The Rise and Fall of the Southern Alps
by Glen Coates, illustrations by Geoffrey Cox, 80pp limpbound, Canterbury University Press, Christchurch 2002, RRP $29.95 The Southern Alps are constantly moving. If there were no erosion, they would now be more than 20 kilometres high. At the same time, the eastern side
of the South Island has moved 500 kilometres south of the western
side, along the Alpine Fault — rocks on either side of the fault no longer match up with each other. Glen Coates tells a fascinating story about the Southern Alps, and incidentally the building of the South Island. It is difficult to tell the story of geology in lay terms, particularly considering the millions of years which have gone into making even our ‘young’ country. With considerable help from artist Geoffrey Cox, and some striking photographs, Glen Coates makes the processes comprehensible. While the book may be particularly useful in schools, it is an interesting background for the field naturalist too.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/FORBI20030501.2.41.4
Bibliographic details
Forest and Bird, Issue 308, 1 May 2003, Page 44
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163The Rise and Fall of the Southern Alps Forest and Bird, Issue 308, 1 May 2003, Page 44
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