Database for the geologic map of the Paeroa Fault block and surrounding area, Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand

The Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ), New Zealand, is the most productive area of explosive silicic volcanism in the world. Faulted early and middle Pleistocene volcanic products are generally concealed beneath voluminous, generally unfaulted, younger volcanic products. An exception is the southeast margin of the TVZ where the two parallel, northeast-trending Paeroa and Te Weta Fault blocks expose Quaternary volcanic products consisting predominantly of caldera-related, rhyolitic ignimbrites and lacustrine sediments. The Taupo-Reporoa Basin is situated along the eastern part of the map area, and its northernmost part underwent collapse to form Reporoa Caldera. The Paeroa Fault block is the largest exposed fault block within the TVZ, and it encompasses early and middle Pleistocene ignimbrites and sedimentary deposits that are buried throughout the Taupo-Reporoa Basin to the east. This map displays the volcanic and sedimentary geology of ~430 km2 of the Paeroa Fault block and the adjacent Te Weta Fault block at a scale of 1:50,000. Volcanic and sedimentary rocks are divided into the Reporoa Group, Whakamaru Group, and Huka Group (from oldest to youngest), which are overlain by relatively unfaulted late Pleistocene and Holocene surficial volcanic and sedimentary deposits.

This geologic map database is accompanied by a report, which includes the formatted geologic map and explanatory text, available at https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20201021.

The authors ask that users of the geologic map database cite both the database and the report:

Report: Downs, D.T., Leonard, G.S., Wilson, C.J.N., and Rowland, J.V., 2020, Geologic map of the Paeroa Fault block and surrounding area, Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2020-1021, https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20201021.

Database: Downs, D.T., 2020, Database for the geologic map of the Paeroa Fault block and surrounding area, Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9DYBBGX.