Seddonville, Buller District, West Coast Region, South Island, New Zealand
Latitude & Longitude (WGS84): | 41° 33' 3'' South , 171° 59' 13'' East |
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Latitude & Longitude (decimal): | -41.55094,171.98708 |
Köppen climate type: | Cfb : Temperate oceanic climate |
Seddonville is a small village 50 kilometres north of Westport. It is named after New Zealand Liberal Premier, Richard Seddon.
Several coal mines operated in the area from the 1890's until the 1990's. The area contained New Zealand's first State owned mine. The others were mainly private and co-operative mines. Unlike the Brunner and Greymouth areas, coal deposits north of Westport do not have a lot gas, so there is little danger of explosions underground. Coal in the Seddonville area however does have a high sulphur content (5-6%), which was one of the reasons in recent history coal mining has ceased, as it is a 'dirtier' coal to burn.
Seddonville had a railhead until it was closed in 1981. It had been used to this point to carry coal. On the way into Seddonville, the Chasm Creek walk follows the old train line through a tunnel, and over two bridges. Submerged rail carts can be seen in the river, where at one pint they have come off the rails. The walk incorporates an area of cliffs along the Mokihinui River.
No minerals currently recorded for this locality.
Regional Geology
This geological map and associated information on rock units at or nearby to the coordinates given for this locality is based on relatively small scale geological maps provided by various national Geological Surveys. This does not necessarily represent the complete geology at this locality but it gives a background for the region in which it is found.
Click on geological units on the map for more information. Click here to view full-screen map on Macrostrat.org
Holocene - Late Pleistocene 0 - 0.126 Ma ID: 1359612 | OIS1 (Holocene) river deposits Age: Pleistocene (0 - 0.126 Ma) Description: Well sorted gravels forming modern flood plains and young fan gravels. Comments: Holocene river deposits. Age based on absolute age calculated from stratigraphic age range Lithology: Major:: {gravel},Minor:: {sand, mud, clay, boulders, peat} Reference: Heron, D.W. . Geology Map of New Zealand 1:250 000. GNS Science Geological Map 1. [13] |
Eocene 33.9 - 56 Ma ID: 1311493 | Rapahoe Group Age: Eocene (33.9 - 56 Ma) Stratigraphic Name: Haerenga Supergroup; Rapahoe Group; Rapahoe Group Description: Massive carbonaceous mudstone and muddy sandstone, calcareous siltstone and local conglomerate. Comments: Zealandia Megasequence Mainly Marine Sedimentary Rocks (Paleogene to Cretaceous) Lithology: Mudstone, sandstone, siltstone, conglomerate Reference: Edbrooke, S.W., Heron, D.W., Forsyth, P.J., Jongens, R. (compilers). Geology Map of New Zealand 1:1 000 000. GNS Science Geological Map 2. [12] |
Data and map coding provided by Macrostrat.org, used under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
Localities in this Region
- South Island
- West Coast Region
- Buller District
- West Coast Region