ASHES AND ISSUES GUIDEBOOK FOR PRE-CONFERENCE NORTH ISLAND FIELD TRIP ‘ASHES AND ISSUES’ 28TH30TH NOVEMBER, 2008 SOILS 2008 AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND 4TH JOINT SOILS CONFERENCE MASSEY UNIVERSITY, PALMERSTON NORTH 15 DECEMBER, 2008 2 ISBN 978-0-473-14476-0 3 GUIDEBOOK FOR PRE-CONFERENCE NORTH ISLAND FIELD TRIP A1 ‘ASHES AND ISSUES’ 28TH 30TH NOVEMBER, 2008 NEW ZEALAND SOCIETY OF SOIL SCIENCE AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY OF SOIL SCIENCE 4TH JOINT SOILS CONFERENCE, PALMERSTON NORTH 1-5 DECEMBER, 2008 Compiled and edited by David J. Lowe Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Waikato Private Bag 3105, Hamilton 3240 ([email protected]) Field trip sponsored by Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Waikato Environment Waikato Scion With support from Soil and Earth Sciences, INR, Massey University & Landcare Research 4 General citation Lowe, D.J. (editor) 2008. Guidebook for Pre-conference North Island Field Trip A1 „Ashes and Issues‟, 28-30 November, 2008. Australian and New Zealand 4th Joint Soils Conference, Massey University, Palmerston North. New Zealand Society of Soil Science, Christchurch. 194 pp. (ISBN 978-0-473-14476-0) Specific article citation (e.g.) Charleson, T. 2008. Waipa Mill groundwater remediation: a success story. In Lowe, D.J. (ed), Guidebook for Pre-conference North Island Field Trip A1 „Ashes and Issues‟, 28-30 November, 2008. Australian and New Zealand 4th Joint Soils Conference, Massey University, Palmerston North. New Zealand Society of Soil Science, Christchurch. Pp.134-135. Note Some material in this guide is unpublished and authors or the editor should be consulted for permission before citing or reproducing it in any other publications. Text and photographs in the guide otherwise unattributed are by David J. Lowe © University of Waikato. Ma = millions of years ago; ka = thousands of years ago; BP = before present, „present‟ being defined as 1950 for radiocarbon- derived ages. Radiocarbon ages are given in calendar or calibrated (cal) years BP unless noted otherwise. Photo front cover Quaternary sequence of tephras and buried soils on Gordonton Rd near Hamilton. Very dark reddish- brown buried soil horizon (~1 Ma) at middle left is overlain directly by white Rangitawa Tephra (c. 350 ka) and succession of strongly weathered tephra beds and buried soil horizons (c. 350100 ka). Thin composite cover bed at top comprises Rotoehu Ash (c. 60 cal ka) and multiple intermixed younger tephras. Modern soil is the „two-storied‟ Kainui silt loam, an Aquic Kandiudult in Soil Taxonomy and a „Buried-granular‟ Yellow Ultic Soil in NZSC (Stop 2, Day 1). Predominant clay mineral is halloysite. 5 Table of contents Page Preface 8 Introduction to volcanism, tephras and associated soils in New Zealand D.J. Lowe, R.T. Smith, H.S. Jones 10 Soil classification 26 Introduction to regional councils in New Zealand 27 Issues in the Waikato: water and soil quality P.L. Singleton 28 Trace-element accumulation N.D. Kim 30 Day 1: AucklandRotorua Outline 34 Erosion rates and management at Pukekohe L.R. Basher, C.W. Ross 36 Stop 1: Pukekohe and Patumahoe soils 45 Stop 2: Kainui and Naike soils 55 Stop 3: Horotiu soils 73 Stop 4: Dentrification wall Five years of denitrification, C dynamics and nitrate removal on a denitrification wall L.A. Schipper, M. Vojvodić-Vuković 81 Groundwater