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Geology photo competition 2013

Landscape category

Amazing beach of huge geological significance with enormous sand dunes and a large, tectonically modified sedimentary deposit. Located North of Kaihoka Lakes, top of the West coast.

L01 Amazing beach of huge geological significance with enormous sand dunes and a large, tectonically modified sedimentary deposit. Located North of Kaihoka Lakes, top of the West coast.
Photographer: Elliot Bowie

Wangaloa Domain - pure, well-sorted, finely laminated limestone which is being eroded by the sea.

L02 Wangaloa Domain - pure, well-sorted, finely laminated limestone which is being eroded by the sea.
Photographer: Simone Hicks

Beautiful upthrust schist mountains around the glacial lake.

L03 Beautiful upthrust schist mountains around the glacial lake.
Photographer: Aaspreet Boparai

This section of the upper Hollyford Valley is composed of 135-141Ma gabbro, forming part of the Outboard Median Batholith. The U-shaped valley was carved by a huge glacier about 20Ka.

L04 This section of the upper Hollyford Valley is composed of 135-141Ma gabbro, forming part of the Outboard Median Batholith. The U-shaped valley was carved by a huge glacier about 20Ka.
Photographer: Alex Carroll

Basalt outcrops at Purau Bay, Banks Peninsula forming part of the 5.8-8.1Ma Diamond Harbour Volcanic Group. The Port Hills in the background are composed of an older 9.7-11Ma sequence.

L05 Basalt outcrops at Purau Bay, Banks Peninsula forming part of the 5.8-8.1Ma Diamond Harbour Volcanic Group. The Port Hills in the background are composed of an older 9.7-11Ma sequence.
Photographer: Alex Carroll

The glacial highway is in full view flying above the Himalayan peaks of northern India.

L06 The glacial highway is in full view flying above the Himalayan peaks of northern India.
Photographer: Jess Hinojosa

Beautiful scenery of uplifted mountains and erosional processes in action, Glenorchy, New Zealand.

L07 Beautiful scenery of uplifted mountains and erosional processes in action, Glenorchy, New Zealand.
Photographer: Bryce Robinson

Bombardment after an explosion lifting puffs of ash and dust into the wind from the outer slopes of the crater at Sakurajima volcano, Japan.

L08 Bombardment after an explosion lifting puffs of ash and dust into the wind from the outer slopes of the crater at Sakurajima volcano, Japan.
Photographer: Marco Brenna

Pouncenot, Patagonia, a granitic glacial remnant in a sea of turbidites with condor for scale.

L09 Pouncenot, Patagonia, a granitic glacial remnant in a sea of turbidites with condor for scale.
Photographer: John Williams

The Wave- Schist outcrop exposed after glacial erosion processes gave it a smooth curvy surface, Franz Josef.

L10 The Wave- Schist outcrop exposed after glacial erosion processes gave it a smooth curvy surface, Franz Josef.
Photographer: Jordan Crase

The colourful volcanic rocks and soils in the crater of Mt Vesuvius, Italy.

L11 The colourful volcanic rocks and soils in the crater of Mt Vesuvius, Italy.
Photographer: Jess Hillman

The Brandberg massif - an early Cretaceous granitic intrusion in Damaraland, Namibia. The red colour at sunset gives it its name which means Fire Mountain in Afrikaans.

L12 The Brandberg massif - an early Cretaceous granitic intrusion in Damaraland, Namibia. The red colour at sunset gives it its name which means Fire Mountain in Afrikaans.
Photographer: Jess Hillman

Rising mountains: the early morning view from Crawford Knob, above the Franz Josef Glacier

L13 Rising mountains: the early morning view from Crawford Knob, above the Franz Josef Glacier
Photographer: Dave Prior

Eroded sea stacks of the sub-Antarctic Antipodes Volcano. The volcano is < 500 000 year old intraplate volcano that erupted through the continental crust of the Campbell Plateau.

