Banks Peninsula on New Zealand’s South Island

Today’s Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features the Canterbury region of New Zealand’s South Island, where the landscape is remarkably diverse. 

On the east coast of the island, the topography shifts dramatically on Banks Peninsula, which was an active volcanic complex until about 6 million years ago.

According to NASA, water from the sea and from streams have since cut away at the rock, helping to shape the peninsula’s valleys, bays, and coastal cliffs

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory 

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By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer