On 1 July 2025, NIWA merged with GNS Science to become Earth Sciences New Zealand.

Atmospheric analysis

NIWA has been using advanced scientific instruments to measure atmospheric trace gases and isotopes for over 50 years.

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    Water clarity

    Water clarity or turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness in a fluid caused by individual small particles (suspended solids).
  • Impacts of hydro

    Impacts of hydro-electric activities on water quality and mahinga kai.
  • Layers of the atmosphere

    Education Resource
    The atmosphere is comprised of layers based on temperature. These layers are the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere and thermosphere.
  • NZ's warmest and wettest winter on record

    Media release
    NIWA’s climate scientists can now confirm what you may have suspected. After carefully poring through more than a century’s worth of data, it has been officially determined that winter 2022 was Aotearoa New Zealand’s warmest and wettest on record.
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    Bay of Plenty

  • Our work

    We have an exciting range of career opportunities at NIWA in both the scientific and professional support areas.
  • Drought indicator charts

  • Dairy farming activities

    Dairy farms operate to maximise milk production
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    Sediment and mining

    How can mining activities influence sediments in waterways?
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    Climate change, global warming and greenhouse gases

    Climate data and common terms explaining the causes and effects of climate change.
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    Rain Gauge - OTA OSK15180T

    This is the standard precision instrument NIWA uses throughout New Zealand in the National Climate Network, and elsewhere, for rainfall measurement.
  • New Zealand from space

    This daily image of New Zealand from space was created using data from one of NASA's EOS satellites, collected at our receiving station in Lauder, Central Otago.