While also using the international geologic time scale, many nations–especially those with isolated and therefore non-standard prehistories–use their own systems of dividing geologic time into epochs and faunal stages.

In New Zealand, these epochs and stages use local place names (mainly Māori in origin) back to the Permian. Prior to this time, names mostly align to those in the Australian geologic time scale, and are not divided into epochs. In practice, these earlier terms are rarely used, as most New Zealand geology is of a more recent origin. In all cases, New Zealand uses the same periods as those used internationally; the renaming only applies to subdivisions of these periods. Very few epochs and stages cross international period boundaries, and the exceptions are almost all within the Cenozoic Era. New Zealand updates will always be behind any significant international updates in the International Geological Time Scale.

Although the New Zealand geologic time scale has not been formally adopted, it has been widely used by earth scientists, geologists and palaeontologists in New Zealand since J. S. Crampton proposed it in 1995. The most recent calibrated update was in 2015.

A standard abbreviation is used for these epochs and stages. These are usually in the form Xx, where the first letter is the initial letter of the epoch and the second (lower-case) letter is the initial letter of the stage. These are noted beside the stage names in the list below.

Currently, from the New Zealand perspective we are in the Haweran stage of the Wanganui epoch which is within the internationally defined Holocene epoch of the Quaternary period of the Cenozoic era. The Haweran, which started some 340,000 years ago, is named after the North Island town of Hāwera. The New Zealand stages and epochs are not the same as internationally defined periods and epochs (e.g. the Wanganui epoch started at 5.33 Ma which is within the Neogene period and matches the start of the international Pliocene epoch, but contains also the international Holocene and Pleistocene epochs).

List of New Zealand geologic time epochs and stages Times given indicate the start of the respective stages and epochs. Several of these stages are further divided into upper and lower or upper, middle, and lower, although this has not been noted below unless unique names have been given to these sub-stages. As with the international geologic scale, these epochs and stages are largely named for locales where rock dating from these time periods is in evidence, with stage names predominantly but not always named for locales close to their epoch's namesake site. Where known, these places are also linked in the list below.

Cenozoic Era NameAbbreviationStart date (Ma)International equivalentNamed afterWanganui epochW5.33Pliocene, Pleistocene and HoloceneWanganui (Wanganui Basin)Haweran stageWq0.34HāweraCastlecliffian stageWc1.63Castlecliff (suburb of Wanganui)Nukumaruan stageWn2.40Nukumaru, near WaitotaraMangapanian stageWm3.00Mangapani, near WaitotaraWaipipian stageWp3.70Waipipi Beach, near WaverleyOpoitian stageWo5.33Opoiti, near WairoaTaranaki epochT11.04Upper MioceneTaranakiKapitean stageTk7.2Kapitea Creek, near KumaraTongaporutuan stageTt11.04TongaporutuSouthland epochS15.9Middle MioceneSouthlandWaiauan stageSw13.05Waiau RiverLillburnian stageSl15.1Lill BurnClifdenian stageSc15.9ClifdenPareora epochP21.7Lower MiocenePareoraAltonian stagePl18.7Alton BurnOtaian stagePo21.7OtaioLandon epochL34.6Oligocene to Lower MioceneLandon Creek, PukeuriWaitakian stageLw25.2Waitaki RiverDuntroonian stageLd27.3DuntroonWhaingaroan stageLwh34.6Whaingaroa (Raglan Harbour)Arnold epochA42.6Middle to Upper EoceneArnold RiverRunangan stageAr36.7RunangaKaiatan stageAk39.1Kaiata, near GreymouthBortonian stageAb42.6BortonsDannevirke epochD66.0Lower Palaeocene to Middle EoceneDannevirkePorangan stageDp45.7PorangaHeretaungan stageDh48.9HeretaungaMangaorapan stageDm52.0Mangaorapa, southern Hawke's BayWaipawan stageDw56.0WaipawaTeurian stageDt66.0Te Uri

Mesozoic Era Cretaceous Period NameAbbreviationStart date (Ma)Named afterMata epochM86.5Haumurian stageMh83.6Haumuri BluffPiripauan stageMp86.5Piripaua (Spyglass Point), Kaikōura DistrictRaukumara epochR95.2Raukumara RangeTeratan stageRt90.5Te Rata, Gisborne DistrictMangaotanean stageRm93.7Mangaotane, Gisborne DistrictArowhanan stageRa95.2Arowhana, Gisborne DistrictClarence epochC108.4Waiau Toa / Clarence RiverNgaterian stageCn99.5Ngateretere, Bay of Plenty RegionMotuan stageCm103.3Motu RiverUrutawan stageCu108.4Urutawa, a hill north of MatawaiTaitai epochU145.0Taitai, a hill near RuatoriaKorangan stageUk117.5Koranga RiverUndifferentiated Taitai145.0

