. Meanwhile the tohunga of Hikurangi watched
with satisfaction the results of their incantations, but with a change of wind, the wild fire began to approach
their own forest. They then caused heavy rain to fall and quench the flames. The whole Tamaki isthmus
became cratered by a succession of volcanoes and the forests over the plain were burnt; evidence of this disruption
remains today.
Rangitoto
Motutapu was named in the memory of a sacred island at Hawaiki. It is also said that Rangitoto was originally
called Te Rangitotongia a Tamatekapua, the day Tamatekapua's ( the captain of the Te Arawa canoe)
blood flowed, because he cut himself on the sharp rocks. Some of the rocks are still stained red.
Other versions of Rangitoto's naming come from Ngati Tai and Kawerau tribes.
Ngati Tai Legend of Rangitoto
Ohomatakamokamo lived in a mountain that once stood on low land now occupied by Lake Pupuke. One day
he asked his wife Matakerepo and her maid to cut flax and make him some new clothing. However, he did
not like the finished product and quarreled bitterly with his wife. In the argument they cursed the fire goddess
Mahuika. Their fire went out and could not be relit. Furious that she had been cursed, Mahuika asked the
parent god Mataoho to send a volcanic eruption to punish the quarrelsome couple. Their mountain home was
destroyed and sank down leaving in its place Lake Pupuke which which means 'overflowing sea'.
Ohomatakamokamo, Matakerepo and the maid Tukiata quickly fled but were thrown underground by violent
eruptions, the remains of which are the craters at Awataha, near Northcote. As their mountain home sank,
Rangitoto emerged from the sea nearby. Mataoho then placed three peaks on Rangitoto so that the troublemakers,
exiled underground, might emerge and look across at the site of Pupuke. When those peaks are covered
by cloud or rain, it is said that those three weep for their former home.
Kawerau a Maki Legend Of Rangitoto
Tiriwa was an early turehu ancestor of the Kawerau a Maki people of Waitakere. Using appropriate
karakia, or rituals, Tiriwa lifted Rangitoto (which had formed near Karekare) onto his shoulders and in several
large strides carried the mountain eastwards over the Waitakere ranges and out into the Waitemata. But as
the cold water rose to his loins, he gasped and dropped Rangitoto in the position in which it is found today.
While other iwi have their own traditions which explain the origins of Rangitoto, this is the explanation handed
down by the Kawerau people not only for the origin of Rangitoto but also for the existence of the chasm
(Mercer Bay) known as 'Te Unuhanga o Rangitoto' or 'The drawing out of Rangitoto'.
26
Auckland Museum
Activity
Sheet

Activity
Sheet
ACTIVITY SHEET
PARTS OF A VOLCANO
Volcano worksheet L1-3, L4-8
For L1-3:
Label the following:
- water
- lava (very hot melted rock)
- rock made by a volcano
(may have small gas holes)
- rock from sand
(made from broken down
rocks)
- molten magma
(ready to erupt out)
For L 4-8:
Auckland Museum 27
Label the following:
- sinking sediment (including shells)
- sedimentary rock (deeply buried
may become metamorphic rock)
- lava (fluidity depends on temperature)
- plutonic rock (cools slowly creating large
crystals, no gas)
- sill and dyke (intruded magma creates
rock)
- ash, pulverized lava (may contain
chunks; creates air traffic hazard; toxic
gas killer)

