The Future of New Zealand

New Zealand is a unique country because of its vast amounts of volcanoes, wild climate, and special landscape. Ever since New Zealand was formed it has been a part of the Ring of Fire where the country has had approximately a couple dozen volcanoes, some of which are still active. The country also isn’t any stranger to cyclones or earthquakes. Because of these features, the countries future landscape could change dramatically.

If someone was to imagine what New Zealand’s landscape would look like 10,000 years, 1,000,000 years, or 100,000,000 years from now I would assume that it would look like a whole new country. The country has already been split into two main islands ever since the country broke away from Gondwanaland. Over the past 65 million years the country has been shifting to shape what it currently is today.

Map of volcanoes in New Zealand

I predict that in 10,000 years the country will start to submerge little by little due to the shifting plates of the Alpine Fault and cyclones making the country relatively smaller in size. However with these shifting plates I also believe more volcanoes will form and start to consume New Zealand. If this happens, then the islands climate could change and may not become a safe place to live. Depending on the size of the earthquake, it’s possible for the sea level to drop resulting in more land being exposed.

In 1,000,000 years I predict that the country splits into 3 main islands with a separation by submergence in Auckland. The city is already becoming fragile with only a couple miles of land holding the North Island in place. Due to this separation, I believe the islands will start to drift further apart resulting in the middle island to stay put while the North Island will drift closer towards the equator. When this happens the new North Island will experience a climate change that has the potential to change the behavior of the volcanoes and could also affect global warming.

The is a video showing how New Zealand's Formation has changed in the past

In 100,000,000 years I predict that the country will again split into more islands with the separation of another North Island area right below the city of Whangarei. This area is only about 10 miles wide with two rivers coming together on the east and west sides of the country. At this point I can see the South Island beginning to drift southwest towards Antarctica with the Australian-Indian Plate while the other North Islands drifting northeast towards the equator with the Pacific plate.

I predict these results because the country has had a history of multiple landscape formations due to the high activity of shifting tectonic plates over the past several million years. Also because the country also gets a wild number of cyclones and hurricanes; which have been known to be destructive and can alter a country’s landscape with just one disaster. All it would take is the divergence of the two plates or a submergence cause by a cyclone to make this country break apart into more islands.

http://sciencelearn.org.nz/Contexts/Volcanoes/Sci-Media/Animations-and-Interactives/Volcano-map-of-New-Zealand

http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/natural-environment/page-2

http://www.gns.cri.nz/Home/Learning/Science-Topics/NZ-Geology/NZ-s-Geological-History

New Zealand Cyclones

Map of New Zealand showing the North and South Islands

http://www.freeworldmaps.net/oceania/new-zealand/new-zealand-map-big.jpg

As you can see New Zealand consists of two islands off the coast of Australia. Because the country is surrounded by water and is south of the equator, it is likely to get tropical storms. On average, most areas in New Zealand get between 600-1600 mm of rain each year. In order for a tropical storm/cyclone to occur, the storm would have to have a strong coriolis effect, high sea surface temperature, few changes in wind speed and direction, lots of water vapor, and some convergence as a trigger. As soon as one of these “ingredients” disappears or as soon as the cyclone passes over land, the cyclone will disappear as well. Cyclones are typically formed over warm ocean water, at least 79F through a depth of 60m, thus formatting clouds. And if there is low air pressure where these clouds are formed, then it pulls the clouds in and begins to rotate, picking up speed and turning into a cyclone.

Diagram showing how cyclones are formed

http://c9geonaturalhazards.wikispaces.com/file/view/Picture111.png/153462795/Picture111.png 

Because of the location of New Zealand, the country has a tropical climate that qualifies it to have quite a few tropical storms. In fact, a major cyclone has hit New Zealand this past March 2014, Cyclone Lusi. Although the country prepared for the worst, Cyclone Lusi was not as destructive as it could have been. With only several deaths, flooded streets, broken power lines, a few damaged roofs, heavy rain and heavy wind, the cyclone only managed to moderately destroy parts of the country with a rating of category 3.

This is an image of Cyclone Lusi over New Zealand

http://img.ibtimes.com/www/data/images/full/2014/03/11/441756-an-extratropical-cyclone-is-seen-over-the-united-kingdom-using-moderat.jpg

If you are caught in a cyclone zone in New Zealand, the safest thing you could do is go inland (away from the ocean) and get indoors. However with todays technology, we are able to track storms and predict when and where they are going to hit. This gives people time to gather family and some important belongings and get away from the impact zone.

http://www.em.gov.au/sites/schools/getthefacts/cyclones/pages/default.aspx 

https://www.niwa.co.nz/education-and-training/schools/resources/climate/overview 

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11219244

New Zealand Volcanoes

The White Island Volcano in New Zealand is an active Stratovolcano that is 70% under water.