Jurassic Period NameAbbreviationStart date (Ma)Named afterOteke epochO150.0Otaka Stream, WaikatoPuaroan stage Op150.0Puaroa Stream, WaikatoKawhia epochK176.0Kawhia HarbourOhauan stageKo154.5Nathan Point/Ohaua, Kawhia HarbourHeterian stageKh164.3Heteri Point, Kawhia HarbourTemaikan stageKt176.0Te Maika, Kawhia HarbourHerangi epochH201.3Herangi, Aotea HarbourUruroan stageHu 188.9Ururoa Point, Kawhia HarbourAratauran stageHa201.3Arataura Point, near Kawhia Harbour

Triassic Period NameAbbreviationStart date (Ma)Named afterBalfour epochB227.5BalfourOtapirian stageBo208.5Otapiri, near WintonWarepan stage Bw217.0Warepa, near BalcluthaOtamitan stageBm221.0Otamita Stream, Hokonui HillsOretian stageBr227.5Ōreti RiverGore epochG251.5GoreKaihikuan stageGk238.0Kaihiku Stream, The CatlinsEtalian stageGe246.0Etal Hill, north of NightcapsMalakovian stageGm249.0Malakoff Hill, near OhaiNelsonian stageGn251.5NelsonMakarewan stage (see Permian Period, below)

Palaeozoic Era Permian Period NameAbbreviationStart date (Ma)Named afterD'Urville epochYD259.8D'Urville IslandMakarewan stageYDm253.2Makarewa RiverWaiitian stageYDw254.2Wai-iti RiverPuruhauan stageYDp259.8Puruhaua Stream, The CatlinsAparima epoch YA288.5Aparima RiverFlettian stageYAf266.0Flett's Hut, Takitimu RangeBarettian stageYAr276.0Barrett's Hut, Takitimu RangeMangapirian stageYAm285.0Mangapiri Downs, east of Lake MonowaiTelfordian stageYAt288.5Telford Burn, Takitimu RangePre-Telfordian epoch (not subdivided into stages)Ypt298.9

Carboniferous Period NameAbbreviationStart date (Ma)Carboniferous Period (not subdivided)F358.9

Devonian Period Stages prior to the beginning of the Carboniferous Period use either international (Devonian/Silurian) or Australian (Ordovician/Cambrian) geologic stage names; very little New Zealand rock is known from these geologic periods.

NameAbbreviationStart date (Ma)Upper or Late Devonian epochJU382.7Famennian stageJfa372.2Frasnian stageJfr382.7Middle or Mid Devonian epochJM293.3Givetian stageJgi387.7Eifelian stageJei393.3Lower or Early Devonian epochJL419.2Emsian stageJem407.6Pragian stageJpr410.8Lochkovian stageJlo419.2

Silurian Period NameAbbreviationStart date (Ma)Pridoli epoch (not subdivided into stages)Epr423.0Ludlow epochEluLudfordian stageEld425.6Gorstian stageEgo427.4Wenlock epochEweHomerian stage430.5Sheinwoodian stage433.4Llandovery epochElaTelychian stage438.5Aeronian stage440.8Rhuddanian stage443.8

Ordovician Period NameAbbreviationStart date (Ma)Late or Upper Ordovician epochBolindian stageVbo448.4Eastonian stageVea453.0Gisbornian stageVgi448.4Middle Ordovician epochDarriwilian stageVda467.3Yapeenian stageVya468.3Castlemainian stageVca470.0Early or Lower Ordovician epochChewtonian stageVch472.4Bendigonian stageVbe476.0Lancefieldian stageVla484.3Warendan stageVwa485.4

Cambrian Period NameAbbreviationStart date (Ma)Datsonian stageXda486.8Payntonian stageXpa489.5Iverian stageXiv494.0Idamean stageXid497.0Mindyallan stageXmi499.0Boomerangian stageXbo500.5Undillan stageXun503.0Floran stageXfl504.5Templetonian stageXte508.0Ordian stageXor511.5Early Cambrian (not subdivided)XL542.0

Proterozoic, Archaean and Hadaean Aeons NameAbbreviationStart date (Ma)(Not subdivided)Z~4600

Footnotes to time scale This stage is sometimes further divided into Mangaoran (lower) and Waikatoan (upper). These are named after Mangaora Inlet (an arm of Kawhia Harbour) and the Waikato River. This stage is sometimes further divided into Kiriteherean (lower) and Marokopan (upper). These are named after the Marokopa River and the nearby Kiritehere Stream. Until the late 1960s, the Flettian and Barettian stages were together known as the Braxtonian stage (see Waterhouse 1969). This was named for Braxton Burn, a stream near Mossburn. Where not subdivided usual reason is no stages recognised due to absent record

See also Stratigraphy of New Zealand

References

Other References Bishop, D.G., and Turnbull, I.M. (compilers) (1996). Geology of the Dunedin Area. Lower Hutt, NZ: Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences. . Hollis, C.J., Beu, A.G., Crampton, J.S., Crundwell, M.P., Morgans, H.E.G., Raine, J.I., Jones, C.M., Boyes, A.F. (2010). Calibration of the New Zealand Cretaceous - Cenozoic Timescale to GTS2004, GNS Science Report, 2010/43, 20p. Waterhouse, J.B. (1969). "World correlations of New Zealand Permian stages," New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 12:4, pp. 713–737

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