Notice of Decisions to Alter, Adopt and Discontinue Undersea Feature Names
Pursuant to sections 10(1)(d), 25 and 26 of the New Zealand Geographic Board (Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa) Act 2008, the New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa (“Board”) hereby gives notice of 26 altered and adopted official undersea feature names, and two discontinued undersea feature names, beyond New Zealand’s 12 nautical mile territorial limit, as described in the Schedule below.
The Board’s final determinations on these undersea feature names took effect on 24 May 2018.
Altered, Adopted or Discontinued Undersea Feature Name |
Undersea Feature Type |
Description |
Coordinates (latitude, longitude) |
Akaroa Valleys |
Valleys |
A series of sea valleys approximately 95km southeast of the entrance to Akaroa Harbour. Depicted on Banks Chart©, Herzer, 1977. Alteration from the unofficial name, Akaroa Sea Valleys. |
-44.6006, 173.6342 |
Akopov Seamounts |
Seamounts |
Three seamounts approximately 319km east of Sturge Island, in the Balleny Islands. Published in the GEBCO Gazetteer. Adopted as official. |
-67.7401, 172.3748 |
Anashkin Seamount |
Seamount |
A seamount approximately 435km northeast of Cape Adare, Antarctica. Published in the GEBCO Gazetteer. Adopted as official. |
-68.3167, 177.5667 |
Antipodes Scarp |
Scarp |
Published in an official document. The feature is already named Campbell Escarpment (official name by New Zealand Gazette, 16 December 2010, Issue No. 173, page 4275) and so is Discontinued. |
-48, -179 |
Bellingshausen Basin |
Basin |
A basin extending from the southwest coast of Chile into the Southern Ocean north of King Edward VII Land, Antarctica. Published in the GEBCO Gazetteer. Adopted as official. |
-71, -160 |
Bligh Valley |
Valley |
A small sea valley that extends west of the Bounty Islands. Depicted on Bounty Island Chart©, Cullen, 1969. Alteration from the unofficial name, Bligh Sea Valley. |
-47.7283, 178.7 |
Bounty Shelf |
Shelf |
The shelf adjacent to the Bounty Islands. Depicted on Bounty Island Chart©, Cullen, 1969. Adopted as official. |
-47.5833, 179.25 |
Cathedral Banks |
Banks |
An area of irregular banks trending north-northeast, south-southwest, on Campbell Plateau approximately 80km south-east of Auckland Islands. Depicted on Auckland Bathymetry Chart©, Summerhayes, 1967. Adopted as official. |
-51.5, 166.75 |
Cook Fracture Zone |
Fracture Zone |
A scarp-like northwest trending rectilinear feature north of New Zealand, which separates and offsets Three Kings Ridge with Loyalty Ridge. Published in an official document. Adopted as official. |
-27, 172.1833 |
Dolgorae Hills |
Hills |
Two dolphin-shaped hills within Adare Basin in the Southern Ocean, approximately 128km northeast of Cape Adare, Antarctica. Published in the GEBCO Gazetteer. Adopted as official. |
-70.6333, 173.1 |
Gungpa Hills |
Hills |
Four hills in the Ross Sea, approximately 100km north of Ross Island, Antarctica. Published in the GEBCO Gazetteer. Adopted as official. |
-76.4583, 168.37 |
Hikurua / de Surville Canyon |
Canyon |
A narrow northeast trending canyon approximately 30km north of northernmost New Zealand. Depicted on North Cape Chart©, Mitchell & Eade, 1990. Alteration from the unofficial name, Surville Canyon. |
-34.1073, 173.0869 |
Hooker Basin |
Basin |
A basin in the Ross Sea, approximately 28km north of Cape Hooker, Victoria Land, Antarctica. Published in the GEBCO Gazetteer. Adopted as official. |
-70.3855, 166.6461 |
Kalyuzhnyy Hill |
Hill |
A hill approximately 145km east of Sturge Island, in the Balleny Islands. Published in the GEBCO Gazetteer. Adopted as official. |