L14 Eroded sea stacks of the sub-Antarctic Antipodes Volcano. The volcano is < 500 000 year old intraplate volcano that erupted through the continental crust of the Campbell Plateau.
Photographer: James Scott

These moraine pinnacles accumulate on the ice shelf surface from basal adfreezing of relict moraines on the McMurdo Sound floor which are transported to the ice surface by ablation.

L15 These moraine pinnacles accumulate on the ice shelf surface from basal adfreezing of relict moraines on the McMurdo Sound floor which are transported to the ice surface by ablation.
Photographer: Jacob Anderson

The Koettlitz Glacier peels around Heald Island as it flows toward McMurdo Sound. The Walcott Glacier flows through the Royal Society Range in the background.

L16 The Koettlitz Glacier peels around Heald Island as it flows toward McMurdo Sound. The Walcott Glacier flows through the Royal Society Range in the background.
Photographer: Jacob Anderson

The Arthur Marble karst landscape of Mount Owen, Nelson

L17 The Arthur Marble karst landscape of Mount Owen, Nelson
Photographer: Nichole Moerhuis

Not-so-Dry Valleys: At the height of Antarctic summer, Commonwealth Stream drains the Commonwealth Glacier, Taylor Valley, Antarctica

L18 Not-so-Dry Valleys: At the height of Antarctic summer, Commonwealth Stream drains the Commonwealth Glacier, Taylor Valley, Antarctica
Photographer: Christina Riesselman

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Field category

Spider Rock in Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Northern Arizona, carved by Monument Creek eroding into Permian aeolian sandstone.

F01 Spider Rock in Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Northern Arizona, carved by Monument Creek eroding into Permian aeolian sandstone.
Photographer: Tammo Reichgelt

A pleasant rest stop on the vast glacial outwash planes Skeidararsandur, Southern Iceland.

F02 A pleasant rest stop on the vast glacial outwash planes Skeidararsandur, Southern Iceland.
Photographer: Tammo Reichgelt

Wangaloa Domain - asymmetric mud-silt ripples interbedded with a medium grained sandstone as a result of (paleo)-tidal activities. The beds are topped by a conglomerate sandstone.

F03 Wangaloa Domain - asymmetric mud-silt ripples interbedded with a medium grained sandstone as a result of (paleo)-tidal activities. The beds are topped by a conglomerate sandstone.
Photographer: Simone Hicks

Field geology kit list: hat, hammer, sturdy boots and map board......pants and shirt optional. Swinburn 2013.

F04 Field geology kit list: hat, hammer, sturdy boots and map board......pants and shirt optional. Swinburn 2013.
Photographer: Simon Sheppard

Desert storm! After a sudden deluge with hail and thunder, the Harrat Rahat Volcanic Field, here showing an eroded cone, sprang to life with rivulets and lakes.

F05 Desert storm! After a sudden deluge with hail and thunder, the Harrat Rahat Volcanic Field, here showing an eroded cone, sprang to life with rivulets and lakes.
Photographer: Marco Brenna

Jason Grieve logging the section through the Grebe mylonite zone in Jacquiery Steam, Fiordland.

F06 Jason Grieve logging the section through the Grebe mylonite zone in Jacquiery Steam, Fiordland.
Photographer: Dave Prior

Fieldwork in the Fish River valley, Southern Alps. Haast Schist can be seen in the background. The schist in this area is intruded by lamprophyre dikes carrying peridotite (mantle) xenoliths.

F07 Fieldwork in the Fish River valley, Southern Alps. Haast Schist can be seen in the background. The schist in this area is intruded by lamprophyre dikes carrying peridotite (mantle) xenoliths.
Photographer: James Scott

Life and Death: A visitor gazes at a wall of late Pleistocene dire wolf (Canis dirus) skulls from the La Brea tar pits (Page Museum, Los Angeles).

