“How old is it?” is one of the first questions you’ll probably ask when you see an interesting rock or fossil. It’s certainly one of the first things that a geologist wants to know. As you’ll ...
A look at some of the historical changes in New Zealand’s unique ecosystems. 250 million years ago – One landmass and one huge ocean All landmass on Earth is grouped in one super continent – ...
It’s less than 200 years since people first stepped foot onto Antarctica. Explore this timeline to see some key dates in the early discoveries of this icy continent. Until 1780 – Terra Australis ...
The series of activities described below was designed to help students develop an understanding about earthquakes in New Zealand, including why we get them and how we measure them. The world of ...
In this activity, students take on the roles of seismologists and vulcanologists, using maps to look for patterns in the worldwide distribution of earthquakes and volcanoes. By the end of this ...
In this activity, students take on the roles of seismologists, vulcanologists and geographers, using maps to look for patterns in the worldwide distribution of earthquakes, volcanoes and ...
About 14,000 earthquakes are recorded in and around New Zealand every year. Canterbury’s 7.1 and Kaikōura's 7.8 magnitude earthquakes and subsequent aftershocks show the constant threat ...
Children’s involvement in science is increased when they have an opportunity to make decisions about science-based issues that have consequences for their lives. It’s bringing science into the ...
Why is the sky blue? Why do stars twinkle? Why did the apple fall to the ground? What happens if I hit this rock with another rock? As humans, we’re curious, and throughout history, we’ve ...
This animated video shows the movement of the tectonic plates that make up the Earth’s crust. Starting 600 million years ago, watch continents form and break apart as the plates move. Pangaea the ...
Dr Peter Buchanan and Dr Robert Hoare, scientists at Landcare Research NZ Ltd, talk about New Zealand’s unique ecosystem. They talk about why so many of the species found here aren’t found ...
Professor Richard Price describes the theory of plate tectonics. He talks about the history of the ideas that make up the theory and describes how these ideas relate to volcanology.
Lime, produced by calcining limestone, plays a key role in a multitude of industrial, manufacturing and agricultural processes. This interactive outlines the process steps taken at the McDonald’s ...
Choose the best methods for finding the absolute dates of different rock layers. You will need the Adobe Flash Player to view this.
In this interactive follow a core sample as it makes its journey from the Alpine Fault to microscopic examination.