One of the most interesting volcanoes in New Zealand is the White Island Volcano. This particular volcano has been active for at least 150,000 years; and for the last 40 years it is known as the most active volcano in New Zealand. This volcano is considered a composite cone volcano, because it’s built from multiple eruptions throughout thousands of years forming composite cones out of layers of andesite lava flows and pyroclastic deposits (tephra). “Although andesitic composite cones are built mostly of fragmental debris, some of the magma intrudes fractures within the cones to form dike or sills. In this way, multiple intrusive events build a structural framework of dikes and sills that knits together the voluminous accumulation of volcanic rubble.” (http://volcanology.geol.ucsb.edu/volcano.htm)

Basic illustration of how a Composite Volcano is formed.

 “Andesite magma can generate strong explosive eruptions to form pyroclastic flows and surges and enormous eruption columns”. (http://volcano-pictures.info/glossary/andesite.html) Later, andesite turns into a grey to black volcanic rock.

But what really makes this volcano interesting is that 70% of this Stratovolcano is submerged under the sea. It was formed by the subduction of the Pacific Plate below the Australian Plate. With the help of a few cameras on the island, the country is able to monitor the active volcano and keep an eye out for the occasional ash, gas, and lava bombs. A lava bomb is a mass of molten rock that is ejected from the volcano during eruption.

The gas this volcano produces is actually very bad for human contact because it’s a mix of carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide. When they mix, “the gasses dissolve in the magma escape and rise towards the surface where they mix with, and heat the groundwater beneath the crater floor.” (http://www.gns.cri.nz/Home/Learning/Science-Topics/Volcanoes/New-Zealand-Volcanoes/White-Island) When this happens, a white steam forms above White Island. Otherwise known as an acidic cloud that can sting the eyes and skin and affect your breathing.

In order for you to visit the volcano, they require you to wear a gas mask because of the toxic gas it produces.

http://ebrondoherty.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/wi19.jpg

Creation of New Zealand's Landscape

New Zealand is on the border between both the Australian-Indian Plate and the Pacific plate.  The boundary between them is called the Alpine fault. Since New Zealand is between these two plates, lots of mountains, glaciers, volcanoes, earthquakes, and oceanic trenches are formed depending on when and how the plates shift.

Mountains, such as Aoraki/Mount Cook or Mount Tasman, were created when these two plates converged with each other.

Tectonic Plate Map of New Zealand 

Volcanoes, like Mount Tongariro in New Zealand, result from the divergence (the action of spreading apart) of these two plates. These volcanoes are just a couple of the many volcanoes you can find in New Zealand due to the pacific plate, where most of the worlds most active volcanoes are found due to the ring of fire.

White Island Volcano (above) is one of the most active volcanoes in New Zealand. Which is also the backdrop used in Lord of the Rings

When these plates converge they do not only make New Zealand’s infamous mountains and volcanoes, but also can create spectacular geothermal areas with hot springs and mud pools; these areas are also used for providing electricity.

Because these two plates are right under New Zealand, the island gets frequent, big earthquakes that are caused by the plates shifting side by side; which is known as transformation. However some of the largest earthquakes in the world are subduction earthquakes.

Unlike other parts of the world, New Zealand is special because it sits on this border between the Australian-Indian Plate and the Pacific plate. Thus giving it the geological experience of all three plate boundaries: transformation, diverging, and converging.

The island of New Zealand and all the many little islands you see around it can either be formed from the tectonic plates moving away from each other splitting the land mass, diverging. Or they can be created from oceanic crusts colliding with each other resulting in one plate descending (subducting) beneath another.

http://sciencelearn.org.nz/Contexts/Earthquakes/Science-Ideas-and-Concepts/Plate-tectonics

http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/map/4398/plate-boundary-through-new-zealand

http://www.newzealand.com/us/feature/new-zealand-geography-and-geology/

http://www.earthonlinemedia.com/ebooks/tpe_3e/tectonics_landforms/tectonics_introduction.html

http://www.gns.cri.nz/Home/Learning/Science-Topics/Volcanoes/New-Zealand-Volcanoes/White-Island

Introduction to New Zealand and Me

My name is Holly Kattau, I am a marketing major at CU Denver, and I will be doing my blogs on New Zealand this semester. I chose New Zealand because this spring I will be studying abroad there and thought this wold be a great opportunity to learn about the country. This way I will know what to look for when I get there and what landmarks would be worth visiting during my time abroad. I will be living there for 6 months, so I'll have to do some research on my temporary home one way or another. This way I am knocking two birds out with one stone and will be one of the most educated visitors during my time there! I can not wait to enjoy this experience!

This is a photo of Milford Sound which is SW of the southern island. The Milford Sound was carved by glaciers in the ice ages and has breathtaking views throughout the year.

http://www.aptouring.com/Destinations/new-zealand