-67.2967, 168.27 |
Kkotsin Knoll |
Knoll |
A knoll in the Southern Ocean, approximately 1490km south-east of Campbell Island / Motu Ihupuku. Published in the GEBCO Gazetteer. Adopted as official. |
-61.6033, -172.4833 |
Lavaud Valley |
Valley |
A sea valley approximately 110km southeast of Banks Peninsula. Depicted on Banks Chart©, Herzer, 1977. Alteration from Lavaud Sea Valleys (official name by New Zealand Gazette, 28 May 2015, Issue No. 58, Notice No. 2015-ln3063). |
-44.5833, 173.9167 |
Moeraki Canyon |
Canyon |
A canyon incised into the upper continental shelf, approximately 55km north-east of Otago Peninsula. Depicted on Oamaru Chart©, Carter & Carter, 1981. Adopted as official. |
-45.5, 171.35 |
North Ritchie Trough |
Trough |
A north-south trending trough that has a wide floor, approximately 45km east-southeast of Mahia Peninsula. Depicted on Mahia Chart©, Arron & Lewis, 1991 Adopted as official. |
-39.3804, 178.3708 |
Papanui Canyon |
Canyon |
A canyon incised into the outer continental shelf and upper continental slope between 20km and 35km offshore from Otago Peninsula. Depicted on Otago Chart©, Carter, 1986. Adopted as official. |
-45.8716, 171.0805 |
Pārengarenga Canyons |
Canyons |
Two canyons on the upper continental slope, extending north-eastwards from approximately 10km east of North Cape (Otou). Depicted on North Cape Chart©, Mitchell & Eade, 1990. Alteration from the unofficial name, Parengarenga Canyons. |
-34.3354, 173.3261 |
Pickersgill Ridge |
Ridge |
An isolated ridge trending northeast-southwest, in Tasman Basin approximately 380km south-southwest of the south-west coast of the South Island. Depicted on Resolution Chart©, van der Linden & Hayes, 1972. Alteration from the unofficial name, Pickersgill Seamount. |
-46.6693, 161.7374 |
Scott Island Bank |
Bank |
The bank feature does not exist. No longer an official undersea feature name (valid by sections 35(1) and (2) of the NZGB Act 2008: Provisional Gazetteer, 1958), and so is Discontinued. |
-67.75, -179.9167 |
Shirase Bank |
Bank |
A bank in the Ross Sea, Antarctica, offshore from Shirase Coast. Published in the GEBCO Gazetteer. Adopted as official. |
-76.6667, -158 |
South Ritchie Trough |
Trough |
A north-northeast, south-southwest trending trough that reaches a depth of 1050m, approximately 52km southeast of Mahia Peninsula. Depicted on Mahia Chart©, Arron & Lewis, 1992. Adopted as official. |
-39.6211, 178.2674 |
Ssangdungi Hills |
Hills |
Two hills in the Southern Ocean, approximately 40km north-east of Scott Island. Published in the GEBCO Gazetteer. Adopted as official. |
-67.2683, -179.0517 |
Terror Fracture Zone |
Fracture Zone |
A northwest-southeast trending fracture zone in the Southern Ocean, approximately 730km northeast of the Balleny Islands. Published in the GEBCO Gazetteer. Adopted as official. |
-64.511, 178.506 |
Viti Canyons |
Canyons |
Three canyons on the upper continental slope, approximately 115km west-northwest of Cape Egmont. They extend westwards towards the southern end of New Caledonia Trough. Depicted on Cook Chart©, Baldwin & Lewis, 1991. Adopted as official. |
-38.9726, 172.4458 |
West Ngātoro Knolls |
Knolls |
An isolated conical knoll that is part of the northernmost group of knolls on the western side of Tauranga Trough. Depicted on Bay of Plenty Chart©, Wright, 1989. Alteration from the unofficial name, West Ngatoro Knoll. |
-36.9625, 176.8507 |
Dated at Wellington this 24th day of May 2018.
W. K. SHAW, Secretary, New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa.