Tahora Formation

Tahora Formation
Stratigraphic range: Santonian-Maastrichtian (Piripauan) ~85.8–66 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Type	Geological formation
Unit of	Tinui Group
Sub-units	Maungataniwha Sandstone Member, Mutuera Member, Houpapa Member
Underlies	Whangai Formation
Overlies	Urewera Group or Matawai Group
Thickness	~500 m (1,600 ft)[1]
Lithology
Primary	Sandstone, conglomerate
Other	Siltstone
Location
Coordinates	39°00′S 176°48′E / 39.0°S 176.8°E / -39.0; 176.8
Approximate paleocoordinates	59°24′S 168°48′W / 59.4°S 168.8°W / -59.4; -168.8
Region	North Island
Country	New Zealand
Extent	Gisborne
Type section
Named for	Tahora Station
Tahora Formation (New Zealand)

The Tahora Formation is a Late Cretaceous geologic formation that outcrops in northeastern New Zealand near Napier.^[2][3] It is Haumurian in age according to the New Zealand geologic time scale (mainly Campanian, but ranging from Santonian to lower Maastrichtian). It forms part of the Upper Cretaceous to Teurian (Danian) (lower Paleocene) Tinui Group. It unconformably overlies the Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous Urewera Group or the Upper Cretaceous Matawai Group. It is conformably overlain by the Haumurian to Teurian Whangai Formation. It consist of three members, the Maungataniwha Sandstone Member, the Mutuera Member and the Houpapa Member.^[1] It is named for Tahora Station, south of Matawai in the Gisborne Region. The aptly named Maungataniwha (Māori for "mountain of monsters") Sandstone Member is known for its rich reptile fossil remains, first investigated by amateur palaeontologist Joan Wiffen.