Auckland Branch

Auckland Branch

Who Are We?

The Geoscience Society of New Zealand is an incorporated society which encourages the advancement of the earth sciences in New Zealand. Membership is open to all people interested in the pursuits of the Society.
The Auckland Branch is one of seven local branches who organise illustrated lectures, discussion meetings, field trips and social events. The Branch has two membership types - Society membership and GeoClub membership. Society membership entitles you to receive the Society Newsletter, Branch newsletters and benefit from discounts. GeoClub membership entitles you to a monthly GeoClub Newsletter with information of upcoming talks and field trips. Those interested in joining the Society should visit its site via the link indicated above.

Contacts:
Branch Rep: Jennifer Eccles - j.eccles_at_auckland.ac.nz
GeoClub: Bruce Hayward - b.hayward_at_geomarine.org.nz or Hugh Grenfell - h.grenfell_at_orcon.net.nz

What is "GeoClub'?

Established in 1992 at Auckland Museum the GeoClub is now part of the Auckland Branch of the Geoscience Society of New Zealand at Auckland University. The Club is a mix of enthusiastic amateurs and professionals who share a common interest in the study and understanding of Auckland's geology and fossils and has a membership of approximately 100.
No previous knowledge or understanding of geology is required to become a member, although most of our members started by taking an adult education course or a geology paper at University. The main requirement is an enthusiasm to understand something about the long history of the earth and our region.
Recent Club field trips have included visits to Hokianga, East Cape, Rotorua, Port Waikato, Waihi Gold Mine, Puketotara Peninsula, Kawau Island, the Miranda coast, Piha, Browns Island, Pollen Island, Whangaparoa, the Hillsborough coast, Queens Street building stones, Takapuna fossil forest to mention a few.
Geology is a hobby that families and people of all ages can enjoy. It gets you out into the open air and is a great way to exercise. It takes you to fascinating places you have never visited before and above all you will start seeing the landscape with new eyes. No longer will you just see sheep grazing on hills. You will start to see the lava flows, the fault lines, the folded strata that control the shape of the hills, ancient river terraces and coastal plains.

What do we do?

Monthly meetings at the Epsom Community Centre, 200 Gillies Ave with lectures and slide shows. Parking is available (see below ) with easy access from the motorway. Books and pamphlets on New Zealand geology available at wholesale prices. Expert assistance available to help identify your problem rocks, minerals or fossils.
Frequent field trips of half or full day duration in the weekends throughout the year. Car-pooling is encouraged. Periodic long weekend field trips to interesting geology further from Auckland, with costs kept low with budget accommodation.

What's On?

NEXT MEETINGS & FIELD TRIPS

A bumper turnout to our May meeting was rewarded with Mike Isaac´s rofessional and entertaining explanation of how the GNS QMap series was mapped and put together. This as preceded by Bruce Hayward´s explanation of the science behind the recent news of earlier eruptions from Rangitoto and that the conclusions need to be treated with caution until such time as they are found to be reproducible or not. He also gave brief account of Holocene beach rock at Bucklands Beach cemented by motukoreaite and containing a record of higher mid Holocene sea level. In April, Roger Briggs led 25 Geoclubbers from as far afield as Palmerston North and New Plymouth, around some of the interesting rhyolitic caldera deposits of the east coast of Coromandel Peninsula. Many thanks for a most enjoyable and educational trip Roger. In May an horrendous weather forecast was not matched by the real thing but resulted in only 5 members enjoying the field trip to see the quartz sand quarries of Glorit and Tapora and the most interesting processing plant that removes impurities so the product can be used for glass-making, board and concrete block fillers and sand blasting.

Geocene 8 is out now: Numbers 1-8 can be downloaded below.

2013 SUBSCRIPTIONS NOW OVERDUE ($10 per member/family). Please pay Christine Major at Feb meeting or send cheque to her at 151 Victoria Road, Devonport, AUCKLAND or transfer money to our bank account: Kiwibank Account No: 38-9010-0285768-00, Account reference: AUCKLAND GEOCLUB; Put your name in the payment reference and notify the Treasurer by email (christine.major@clear.net.nz).

NEXT MEETINGS: Epsom Community Centre, 200 Gillies Ave, Epsom. Opens at 7.15 PM for 7.30 PM start

TUES 21st MAY 7.30 PM. EXPLORING FOR GEOTHERMAL ENERGY IN RWANDA. By Pat Browne Preceded by 10 min talk: "Coring blindfolded" in Lake Pupuke by Hugh Grenfell.

TUES 18th JUNE 7.30 PM. CHATHAM RISE GREENSANDS. By Cam Nelson.

TUES 16th JULY 7 PM, Auckland Museum. 2013 Hochstetter Lecture. THE 2010-2012 CANTERBURY EARTHQUAKE SEQUENCE - EARTHQUAKE SCIENCE IN THE BACKYARD. By Mark Quigley.

NEXT FIELD TRIPS:

MON 3rd JUNE, QUEENS BIRTHDAY, MT EDEN VOLCANO INSIDE OUT. Leader Bruce Hayward. 10 AM - 3 PM ish. Meet at Tahiki Reserve carpark for walking and carpooling. How well do we know Mt Eden volcano? How many vents produced the elongate cone? Why is lava so high on the N flanks? Are the flows to the Sth from Mt Eden or Te Pou Hawaiki? How is the hill that "The Pines" is built on related to Mt Eden? See the plumbing inside some of Mt Eden in Eden Gardens. How far did Mt Eden lava spread out? Bring lunch, water, all weather gear, hope to have coffee stop in Eden Gardens (entry fee $8; $6 for senior citizens). If weather dodgy phone Bruce (523 1667) at 8.30 AM. Trip classification: Moderately easy - some driving, some walking (a slow ascent of Mt Eden), some looking and some talking.

When & Where?

CLUB NIGHTS are on the THIRD TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH, except January, doors open 7.15 PM, talks begin 7.30PM, at the Epsom Community Centre, 200 Gillies Ave, Epsom, Auckland.

NEW MEMBERS ARE INVITED TO JOIN US

ANY ENQUIRIES: Ring Bruce Hayward, during day, ph: 578 1491,
email b.hayward_at_geomarine.org.nz

Geocene Magazine

Geocene is a periodic publication of GeoClub, a section of the Auckland branch of the Geoscience Society of New Zealand.

Contributions about the geology of New Zealand (particularly northern New Zealand) from members are welcome. Please note articles are lightly edited but not refereed.

Please email the Editor, Helen Holzer - heleneh_at_xtra.co.nz (substitute @ for _at_).