Ngakuru Graben

The Ngakuru Graben is an area of tectonic ground subsiding as originally defined between the Ngakuru Fault to the east and the Whirinaki Fault in the west both in the Taupō Fault Belt.[2] It was originally defined in 1959[3] but many other geological terms for local features are no longer in use, and some were misinterpretations. Within this 4.5 km (2.8 mi) wide Ngakuru Graben are also to the west the Maleme Fault (Zone), which as a zone also contains the Mangaete/Lakeside Fault and to the east the Hossack Road Fault and the Te Weta Fault.[2] Some authors have defined a wider 15 km (9.3 mi) wide area so as to include all of the low-lying areas associated with the Taupō Fault Belt immediately south of Rotorua so this includes the more eastern Paeroa and Ngapouri Faults and much of the Kapenga Caldera.[4] Unhappily both definitions as to width seem current in the literature.

Ngakuru Graben
Whirinaki Valley
Ngakuru Graben is located in New Zealand
Ngakuru Graben
Ngakuru Graben
Ngakuru Graben is located in North Island
Ngakuru Graben
Ngakuru Graben
Ngakuru Graben (North Island)
Length19 km (12 mi)approximately
Width(4.5 km (2.8 mi)) 15 km (9.3 mi)Much current work as of 2022 refers to wider width
Geology
Typeintra-rift garben
Age61,000 years
Geography
CountryNew Zealand
State/ProvinceWaikato
Coordinates38°19′05″S 176°12′29″E[1]
RiverTotara Stream, Rehi Stream, Whirinaki Stream, Rotohouhou Stream

The tectonic activity is driven by the ground subsiding at a rate of 3–4 mm/yr since 61,000 years ago with largely orthogonal rifting associated with subduction and the clockwise rotation of the northern North Island allowing the rift to open.[2]

References

  1. NZTopoMap
  2. Loame, Remedy Charlotte (2016). Using a tephrostratigraphic framework to determine the past 40,000 yrs of fault rupture and paleohydrothermal activity on the east strand of the Whirinaki Fault, Ngakuru Graben, central Taupo Volcanic Zone (PDF) (Thesis).
  3. Grindley, G. W., 1959, Geological Map NZ 1:63360,Sheet 8, Waiotapu. DSIR.
  4. Villamor, Pilar; Nairn, Ian; Seebeck, Hannu (2015). "FIELDTRIP 2 EARTHQUAKES AND ERUPTIONS AT OKATAINA VOLCANIC CENTRE" (PDF). Retrieved 30 August 2022.


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