NEW ZEALAND NATURE NOTES. 



THE GEOMORPHOLOGY OF WELLINGTON. 



THE ORIGIN OF THE PORT NICHOLSON DEPRESSION. 



THE Port Nicholson depression containing one of the world's finest 

 natural harbours, the location of which has determined the position 

 of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand may be described as 

 an area of subsidence partially submerged, so that it now comprises 



FIG. i. Map of Port Nicholson. 



a broad sheet of water (Port Nicholson) and several embayed ridges 

 between this and the sea to the south (fig. i). 



The depression is almost surrounded to west, north, and east 

 by a higher-standing land-surface. The dominant features of the 

 high-standing area, and also of the unsubmerged portions of the 

 area of subsidence, are mature ridges and spurs, but remnants of a 

 dissected peneplain may be traced on some of the ridges, and most 

 of the valleys are rejuvenated. In the western part the average 



