News

Read about the important science being undertaken at NIWA, and how it affects New Zealanders

  • Lake Tekapo study raises awareness of tsunamis in NZ lakes

    Media release
    A pilot project has provided the most advanced mapping of a New Zealand lake ever and highlights the hazard to lakeside towns of tsunamis caused by landslides.
  • NIWA urges farmers to prepare for climate change

    Media release
    NIWA is encouraging farmers to plan for climate change so they can maximise their abilities to adapt and thrive as significant change begins to take place.
  • La Niña's gone; wild and unruly arrives

    Media release
    We've got hot temperatures, we've got cold temperatures, freezing temperatures, ice, snow, hail, rain - and even a few rays of sunshine. And one very confused weather pattern.
  • Underwater footage shows exceptional clarity of Te Waikoropupū Springs

    Media release
    On the bottom of New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs is an underwater garden of vivid green, pinks and inky blues.
  • Scientists bring in schoolchildren to help with air quality research

    Media release
    Pupils at a Central Otago primary school are helping NIWA air quality scientists learn more about pollution in their town in a four-month project that will track where smoke comes from and where it goes over winter.
  • NIWA undertakes an ambitious, complex seabed experiment

    Media release
    One of the most challenging scientific underwater experiments ever attempted by NIWA is taking place this month on the Chatham Rise.
  • Unidentified whale signals recorded in Cook Strait

    Media release
    Two yet-to-be identified species of beaked whales have been detected in the Cook Strait region. Identifying which species they are is important for understanding the status of marine mammal populations in New Zealand waters.
  • Profile: Bob Newland

    Feature story
    Being prepared to give anything a go and thinking outside the box to get a job done – often in incredibly challenging conditions – is something Bob takes great personal and professional pride in.
  • The record summer of 2017/18

    Feature story
    Less than a week before the official end of summer on 28 February, temperatures dropped and a cool breeze made a whistle-stop tour of the country.
  • Encouraging interest in science

    Feature story
    Efforts to create interest in STEM education (science, technology, engineering and maths) have led to a 40 per cent increase in tertiary students taking the subjects this year.
  • Panorama: John Morgan - A quantum leap in New Zealand's science capability

    Feature story
    How long would it take to count all the grains of sand in the world? About 5000 seconds – a little over an hour and 20 minutes – if you had a Cray XC50. NIWA has just installed one at the High Performance Computing Facility in Wellington.
  • Silicon power

    Feature story
    Massive increases in computing power are allowing NIWA scientists to not only analyse more data, faster, but also to envisage completely new experiments.