Soil age data layer used in the creation of Land Environments of New Zealand (LENZ) classification. The classification layers have been made publicly available by the Ministry for the Environment (see https://data.mfe.govt.nz/layers/?q=LENZ for to access these layers).
This data layer is a classification of two broad soil age classes based on their membership in the New Zealand Soil Classification. This layer describes soil age using morphological features associated with soil development rather than criteria based on chronological ages. As a consequence, soils classified as recent in dry cool environment may be much older than recent soils from warm, wet environments. Only two classes of soil age, Younger (1) and Older (2). The class defined as "0" signifies areas where there are no soil attributes recorded (i.e. high peaks of the Southern Alps).
Additional details such as discussion about the accuracy and reliability of the LENZ soil layers and the technical definitions of the categories in this layer are defined in the attached LENZ Technical Guide.