ACTIVITY SHEET
PALAEONTOLOGISTS
Scientists who specialize in uncovering the earth's past through studying fossils and rock layers are called
palaeontologists. Some go to university, while others have their interest sparked at an early age. One
such person was an 11 year old English girl, Mary Anning, who discovered an Ichthyosaur fossil, a large
sea-living creature, in 1810. As you can imagine her interest became a passion and she made many more
discoveries. She is commemorated in a church stained glass window.
New Zealand has many famous palaeontologists, people such as: Joan Wiffen, James Allen Thompson,
Alexander McKay, Sir Charles Fleming and Julius von Haast. Research one of these, or call your local university
or museum to find out about one of the palaeontologists there.
Set out your information as below or use your own headings (Do not use this sheet, but make your own).
Picture or photograph.
Name of the scientist.
Born? Family? Anyone else
famous in family?
How they became a palaeontologist.
Picture or photograph.
One famous discovery.
Include the how, when where
and who was involved.
Sketch or copy image. Tools of a palaeontologist.
Describe the materials and the
methods used to get the fossils
out.
28
Auckland Museum
Activity
Sheet

Activity
Sheet
ACTIVITY SHEET
DESIGN YOUR OWN DINOSAUR
Most dinosaurs are named by using Latin and Greek words describing special things about the creature.
For example a dinosaur discovered in the Antarctic in 1991 had Cryo- (meaning icy-cold) attached to its
name, Cryo-lopho-saurus means cold crested lizard and it is on display at the Auckland Museum.
Usually Saur or Saurus is added to the end to indicate its ancient lizard-like skeleton.
Your Task:
You have just discovered a totally new dinosaur. From the prefixes (word-beginnings) and suffixes (word
endings) below you can choose a good descriptive name for your discovery and in the box draw a
detailed sketch showing your new type of dinosaur.
Prefixes
A- without
Lepto- weak
Di- two
Auri- ear
Derma- skin
Alti- high
Dino- terrible
Coelo- hollow
Pachy- thick
Diplo- double
Odon- tooth
Rhino- nose
Tetra- four
Necto- swimming
Name of the dinosaur:________________________ Discovered by:________________________
Date:_________ Discovered in:________________________
This discovery was named _______________________________________________ because of its
________________________________________________________________________________.
It lived in (habitat)_________________________________________________________________.
It ate ________________________________________ as you can tell by the shape of its teeth and
body. It defended itself by__________________________________________________________.
It laid eggs in _____________________________________________________. Young dinosaurs
were____________________________________________________________________________.
Auckland Museum 29
Suffixes
saurus- lizard
mimus- imitate
pteryx- wing
raptor- thief
spinax- thorn
ichthys- fish
saur or saurus can be put at the
very end.e.g. Di-pteryx-saurus
(two winged lizard).

ACTIVITY SHEET
FOSSIL DIGGING
In your fossil dig you have discovered many pieces of a large creature. Once you have dug all the pieces
up you will need to fit them together so you can see what sort of a creature you have found. Sometimes
you might have some other bones mixed with your discovery, so be careful.
You could try to find out what the countryside this creature lived in was like and paint a background for it.
For the teacher (cover this when photocopying for students).
Skeleton of Camarasaurus. Skull and flipper from an icthyosaur.
30
Auckland Museum
Activity
Sheet

Activity
Sheet
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
ACTIVITY SHEET
ROCK STRATA
Look at this diagram of a cliff face. These are layers of sediment deposited by water. The faster the
water, the larger the particle size deposited, the slower the water, the finer the particle deposited.
Conglomerate
Limestone
Mudstone
Greywacke
Lava flow
· Which is the oldest layer?______________________________________________________
· Which is the youngest layer?____________________________________________________
· What evidence could be used to date layer numbers 2 and 3?
· Why are fossils sometimes found in sedimentary rocks?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
· Sedimentary layers are deposited by water.
What events might have happened when layer 3 was deposited?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
· Write what you think happened as each layer was deposited. Start at layer 7.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Auckland Museum 31
Soil
Sandstone

