Shore platform morphology on a rapidly uplifting coast, Wellington, New Zealand

Abstract

The coast of Wellington, New Zealand, is tectonically active and contains a series of uplifted and contemporary shore platforms that are developed in Triassic Greywacke. The platform profiles are rugged with relief of metre scale common. The surveyed platforms were formed at, and at two distinct levels 1-1·5 and 2-2·5 m above, mean sea level. They range in width up to 70 m and are highly fractured with fracture densities in excess of 20/m2 common. The rate of development of these platforms is rapid, with lateral erosion rates of up to 0·15 m/yr calculated, allowing platform development to occur over centennial scales. Even given this rapid development, continued instantaneous uplift of the c..