Science, said US physicist and two-time Nobel prize winner John Bardeen, is a collaborative effort.
“Further, it is truly international in scope … the combined result of several people working together is often much more effective than could be that of an individual scientist working alone.”
NIWA, like scientific institutions worldwide, has international collaboration in its DNA. It works with most of the leading scientific institutions in its fields – more of that overleaf – and the networks of its scientists reach into the far flung corners of the globe.
Atmospheric scientist Peter Sperlich is the perfect embodiment of that practice. Born in Cologne, his university studies took him from Goettingen and Bremen in Germany to Copehagen in Denmark when he completed his PhD in geophysics. But not before coming to New Zealand.
“The Danish PhD system recognises the importance of overseas experience and relationships for a science career so funds a visit to an overseas lab. I was developing a method to measure methane isotopes in ancient ice core samples and the NIWA gas lab is the birthplace of such measurements so it was a privilege to come here.”
Sperlich is now the manager of NIWA’s Tropospheric Chemistry Group which maintains a long-standing time series of greenhouse gas concentrations. The team develops new methods to make extremely challenging measurements of tiny atmospheric changes.
“Measuring these microscopic changes takes place within a global network which helps define greenhouse gas emissions. It’s a very exciting field to work in and one where I feel our team can make a difference.”
Sperlich and his team collaborate on method development, air sampling, analysis and interpretation of results among other areas.
“We also calibrate many of our instruments using standard gases that are only available from one specific international institute. We exchange air samples to assess our global measurements and to ensure our measurements and those of every other lab are as robust as can be.”
Sperlich says one of his favourite collaborative ventures was camping on the Greenland ice sheet with 25 researchers from 11 countries “all coming together to retrieve a bit of ancient ice for analysis”.
Right now, he is developing a new system for measuring methane from waste and agricultural sources – a project he says he was able to get going a lot faster with the help of international colleagues, requiring less funding to achieve the goal.
“Our international collaborations grow because we have a desire to improve and help each other. These partnerships constantly provide vital building blocks to our work. With no funding to waste and no time to lose, working together internationally has proven many times over to be a successful way to maximise the impact of our research and the benefit for New Zealand.”
Any scientist at NIWA can easily rattle off a list of names and institutions around the world that they talk to on a regular basis. But it’s the variety of these collaborations which provides an insight into just how international science really is.
Rafa Costa Santana met US scientist Chris Horvat on a staff outing to Wellington nature reserve Zealandia. Horvat stayed in touch when he returned to the US and then introduced Santana to colleagues in Norway. They simulated fractures in Antarctic sea ice for the first time with the results suggesting a need to change how sea ice is simulated in climate models.
It’s important information for the planet, but for Santana it’s also resulted in some firm friendships.
“We’re all still in touch and are participating in a workshop together in July.”
Data scientist Gemma Mason has been working with the UK Met Office and Bureau of Meteorology in Australia creating a software package for data management of AI and machine learning in weather, climate and other earth sciences.
What started as a reading group to keep up with dramatic advances in AI, has led to a joint funding proposal. “We’ve now got the beginnings of a great software package.”
And a mysterious sea cucumber was the catalyst for marine ecologist Niki Davey travelling to Poland, France and the US sharing her taxonomic expertise. Her first collaboration with a researcher at the Museum of Victoria in Australia came when she was struggling to identify the sea cucumber she was studying in Fiordland.
That association led to another, and she has recently been involved in a joint report on sea cucumbers in the Indian Ocean territories.
“It is so hard to get funding for this type of work so really, the collaborative support is one of the greatest achievements.”
Meanwhile, climate scientist Suzanne Rosier’s connections with Oxford University have enabled her to create New Zealand’s only multi-member regional climate model simulations using Oxford’s platform for distributing 3D numerical climate models to the public, harnessing their spare computer power.
“In this way the models can be run many more times than are usually possible, even with a supercomputer. These have enabled us to document many aspects of New Zealand’s extreme weather, and how it is changing as a result of human interference in the climate system.”
Better together. It’s how we roll.
Working with the world
Marine research
For more than 30 years NIWA has contributed to global marine research. NIWA’s relationship with German organisations, the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research and Kiel University has enabled its scientists to take part in voyages aboard the deep ocean research vessel Sonne. This year NIWA scientists have been on board twice, surveying coral reefs and sea mounts and studying the risk of undersea landslides.
NIWA scientists were also on board the Chinese vessel RV Tan Suo Yi Hao to explore the Pyusegur Trench.
Atmospheric data
Every few weeks NIWA collects two flasks of air from Baring Head, near Wellington, and sends them to the US where The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration measures them, recording the amounts of methane, carbon dioxide, and a range of other gases.
The information, along with other data supplied from across the globe, is fed into a co-operative air sampling network, forming one of the world’s most valuable atmospheric measuring programmes.
Argo floats
For more than two decades, NIWA has been part of the international Argo programme, deploying floats to measure temperature and salinity throughout the world’s oceans.
This collaboration with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the University of Washington and CSIRO improves understanding of the oceans’ role in climate, weather and climate prediction.
NIWA has deployed about 20 per cent of the 4000-strong float network. Most floats measure the oceans' top 2,000 m but Deep Argo floats go down to 6,000 m.
Pacific partnerships
Since 2016 NIWA scientists have worked with six Pacific countries on the Pacific Risk Tool for Resilience project to build resilience to climate-related hazards.
The upcoming work includes the Cook Islands, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu and Tuvalu. It addresses a critical gap in the availability and use of low-cost tools to support people making decisions based on the risk of extreme weather events.
Antarctica research
NIWA is a major contributor to stewardship and science in the Antarctic region. Scientists conduct Antarctic field work for a range of research projects, mostly related to climate change.
NIWA also maintains an atmospheric measuring station at Arrival Heights and has led a multi-year programme to monitor the marine protected area of the Ross Sea.
The state of Antarctic fisheries is also a key research area for NIWA scientists having significant input into CCAMLR, the international convention to conserve Antarctic marine life.
Antarctic voyages
About every two years NIWA’s flagship research vessel Tangaroa heads to the Ross Sea, carrying scientists from around the globe. Each mission contributes to our growing understanding of the region.
Tangaroa has now been to Antarctica 16 times, supported by a range of institutions within New Zealand and overseas.
Methane measuring
One of NIWA’ s most high-profile international projects is MethaneSAT, the first NZ government-funded satellite mission.
The MethaneSAT satellite measures methane with pinpoint precision. This allows scientists to determine the sources of this potent greenhouse gas. Designed to detect emissions from oil and gas infrastructure, MethaneSAT can also be used to measure agriculture emissions.
This year NIWA conducted a trial using ground-based remote sensing and atmospheric profiles from aircraft to validate satellite measurements.
Better forecasting
The Momentum Partnership comprises five countries developing world-leading weather and climate forecasting technology. Members include NZ (NIWA), UK, Australia, India and Singapore plus four associates.
The partnership is a world-leading modelling framework at the core of weather and climate prediction. It is invaluable in forecasting tropical cyclones, fire weather risks, flooding and storm surges. The partnership focuses on global and regional predictions and projections, and AI applications.