ACTIVITY SHEET
GEOLOGICAL MAPS
Examine the geological map of New Zealand.
Young alluvium, moraine, dunes
Young sedimentary rocks
Old sedimentary rocks
Young volcanic rocks
Old volcanic and intrusive rocks
Metamorphic rocks
Granite rocks
· What rock is most common in both of the islands?___________________________________
· What areas of New Zealand exhibit volcanic activity?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
· Find the old volcanic and intrusive rocks. Where are they found?________________________
· Why might the only area of metamorphic rocks in New Zealand be close to the Alpine Fault?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
· Find the alpine fault. If you were to cut the map along this line and slide Nelson down beside
Fiordland (as New Zealand looked millions of years ago), what do you notice about the rock types?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
· The Nelson area is still sliding slowly northwards along the Alpine Fault. How might the South Island
look in the distant future?
32
Auckland Museum
Activity
Sheet

Activity
Sheet
ACTIVITY SHEET
PLOTTING VOLCANIC DATA (PAGE 1)
Plot the data about deep and shallow earthquakes and volcanoes on the map of the Pacific Ocean. Select
different symbols for the two types of earthquakes and volcanoes.
· What do you notice when all the data has been recorded?
· What is this region of the world named because of this phenomenon?
· Where else would you expect earthquakes to occur in this region?
· Compare your map with another completed map from a textbook or from computer sources. Find the
scientific explanation for the occurrence of the shallow and the deep earthquakes. You could write an
explanatory caption for your map.
Deep Earthquakes.
Below 100-700km. Scarcely
noticed on the surface.
Kamchatka Peninsula
Alaskan Peninsula
Mexico
Peru, Andes Mtns
Chile, Andes Mnts
Northern Japan
Sumatra
Java
Philippines
N. Coast New Guinea
Vanuatu
Samoa
North Island N.Z
South Island N.Z.
Auckland Museum 33
Shallow Earthquakes. Within the
top 20km of the crust. Much damage
and death.
(dates over the last 200 years)
San Francisco 1906, 1990
Tokyo 1923, 1948,
Kobe 1995
Chile 1906, 1939, 1960
Peru 1868, 1970
Nicaragua 1972
Ecuador, 1868, 1949
Philippines 1976
Venezuela 1875
Columbia 1875
Guatemala 1976
New Guinea 1976
New Zealand, Wellington 1855
New Zealand, Napier 1931
New Zealand, Inangahua1968
New Zealand, Edgecumbe 1987
Alaska, Kodiak Island 1964
Volcanoes
Mt. Aconcagua, Argentina
Mt. Minchinmavida, Chile
Mt. Cotopaxi, Ecuador
Mt. Koryakskaya Sopka,
Kamchatka Peninsula
Mt. Redoubt, Alaska
Mt. Popocatepetl, Mexico
Mt. St. Helens, Washington State
Mt. Asahi, Japan
Mt. Fujiyama, Japan
Mt.Apo, Philippines
Mt. Merapi, Java
Mt. Jaya, New Guinea
Mt. Silisili, Samoa
Rabaul Caldera, New Britain
White Island, New Zealand
A teacher reference of deep and shallow earthquakes can be found in the Auckland Museum book Volcanoes and
Giants. Contact the Auckland Museum for further information.

ACTIVITY SHEET
PLOTTING VOLCANIC DATA (PAGE 2)
Key: Deep Shallow Volcanoes
North American Plate
Map Caption:
Pacific Plate
34
Nazca Plate
Australian Plate
South American Plate
Auckland Museum
Activity
Sheet

