NCEA Level 2 Science (90767) 2011 — page 1 of 3
Assessment Schedule – 2011
Science: Describe New Zealand’s geological history (90767)
Evidence Statement
Q
Evidence
Achievement
Achievement with Merit
Achievement with
Excellence
ONE
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Describes how opholites
were brought to the surface
by plate movement and / or
mountain building.
OR
In current position because
of sideways (lateral / slip)
movement along the fault
line.
Explains how rocks are the
same and how they came to
the surface, for example:
Mountain building uplifted
the rocks to the surface in
the same location during an
orogeny, which lifted the
ophiolites.
OR
Later plate movement along
the Alpine fault caused
separation of the ophiolites
outcrop in different
directions.
Discusses how rock
formation occurred and
subsequently has moved
from original location due to
Alpine Fault being a slip
slide plate boundary.
Includes the following:
• The plate movement
caused mountain building
(in Eastern Gondwana)
which uplifted the
ophiolites.
AND ONE of
• The fault is a transform
(transverse) fault on the
boundary of the Australian
and Pacific plates.
• Transverse movement is in
a north-south direction,
leading to rocks being
separated and situated in
Nelson and west Otago as
seen in the present day.
Subduction of plates in Eastern Gondwana.
Plate collision forming mountains.
Molten rock forced up through cracks in the plate.
Cooling giving plutonic rocks.
Uplift of ophiolite rock.
Alpine Fault is plate boundary.
Plate movement is a lateral movement (North/South) along the plate
boundary, causing separation of the original formation.
• Transform (Slip slide) plate boundary.
NCEA Level 2 Science (90767) 2011 — page 2 of 3
TWO
• Softer sedimentary materials eroded off the harder basement materials
to give large flat plains (peneplains).
• Sandstones and mudstones formed deep out to sea off the eastern coast
of Gondwana.
• Materials compressed (lithification) to form greywackes.
• Limestone is formed from dead marine life. Found in shallow oceans.
• Sedimentary materials may contain fossils.
• Convection currents under the earth’s crust create new plate boundary.
• Plates converge (if similar density) or subduct (differing densities).
• New plate boundary creates mountain building.
• Uplift of material takes place.
• Erosion of softer rock leaves rock (limestone) outcrops.
Describes greywacke formed
from eroded sandstone /
mudstone / siltstones
OR
Describes limestone formed
from dead marine
organisms.
OR
• uplift from mountain
building (colliding plates)
meant these rocks pushed
upwards.
Explains how erosion of
materials led to deposition of
materials that make up
greywacke (eroded
landmass) and limestone
(origin dead marine
organisms).
OR
Plate boundary collision led
to uplift of greywacke and
limestone.
Discussion includes at least
TWO of the following
points:
• How erosion and
deposition led to vast
areas of sedimentary
material under ocean.
• Links:
Sandstone and mudstone
materials compression to
greywacke formation;
limestone to compression
of dead marine life.
• Mountain Building forced
the materials from beneath
the ocean.
• Links current landscape
(shapes of rock outcrops)
today to differing hardness
of rocks and erosion.
NCEA Level 2 Science (90767) 2011 — page 3 of 3
THREE
• Mountain building during the Kaikoura Orogeny.
• Subduction taking place as Pacific plate moves under the Australian
place forcing landmass up.
• Glaciers result of a colder climate.
• Glaciers pushed their way down the mountain valleys.
• Characteristic U-shaped valleys can be seen.
• Large ‘melt-water’ lakes left behind.
• Terminal moraines of sharp jagged rocks push down the valleys and
left behind as evidence of the extent of glaciation.
• Lateral moraines.
• Kettle lakes.
• Ice age saw ocean levels decrease.
• Warmer climate glaciers melted and sea levels rose.
Describes at least ONE
feature resulting from
glaciers, eg:
• U-shaped valleys
• terminal moraine
• kettle lakes.
OR
Describes the landscape in
relation to:
• mountain building (plate
movement and collision)
• erosion (weathering).
Explains link between plate
tectonics and erosion to form
the landscape of the South
Island. Includes 2 of the
following points
For example:
Mountains formed by plate
movement along the Alpine
Fault
OR
Landscape has been shaped
and eroded by climate, (rain,
wind, and ice ages) resulting
in valleys filled with water.
OR
During the ice age the U
shaped valleys (or other
landforms attributed to
glaciers) were formed.
Discusses the effect on the
South Island landscape of
both glaciers and plate
tectonics.
Includes at least THREE of
the following points:
• Plate movement giving
subduction between the
Pacific Plate continental
Australian Plates led to
uplift and mountain
building.
• Later after the start of the
Kaikoura orogeny
landforms have been
shaped the Ice ages.
• Climate cooling caused
the formation of glaciers.
• The glaciers advanced
creating large valleys
through eroding rocks
from side walls.
• As climate warmed, the
glaciers melted and sea
levels rose creating the
fiords (drowned valleys).
Judgement Statement
Achievement
Achievement with Merit
Achievement with Excellence
2A
2M
2E