K‐Ar ages, paleomagnetism, and geochemistry of the South Auckland volcanic field, North Island, New Zealand

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Abstract
The South Auckland volcanic field is one of the Pliocene‐Quaternary intraplate basaltic fields in northern North Island. It consists of at least 97 monogenetic volcanic centres covering an area of c. 300 km2, 38 km south of Auckland. Fifty‐nine of the volcanic centres are characterised by mainly magmatic or effusive activity that constructed scoria cones and lava flows, while 38 are mainly phreatomagmatic or explosive that produced tuff rings and maars. Rock types consist of basanites, hawaiites, nepheline hawaiites, transitional basalts, and oZ‐tholeiitic basalts, with relatively minor amounts of nephelinites, alkali basalts, Q‐tholeiitic basalts, and nepheline mugearites. Forty‐three new K‐Ar ages are presented, which range from 0.51 to 1.59 Ma, and show two peaks of activity at 0.6 and 1.3 Ma. Paleomagnetic determinations at 26 selected sites agree well with the paleomagnetic reversal time scale and support the K‐Ar age data. Age data from each of the volcanic fields of Okete, Ngatutura, South Auckland, and Auckland, which constitute the Auckland intraplate basaltic province, show that they have developed within a time span of 0.3–1.1 Ma. After activity ceased in any particular field, a new field then developed 35–38 km to the north. These consistent time/ space patterns indicate the possibility of a mantle source migrating northwards at c. 5 cm/yr. There is no correlation of rock composition with time, which is consistent with observations in the Northland intraplate province, but is not consistent with the formerly invoked rising diapir model.