and the Hinuera Formation M. Chapman 85 Stop 5: Tirau soil 88 Stop 6: Kuirau Park explosion crater 96 Day 2: RotoruaRotorua Outline 98 Introduction to Rotorua Basin W.R. Esler 100 Land use impacts on lake water quality A. Taylor, P.L. Singleton, D. Özkundakci 107 Rotorua sewage effluent irrigation scheme G.J.H.P. Gielen 112 Pharmaceutical leaching following land sewage application G.J.H.P Gielen 116 Summary main rhyolitic tephras deposited in Rotorua region since c. 27 cal ka 120 Overview of soils of Whakarewarewa Forest Park, Rotorua 122 Stop 1: Whakarewarewa soil 123 Forest carbon inventory and modelling P. Beets, T. Paul 129 Sampling for soil carbon stock assessment in plantation forests H.S. Jones 132 Stop 2: Land treatment spray block 134 Stop 3: Land treatment wetland 134 Waipa Mill groundwater remediation T. Charleson 134 Stop 4: Lake Okaro and wetlands 136 Lake Okaro and its restoration D. Özkundakci, C. McBride, A. Taylor 136 Military activities in Rerewhakaaitu area 141 Polynesian settlement and impacts of volcanism on early Maori society D.J. Lowe 142 Stop 5: Rotomahana soil 148 Impacts of deforestation, burning, and the role of bracken fern on soil properties D.J. Lowe, P.A. McDaniel 154 Potential impacts of ash fall on dairy farms T.M. Wilson, J.W. Cole 159 Stop 6: Matahina soil 161 Day 3: RotoruaPalmerston North Outline 170 Agriculture and the environment C.D.A. McLay 172 Stop 1: Achilles Dairy Farm and Taupo soil 176 Introduction to Taupo volcano D.J. Lowe 178 Stop 2: Loess and Holocene tephras (and Taupo soil) 184 Stop 3: Contrasting volcanoes; Lake Taupo catchment and water quality issues 189 Development of rules affecting land use in Lake Taupo catchment C.D.A. McLay 189 6 Ashes and Issues Map showing tour route and science stops North Island Ventura Inn, Airport Oaks (1 night) Ventura Inn, Rotorua (2 nights) D1: Stop 1 D1: Stop 2 D1: Stops 3 & 4 D2: Stops 1-4 D1: Stop 5 D1: Stop 6 D2: Stops 5-6 D3: Stops 1-2 D3: Stop 3 Massey Univ. 7 Itinerary in brief Day 1 (Fri 28th Nov): Auckland to Rotorua 8.00 am Depart Ventura Inn, Airport Oaks Morning: Scientific stops 1-2 Lunch: Academy of Performing Arts, Univ. of Waikato, Hamilton Afternoon: Scientific stops 3-6 6.30 pm Arrive Rotorua Accommodation at Ventura Inn, Rotorua 7.30 pm Meal at Valentines Buffet Restaurant Evening free Day 2 (Sat 29th Nov): Rotorua to Rotorua 8.00 am Depart Ventura Inn, Rotorua Morning: Scientific stops 1-4 Lunch: Rerewhakaaitu Hall, Rerewhakaaitu Afternoon: Scientific stops 5-6 5.30 pm Arrive Rotorua Accommodation at Ventura Inn, Rotorua 7.00–9.00 pm Meal and Maori concert, Rydges Hotel Day 3 (Sun 30th Nov): Rotorua to Palmerston North 8.00 am Depart Ventura Inn, Rotorua Morning: Scientific stops 1-3 Lunch: Aratiatia Afternoon: Break at Taupo gardens, Taupo; no scientific stops 6.00 pm Arrive Palmerston North 6.007.15 pm Meal and refreshments (ice breaker) at „Wharerata‟, Massey University 7.15 pm Transported to accommodation Acknowledgements Numerous people have contributed in various ways to this tour: planning, providing information, providing services, speaking at various stops, and supporting or co-leading. I am very appreciative of your help – thank you. David J. Lowe (ed). Jan Weston (Landcorp Pastoral, Reporoa) Haydon Jones (Scion) Mac Pacey (Farmer, Lake Rerewhakaaitu) Paul McDaniel (Univ. of Idaho) Barry and Jan Goodwin (Farmers, Tapapa, Mamaku