Arc-flank volcaniclastic sedimentation in the Murihiku Terrane of New Zealand lasted
about 120 million years from Late Permian to Early Cretaceous time. Despite the effects of pervasive
zeolite-facies alteration, whole-rock geochemical parameters for sandstones, siltstones and tuffs
record changes in source-rock composition, both in time and along the length of the depositional
basin. Sandstones are considered to give a more reliable indication of the state of evolution of the
source volcanic arc than do the siltstones. The siltstones commonly contain detrital white mica flakes
that are generally lacking in the sandstones, and are possibly of distal continental origin. Some also
contain very fine felsic ash particles. Average abundances and normalized multi-element diagrams are
used to estimate proportions of three model end-member source constituents, average upper-continental
crust (UCC), high-K rhyolite (RHY) and basaltic andesite (AND). Sandstone provenance for the
Southland Syncline sector changed from a predominantly basaltic-andesite source in Late Permian to
early Middle Triassic time, for example, UCC:RHY:AND = 0:17:83 in the Early to early Middle
Triassic, to highly felsic in the Middle to Late Triassic, reaching UCC:RHY:AND = 2:74:24 in the
Late Triassic Oretian Stage. A UCC component became increasing significant from latest Triassic
upward and the proportion of mafic to felsic volcanism increased again, with UCC:RHY:AND =
15:30:35 in the Middle Jurassic Temaikan Stage. Mix modelling suggests that along-arc source proportions
varied, with greater mafic and upper continental crust contributions in the northern Kawhia segment
than in the Southland segment. These patterns may be explained by deposition at an oceanic
Aleutian-type arc margin, with transition to a continental oceanic arc character induced either by
arc evolution and dissection, forearc sliver translation, or underplating of rafted microcontinental
fragments.