Activity
Sheet
ACTIVITY SHEET
DOMAIN VOLCANO FIELDTRIP (PAGE 1)
Background
A visit to this area would allow students to get an appreciation for a large explosion type of eruption
which can be compared with other areas. The volcano is 60000 - 150 000 years old, and began life
with a large explosion or series of explosions. The bank surrounding the playing field with the Museum on
one side and the Hospital on the other is a tuff ring made from a mixture of fine scoria, or lapilli and
original basement rock. A small lava flow to the west, outside the tuff ring in the region of the medical
school and a small scoria cone formed by fire fountaining in the centre completed this activity.
The Domain has been altered to some extent by contact with humans. It was an ideal site for Maori habitation
with the flat swampy crater providing eels and plenty of water. Pukekawa means 'hill of bitter
memories' and refers to tribal battles fought here until 1828 between Hongi Hika leading the Ngapuhi
from the North and Potatau Te Wherowhero leading the local Ngati Whatua. A sacred Totara tree planted
by Princess Te Puea Herangi to commemorate the battles and the eventual settlement of the dispute
stands on the scoria mound surrounded by a palisade. Pukekawa was part of the land which Ngati
Whatua sold to the Europeans who by 1860 had drained and filled the swamp and turned it into cricket
fields. A quarry was established at the north end of the scoria mound for a time. The old quarry is now
used as a fernery. No sign of the old vents that formed the scoria mound are left.
Tennis
Domain
Drive
Tuff
ring
Reservoir
beneath hill
Museum
Tuff
ring
Tuff exposure
(on
pathway)
Explosion
crater
(playing
fields)
Auckland Museum 35
Tuff ring
Central
scoria cone
Duck ponds
Explosion
crater
(playing
fields)
Auckland Hospital
Grounds
Tuff ring
Scoria cone
Tuff
ring
Tuff ring
High-ground tuff
Low-ground tuff
Auckland Domain.

ACTIVITY SHEET
DOMAIN VOLCANO FIELDTRIP (PAGE 2)
Crater and scoria cone
Stand on the top of the tuff ring by the museum and walk halfway across the playing fields which are
part of the crater. Sketch what the surrounding shape of the crater is.
Now walk to the side of the scoria cone near the toilets. What colour is the rock?
____________________________________________________________________________
Walk up the scoria cone to its highest point near the palisade surrounding the sacred totara. Walk
around the top until you feel you have looked at all of the crater. Is the scoria mound almost
central?______________________________________________________________________
Sketch what the shape of the crater, scoria cone and tuff ring would look like from the air.
36
Auckland Museum
Activity
Sheet

Activity
Sheet
ACTIVITY SHEET
DOMAIN VOLCANO FIELDTRIP (PAGE 3)
The vent has gone - what may have happened to it?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Two styles of eruption created the shape of the Domain volcano. Which two are they?
Which eruption came first?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Fernery
Visit the Fernery through the back of the Wintergardens. What rock type is present here?
____________________________________________________________________________
Where do you think some of this rock possibly came from?
____________________________________________________________________________
Why do you think cement was used to line the bottom of the Fernery ponds and not the other rocks that
are there?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Duckponds
Cross the road at the kiosk end of the duckponds and walk down the track called Lover's Walk.
Look at the basalt blocks that lie in the stream. Are they natural or were they put there on purpose?
____________________________________________________________________________
Basalt blocks are used to form steps on the path (as well as the edges of many roads in Auckland).
Where do you think the blocks came from and who would have quarried and shaped them? Hint!
These rocks are not from the Domain, but from another volcano close to the Domain.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
As you go down the path, list the methods you can see that are used to stop erosion the stream and the
path.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Auckland Museum 37

ACTIVITY SHEET
DOMAIN VOLCANO FIELDTRIP (PAGE 4)
Tuff deposites
Take the right hand track just before the second bridge over the stream. Just before the track divides
again (the Glade and Lover’s Walk Link), look at the tuff deposits on the right, opposite a big rimu.
What colours make up the tuff deposit?
____________________________________________________________________________
The green colour is not part of the tuff. What could be causing this colour?
____________________________________________________________________________
Is it made up of large boulders?, tiny pebbles?, or a mixture?
____________________________________________________________________________
Can you see any layers? What do you think might cause different layers to form?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Draw the tuff layers to help to illustrate your answers.
38
Auckland Museum
Activity
Sheet

Recorded information (09) 306 7067
Administration (09) 309 0443 Fax (09) 379 9956
AUCKLAND WAR MEMORIAL MUSEUM
The Domain Auckland
Private Bag 92018 Auckland New Zealand
Auckland Museum
Te Papa Whakahiku