Plateau) Peter Singleton (Environment Waikato) Penny MacCormick, John Paterson (Environment BOP) Monty Spencer (Wilcox Group) Brent Green (Asarco Exploration, Perth) Louis Schipper (Univ. of Waikato) Sarah Siebert, Vince Neall (Massey Univ.) Gerty Gielen (Scion) Colin Wilson (Univ. of Auckland) Peter Beets (Scion) Richard Chapman (Soil and Land Evaluation) Deniz Özkundakci (Univ. of Waikato) Chris McKinnon, Annette Rodgers (Univ. of Waikato) Chris Sutton (Farmer, Project Rerewhakaaitu) John Flynn (Grower/historian, Pukekohe) Chris McLay (Environment Waikato) Frank and Ken Balle (Growers, Pukekohe) Alan Bullick (Landcorp Pastoral, Reporoa) Roger Briggs, Geraldine Cook (Univ. of Waikato) Aaron Karaka (Landcorp Pastoral, Reporoa) Bob Stewart, Clel Wallace (Massey Univ.) Craig Ross (Landcare Research) Liz Hastie (Rerewhakaaitu) Les Basher (Landcare Research) Willem Hoebers (Farmer, Waikato) Gary Orbell (Consultant, formerly DSIR) Graham Shepherd (Consultant, formerly Landcare Research) Stephen Campbell (Landcare Research) Jo Horrocks (Min Civil Defence & Emergency Management) Tim Charleson (Red Stag Timber) Richard Smith (Min Civil Defence & Emergency Management) Nick Kim, Matthew Taylor (Environment Waikato) Rita Ram, Sharlene Herbig (Ventura Inn, Auckland & Rotorua) John McCraw (Emeritus Prof, Univ. of Waikato) Dave Palmer (Scion), Reece Hill (Environment Waikato) Malcolm McLeod (Landcare Research) PrefaceAndrew Rae (Victoria Univ. of Wellington) Amy Taylor (ARC) Ashley Cody (Brisbane), Laura Gould (Elsevier) Wim Rijkse (Consultant, formerly Landcare Res.) Vincent Knipmeijer (Oranga Catering, Univ. of Waikato) Michael Chapman (Hydraulic Modelling Services) Debra Kiddie (Rydges Hotel, Rotorua) David Hamilton (Univ. of Waikato) Kake Kautai (Valentines, Rotorua) Will Esler (Rotorua) Ray Salter (Ministry of Tourism) Joy Grove (National Library) Trevor Webb (Landcare Research, Lincoln) 8 Preface Welcome to New Zealand or Aotearoa – „Land of the long lingering day [twilight]‟ – and to our three-day pre-conference North Island field trip „Ashes and Issues‟. We trust your stay in New Zealand is both informative and friendly and there is something for everyone on the trip. The itinerary in brief and a map of the North Island showing the main scientific stops are shown above. At the time of guidebook preparation, we have a group of 23, including four students, on the tour with participants from Japan, Taiwan, USA, UK, Australia and New Zealand. The tour leaders are Prof David Lowe (Univ. of Waikato, Hamilton) and Dr Haydon Jones (Scion Research, Rotorua). Assistant leader is Prof Paul McDaniel (Univ. of Idaho, Moscow), on leave at the Univ. of Waikato JulyDecember, 2008. We offer a warm welcome to you all. Because we have considerable distances to travel (especially Day 3), as well as a range of stops planned, we will need to leave the hotel at 8.00 am each day. Themes Our route takes us progressively towards the locus of the most recently active volcanic centres in central North Island, and so the surficial tephra deposits and buried soil horizons generally become successively younger and less weathered towards the Rotorua and Taupo areas. We will see Ultisols, Andisols (including Vitrands), and Entisols, the oldest soil being possibly ~250,000 years and the youngest 122 years (although there is a twist in that the 122 year-old soil contains 2030% clay).