Until about 100 million years ago, New Zealand lay on the Pacific-facing
edge of the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana; the formation of our
sedimentary rocks provides a fascinating view of the tectonic activity
and changes since that time. This volume is the culmination of a
comprehensive survey of New Zealand's Cretaceous-Cenozoic strata, begun
in 1978, and presents an up-to-date synthesis and interpretation of
regional sedimentary information from a variety of sources; the study
has been expanded to include large areas of the continental shelf and
beyond. Extensive references and indexing complete this essential work,
a key resource for students, professional geologists, and enthusiastic
amateurs. Topics covered include: sedimentary basins during the
Cretaceous continental margin break-up; the active tectonics of a
'passive margin'; Late Cenozoic sedimentary basins in a new, evolving
plate boundary; eustatic sea-level change in an active tectonic setting;
and basin scale and facies change on the new and thin continent
Zealandia.