Tasman Glacier Lake,  J.Thomson / GNS Science

New Zealand is an isolated country with a very active plate boundary running right through it. For a relatively small landmass it has an astonishing variety of landscapes and is being continuously subject to dramatic physical occurrences that include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, landslides, rapid erosion and sedimentation.

The geology of New Zealand can be explored in innumerable individual localities that each give individual insights into the geological story, like pieces of a jig saw puzzle.

In order to visit these locations, a non specialist normally has to seek information in widely scattered sources such as specialist papers, local guidebooks, various websites or visitor centres. Many of these are out of print or out of date, and hard to get hold of.

To overcome this issue, GNS Science has created a New Zealand geological locations map that allows interested people (eg members of the public, researchers, teachers and students) to have the information they need to explore our geology first hand.

The content is provided by geoscientists and is aimed to encourage you to go to these localities and make your own observations, just like scientists do.

As well as some geological background, there are images, directions, and some basic safety and accessibility information too. You can search the map using filters to focus on specific topics, rating scales or accessibility.

 So… have a look, explore and plan some trips to become a New Zealand geological investigator!

 www.geotrips.org.nz