Quaternary International
Volume 34-36, 1996, Pages 49-53

Isothermal plateau fission-track ages of tephra beds in an early-middle Pleistocene marine and terrestrial sequence, Cape Kidnappers, New Zealand (Article)

Shane P.* , Alloway B. , Black T. , Westgate J.
  • a Research School of Earth Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand, Department of Geology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. M5S 3B1, Canada, Department of Geology, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
  • b Department of Geology, University of Auckland, Tamaki Campus, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
  • c Research School of Earth Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand, Department of Geology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. M5S 3B1, Canada
  • d Department of Geology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. M5S 3B1, Canada

Abstract

At least nine rhyolitic eruptive events or sequences are interbedded with alternating marine and terrestrial sediments of Early-Middle Pleistocene age at Cape Kidnappers, New Zealand. The sediments represent one of the few high resolution glacio-eustatic sea level records in New Zealand. We have obtained ages of 0.99 ± 0.09, 1.00 ± 0.10, 0.86 ± 0.05, and 0.79 ± 0.06 Ma (in ascending stratigraphic order) for four prominent tephra beds, from isothermal plateau fission track dating of their glass shards. These ages are older than previous fission track determinations, but are in agreement with tephra correlations to other sections, Ar/Ar data, and magnetostratigraphy. However, the upper part of the sequence, previously interpreted as the Brunhes Chron, may have been affected by normal overprinting and is instead older. The tephra record suggests a higher frequency of eruptions than is indicated by the proximal ignimbrite record in the Taupo Volcanic Zone. The new tephra ages indicate that the section was deposited in the interval 1.0-0.65 Ma at a rapid average sedimentation rate of ca. 1 m/ka. Copyright © 1996 INQUA/ Elsevier Science Ltd.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

tephrochronology fission track dating volcanic deposit New Zealand, North Island, Cape Kidnappers Pleistocene
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0030391444&doi=10.1016%2f1040-6182%2895%2900068-2&partnerID=40&md5=cdc5d1103e15885759f46074e78a292c
DOI: 10.1016/1040-6182(95)00068-2
ISSN: 10406182
Cited by: 21
Original Language: English