Abstract:
An account is given of the physiography and structure of the Awhitu Peninsula, and the mineralogy, provenance, sedimentology, paleontology and post-depositional alteration of the Plio-Quaternary (Kaihu Group) sediments on the peninsula are described. The Quaternary sequences comprise predominantly sands of coastal facies, and specific depositional environments are recognised with reference to sedimentary structures and field relationships. Granulometric analysis of these sands fails to establish any consistent relationship between textural parameters and depositional environment, and this is attributed to their marked polymodality. The Pleistocene sediments are devoid of calcareous shell material, and fossil pollens and spores extracted from carbonaceous units within them prove to be of limited significance for age and climatic interpretation because of the specialised paleoenvironments represented.
