The specific geology of these areas is defined by the Oparara Basin, a historical sinkhole system where limestone deposits are exceptionally pure and heavily jointed, facilitating the creation of these natural arches and blowholes. This calcium carbonate originates from the skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral, foraminifera, and mollusks that accumulated on the seafloor during the Oligocene epoch, roughly 30 million years ago.
Understanding the Rock Type and Formation Process of the Pancake Rocks
Standing on the edge of the Punakaiki coastline, the Pancake Rocks of New Zealand present a spectacle that seems almost otherworldly. This process, known as karstification, is responsible for the dramatic vertical cracks that separate the rock layers into individual "pancakes.
At that time, the area that is now the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island was submerged beneath a warm, shallow sea. The horizontal layers, or bedding planes, vary slightly in composition and hardness.
Understanding the Rock Type and Formation Process of the Pancake Rocks
Some layers are more resistant to the abrasive action of sand and water than others. Layers of rock are fractured into distinct, flat slabs, resembling a stack of giant pancakes frozen in time.
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