National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
NIWA, the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, is a Crown Research Institute established in 1992. It operates as a stand-alone company with its own Board of Directors and Executive.
NIWA’S purpose is to enhance the economic value and sustainable management of New Zealand’s aquatic resources and environments, to provide understanding of climate and the atmosphere and increase resilience to weather and climate hazards to improve safety and wellbeing of New Zealanders.
Laura Revell, University of Canterbury; Dan Smale, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, and Richard McKenzie, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
More frequent wildfires, emissions from rocket launches and more satellite debris burning up in the atmosphere all contribute to ozone depletion and could slow the recovery of the ozone layer.
A longa expectativa de vida e baixa taxa de reprodução tornam os tubarões e as arraias de águas profundas tão vulneráveis à exploração excessiva quanto as baleias
Long lifespans and slow reproduction rates make deep-water sharks and rays as vulnerable to overexploitation as whales once were. We must place them under protection to avoid extinctions.
Andrew Lorrey, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research; George Hook, Canterbury Museum; Lauren Vargo, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington, and Shaun Eaves, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
An estimated 13 trillion litres of ice has already been lost from glaciers in New Zealand’s Southern Alps since 1978. Several are now approaching extinction.
Craig Stevens, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau and Natalie Robinson, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
The rapid changes in the Southern Ocean and Antarctica highlight the urgency of better direct observations and measurements, beyond satellite monitoring and modelling.
Craig Stevens, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
The world’s oceans regulate our climate, but they are entering uncharted territory, with record surface warming and changes to Antarctica’s deep meltwater which drives global currents.
Craig Stevens, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
Building offshore wind farms is complex and expensive. But with plenty of wind coming in from the sea, New Zealand could harness the renewable resource as it aims to decarbonise the energy sector.
Rocks deposited by vanishing glaciers in the Southern Alps thousands of years ago hold climate clues about the past, painting a bleak picture about the long-term survival of alpine ice in New Zealand.
Olaf Morgenstern, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
The current estimate is that Earth would warm by 1.5°C to 4.5°C if emissions were to double on pre-industrial levels. The range has remained stubbornly wide, despite improved climate modelling.
Huw Joseph Horgan, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington and Craig Stevens, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
Researchers have surveyed an Antarctic under-ice river for the first time directly, and their observations support the idea that such sub-glacial rivers form estuaries as they flow into the ocean.
The ocean has been buffering us from the impacts of climate change, but it is reaching the limit of this capacity. Integrating ocean and climate policy will be crucial.
Craig Stevens, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research; Louise Kregting, Queen's University Belfast, and Vladislav Sorokin, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Ocean waves are a massive source of energy, but it’s challenging to design power generators for the harsh environment. Allowing marine organisms to grow on engineered structures could help.
Gary John Brierley, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; Dan C H Hikuroa, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; Heide Friedrich, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; Ian Christopher Fuller, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University; James Brasington, University of Canterbury; Jo Hoyle, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research; Jon Tunnicliffe, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; Kristiann Allen, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau, and Richard Measures, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
Given climate change predictions of more extreme floods in New Zealand, it’s time to change management practices to work with a river, allowing it room to move and its channels to adjust.
L’océan Austral constitue le principal réservoir de chaleur et de carbone de notre planète. Il abrite des formes de vie extraordinaires, des invertébrés microscopiques aux gigantesques baleines.
Lautan Selatan (Antarktika) merupakan penyimpanan utama panas dan karbon di Bumi, serta rumah bagi kehidupan laut yang menakjubkan seperti penguin, alga, dan paus.
El Océano Austral (Antártico) es el principal almacén de calor y carbono de nuestro planeta, y es hogar de extraordinarias formas de vida, desde pequeñas algas y criaturas sin espinas hasta pingüinos, focas y ballenas.
The Southern (Antarctic) Ocean is our planet’s primary storage of heat and carbon, and it’s home to extraordinary life forms, from tiny algae and spineless creatures to penguins, seals and whales.
Andrew Magee, University of Newcastle; Andrew Lorrey, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, and Anthony Kiem, University of Newcastle
Tropical cyclones account for almost four in five natural disasters across Pacific Island nations. But a new forecasting tool now gives up to four months warning for the upcoming cyclone season.
Latest research explores how a warming ocean circulates underneath Antarctica’s floating ice shelves and how this contributes to future sea level rise.