New Zealand geologic time scale

In New Zealand, these epochs and stages use local place names (mainly Māori in origin) back to the Permian.

[1] In practice, these earlier terms are rarely used, as most New Zealand geology is of a more recent origin.

Very few epochs and stages cross international period boundaries, and the exceptions are almost all within the Cenozoic Era.

The Haweran, which started some 340,000 years ago, is named after the North Island town of Hāwera.

[2] Stages prior to the beginning of the Carboniferous Period use either international (Devonian/Silurian) or Australian (Ordovician/Cambrian) geologic stage names; very little New Zealand rock is known from these geologic periods.

Geologic time scale for context with proportional representation of eons/eonothems and eras/erathems. Cenozoic is abbreviated to Cz. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life.
International geologic time scale for context with proportional representation of eons/eonothems and eras/erathems mentioned on this page. Currently we are in the Cenozoic (abbreviated to Cz) era. The image also shows some notable events in Earth's history and the general evolution of life. Ma represents one million Earth years.