Geography Studies Overview Alpin

New Zealand Learning Adventures
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Geography Studies in the zone

Huge, tectonic forces constantly uplift the majestic Southern Alps. Savage weather rips them down more as they rise. Hundreds of rivers deliver the broken mountain pieces to the plains.
	The grinding faults here are littered with earthquake faults, uplifted terraces and sunken lakes. Deluges of rain, freezing snow and large glaciers tear at the mountains and fault lines passing the debris to the rivers to carry back into the oceans.
Tectonics	Moving tectonic plate boundary Huge, tectonic forces of the planet's fast moving fault lines constantly uplift the alps . We cross this rare, on-land feature, see the spectacular new uplifted alps, the massive erosion, old earthquake landsides and the colourful erratic landscapes. more>
*Alpine Erosion*	Massive alpine erosion everywhere you see the effects of frosts, freezing snow, rain and sun that shatter the mountains into tiny particles and carry them in vast quantities back to the oceans where they originated. more>
*Hot Pools*	Geothermal pools Because of the tectonic activity there are places here where the generated heat rises to the surface forming the South Islands hot pools. more>
Alpine Rivers	Mountain movers In this zone visitors witness the largest amount of bed-load transportation in New Zealand. more>
Waterfalls	Waterfalls Due to vertical glacier carved valley walls interested groups can these spectacular cascading deluges. more>
Karst Lands	Alpine karst lands Spectacular limestone landscapes offer insights for followers of the LTOR movies, chemists, photographers geographers, cavers and rock climbers. We find here spectacular tors, sinkholes and developing cave. more>
Caves	Caves We explore the chemical erosion processes involved with water and limestone. This process creates caves of huge magnificence world wide. more>
Lakes	High mountain lakes Fault rifts and landslides are the main processes that formed the small lakes in the Alpine Trails zone. more>
Rainforests	Ancient mountain rain forests Ancient dinosaur Beech Forests are found in patches all over New Zealand's mountains. They thrived in Gondwanaland during the reigns of the giant dinosaurs. more>
Southern Alps	Southern Alps As we cross the Alps in this zone we glimpse the high peaks from deep below in the valleys. more>
Alpine Vegetation	Tenacious alpine plants At the top of the trails we pass through large areas of natural plants adapted over millennia to cope with the violent winds, sun, cold, snow and deluges. We consider conservation and threats to these vulnerable plants precariously holding on. more>
Alpine Trails Weather	Massive weather variations Often we encounter huge changes as the alps capture the moisture from the ocean air currents on one side and dry the other. more>
Soil & erosion studies in the zone	Soil in world's hostile areas We can explore the factors that hold the soils in place and enable vegetation to grow Here is extremely difficult for plants and soils to take hold and develop. We find out why and discuss ways to alleviate the causes. more>
*Unique Alpine Parrot*	Unique alpine parrot You will often hear the worlds only alpine parrot (Kea) and maybe see it playfully explore the trappings of modern human transportation. The Kea is one of the 33 endangered New Zealand birds and has been scientifically tested to be the most intelligent (non-human) animal living in the world today. He is curious and friendly more>
Glacier Valleys	Glacier Valleys The huge valleys in this zone were carved and shaped by glaciers during the several ice ages. We learn to recognise their characteristics and investigate the process change and reshaping them. more>
Geology	Geology We can explore the continually uplifting and eroding sedimentary mudstone ("Greywacke") of the mountains and exciting patches of limestone. more>
Waterfalls	Waterfalls Study groups explore the processes that caused these to occur, we see how they can be useful for settlements, and we look at their eroding processes. By experiencing these wonders we better understand the immense power of fast flowing water. more>

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