Plate tectonics plays a huge role in shaping New Zealand’s landscape. The volcanoes, geysers, hot springs, and mountains are all due to plate tectonics.
New Zealand’s landscape is stunning. You can see beautiful beaches, hike in big mountains, visit glaciers. and ski on a volcano. Tourists from all over the world come to see the marvelous natural wonders of this country in the south pacific ocean. A lot of factors come into play in shaping and creating the natural world of New Zealand. At its core or base level plate tectonics is the driving factor.
What Is Plate Tectonics?
Plate tectonics is a theory that explains how the upper part of the Earth’s crust moves and many landscape features that are due to this, such as volcanoes, mountains, and earthquakes.
The inside of the Earth is so hot that all the solid rock is melted into a liquid like magma. Towards the surface of the Earth it’s not as hot and there are thick ‘plates’ of rock that float on that liquid magma underneath.
The magma under the plates slowly moves in currents and that causes the plates above it to also move. There are about 6 major plates and many minor plates that cover the surface of the earth.
In some places two plates are spreading apart and in others they are coming together. This collision or spreading of plates is what causes most of the earthquakes and volcanoes around the world.
New Zealand Lies Along A Collision Zone Between Two Plates
New Zealand lies along the Pacific Ring Of Fire, a huge circle around the Pacific Ocean. This includes the countries around the edge of the Pacific Ocean – North and South America, Asia, and down to New Zealand.
All of these countries are located along the boundary or collision zone between plates.
The Australian and Pacific plates collide right along the length of New Zealand. That collision is different in the North and South Islands. The plates collide along the center of the South Island and then the boundary moves just to the east of the North Island.
North Island – Subduction Zone: Creating A Land Of Volcanoes, and Geothermal Activity
The plate collision along the North Island results in a subduction zone with the Pacific plate going under the Australian plate.
This subduction zone is what creates and causes all the volcanic activity in the North Island. This subduction zone creates volcanic activity, both in the past and present. A couple of the big volcanoes are Mt. Ruapehu and Mt. Taranaki.
Along with this comes lots of geothermal activity. In other words, all those hot springs, geysers, and such are due to the subduction zone too.
South Island – Plates Slide Past Each Other: Creating Southern Alps
The plates in the South Island are actually sliding past each other as opposed to one going under the other. This results in periods of earthquakes and causes the earth to rise up in mountains.
The Southern alps are a stunning mountain chain that run from Fiordland in the south-west of the south island up towards the top of the south island. Some of the most famous features of New Zealand’s landscape are located here. They are full of world famous walking tracks (Milford Sound and Routeburn Track), great skiing, and glaciers in the southern hemisphere.