GEOLOGICAL EXCURSION.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20317, 17 August 1931, Page 16

GEOLOGICAL EXCURSION.

STUDENTS VISIT RAKAIA GORGE. A number of students studying geoi jgy at Canterbury College took advantage or the fact that Saturday was ■he first day of the vacation and made an excursion to Rakaia Gorge in ordel* i o obtain some practical field work. I lie party, which numbered about thirty. consisted in the main of engineering, science, and agriculture students, in charge of Dr. 11. S: Allan, lecurer in geology at the college. Mrs Allan also accompanied the party. Leaving Canterbury College by bus »d 9.30, the first stop Was at the Selvn Bridge, in order that observations might be made of the surrounding * opographv and of the fossiliferous deposits at the Selwyn Rapids. After lunching on the far.side of tho gorge bridge, the patty ascended tho bed of the gorge as far as possible. Tlero note was taken of the types of roc!:, both along the'cliffs and a# . water-worn fragments in the riverbed, mainly igneous rocks, being tho • result of extensive volcanic activity in tlie past. The students ascended to ' ;Ije road by means of gaps in the cliffs . afforded by shingle-slips, and were ,ible to observe some splendid examples , or faulting in tho fine silt which had, 1 .sen deposited by a glacier which in a iicient times filled the head of _ the ftakaia Valley. Walking on until in «ight of the gorge homestead, some of - ' tie students obtained numerous small - sarnets from an outcrop _ of. badly weathered • rhyolite on the side of the ' I iff, while others descended to the river-lovel to inspect the remains of a, small coal mine which was worked . there. . After returning to the bridge via .. - ii» road, the party left for Christrhurch, returning to the college about iialf-past sir.. It is intended, weather permitting, to opnrluct another similar excursion- to Weka Pass to-day.