F08 Life and Death: A visitor gazes at a wall of late Pleistocene dire wolf (Canis dirus) skulls from the La Brea tar pits (Page Museum, Los Angeles).
Photographer: Bobby Boessenecker

Kieran Crookbain on a pillow basalt \

F09 Kieran Crookbain on a pillow basalt "this may be a pillow but it is not for sleeping on"
Photographer: Marcus Richards

Southern Alps Gecko on Barrosa Andesite at Mt Somers, Canterbury

F10 Southern Alps Gecko on Barrosa Andesite at Mt Somers, Canterbury
Photographer: Marcus Richards

Fair winds and a following sea: Andrew Gorman, Jess Hinojosa, Bob Dagg, and Claudine Sterling soak up some Fiordland sun as Otago's R/V Polaris II rounds Puysegur Point at the end of a successful field season.

F11 Fair winds and a following sea: Andrew Gorman, Jess Hinojosa, Bob Dagg, and Claudine Sterling soak up some Fiordland sun as Otago's R/V Polaris II rounds Puysegur Point at the end of a successful field season.
Photographer: Christina Riesselman

Standing on a resistant headland of Murihiku Terrane Jurassic conglomerate overlooking Waikawa Harbour, Catlins Coast.

F12 Standing on a resistant headland of Murihiku Terrane Jurassic conglomerate overlooking Waikawa Harbour, Catlins Coast.
Photographer: Jelte Keeman

A summer’s day working in the field at Sams Creek, Northwest Nelson.

F13 A summer’s day working in the field at Sams Creek, Northwest Nelson.
Photographer: Markham Phillips

X Marks the Spot. A good day in the field on Nancy Sound, Fiordland National Park.

F14 X Marks the Spot. A good day in the field on Nancy Sound, Fiordland National Park.
Photographer: Andrew Gorman

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Micro scale category

A quartz layer squeezed around a garnet porphyroclast (green) undergoes recrystallisation. Inverse pole figure colouring of an Alpine Fault Zone mylonite, imaged using EBSD in the Zeiss SEM.

M01 A quartz layer squeezed around a garnet porphyroclast (green) undergoes recrystallisation. Inverse pole figure colouring of an Alpine Fault Zone mylonite, imaged using EBSD in the Zeiss SEM.
Photographer: Andrew Cross

Conodont microfossils from the Late Permian found in Meishan, China are still a puzzle - no one knows what these structures were used for in these tiny, soft-tissue, now-extinct creatures.

M02 Conodont microfossils from the Late Permian found in Meishan, China are still a puzzle - no one knows what these structures were used for in these tiny, soft-tissue, now-extinct creatures.
Photographer: Jess Hinojosa

Hyalite opal lining the walls of a vesicle in a volcanic breccia clast from the Otago Peninsula.

M03 Hyalite opal lining the walls of a vesicle in a volcanic breccia clast from the Otago Peninsula.
Photographer: Jordan Crase

Pristine benthic foram Astrononion novozealandicum, recovered from the entrance to Bligh Sound, Fiordland.

M04 Pristine benthic foram Astrononion novozealandicum, recovered from the entrance to Bligh Sound, Fiordland.
Photographer: Imogen Browne

A multitude of tiny Psephidia bivalves mantle cross-stata in the unconsolidated Port Orford Formation (Middle Pleistocene) of coastal Oregon.

M05 A multitude of tiny Psephidia bivalves mantle cross-stata in the unconsolidated Port Orford Formation (Middle Pleistocene) of coastal Oregon.
Photographer: Bobby Boessenecker

Folding of kyanite and bright blue muscovite within a quartz vein. Onekaka Schist, Northwest Nelson.

M06 Folding of kyanite and bright blue muscovite within a quartz vein. Onekaka Schist, Northwest Nelson.
Photographer: Nichole Moerhuis

Clusters of hydrothermal zircons nucleate in microveins and along the edges of arsenopyrite.

M07 Clusters of hydrothermal zircons nucleate in microveins and along the edges of arsenopyrite.
Photographer: Markham Phillips

Note: Photos are for non-commercial use only. Please acknowledge photographer