News
Kaikōura quake shaped our understanding of complex earthquakes and preparedness: reflections on the tenth anniversary
Ten years after the magnitude 7.8 Kaikōura earthquake struck just after midnight on 14 November 2016, the event remains one of the most significant earthquakes in New Zealand's modern history.
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First large-scale aerial remote-sensing survey unlocks potential for improved agricultural methane measurement and mitigation
Earth Sciences New Zealand-led analysis of a survey of United States agricultural sites finds that, under certain conditions, methane emissions from intensive dairy feedlots may be underestimated in national inventories.
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Dobson #17 takes a final bow after nearly four decades of service measuring Antarctic ozone
Sylvia Nichol directed sunlight down the Dobson’s periscope to make its first Antarctic measurement back in 1988, and was there to make the final measurement 38 years later.
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First evidence that climate change fuelled wildfires are changing methane in our atmosphere on a global scale
Earth Sciences New Zealand-led analysis in the World Meteorological Organization’s annual report on global greenhouse gases has revealed a shift in the source of methane emissions, potentially signalling the beginning of a large-scale climate change feedback in Earth’s natural system.
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New Zealand-led research at climate science’s AI frontier unlocks extreme weather insights
Earth Sciences New Zealand researchers have used generative AI to produce high-resolution climate projections at a scale previously out of reach, providing a window into future changes in rainfall, temperature and extreme weather events in a warming world.
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Pounamu toughest stone of its kind in the world
New research confirms something Māori carvers have known for generations: high-quality pounamu is an extraordinarily tough stone.
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Tiny creatures living in our estuaries are having a big impact on ecosystem health
Long-term data shows which seabed communities keep estuaries resilient - and why monitoring matters.
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Increased tropical cyclone activity possible for parts of the Southwest Pacific
The Southwest Pacific could experience at least four severe tropical cyclones reaching category 3 or higher this season, according to the 2026/27 Tropical Cyclone Outlook coordinated by Earth Sciences New Zealand.
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Hidden climate risk beneath East Antarctica, new study warns
It holds enough ice to raise global sea levels by three to four metres and, until recently, has been viewed as relatively stable. Now a major new study is calling for urgent research on East Antarctica’s Wilkes Subglacial Basin and its potential to dramatically increase sea-levels as the climate warms.
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Westport flood inundation forecasting first of its kind
Westport communities and emergency responders will be better placed to respond to future floods, with West Coast Regional Council (WCRC) and Earth Sciences New Zealand delivering the country’s first operational flood inundation forecasting system.
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Science strengthening tsunami safety
New social science research is helping strengthen tsunami safety messaging by showing how people understand evacuation maps, natural warnings and official alerts.
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El Niño 2026: What you need to know
New Zealand will feel the impacts of a ‘very strong’ El Niño event over spring and summer of 2026/27. Here’s what you need to know.
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