Atmospheric analysis

A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.

A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.

Almost half of Aotearoa New Zealand’s CO2-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture. This is a much higher proportion than most other countries – globally, agricultural emissions average around 7.5% of a country’s total emissions.

The ear bone of a snapper holds a wealth of information. However, it is not until you look at thousands of them that the picture of a population reveals itself. So where do you get 10,000 snapper ear bones from?

2 reports presenting the value of Crown Research Institutes in Aotearoa New Zealand's science system today and pathways to the future.

One of the best ways to reduce the likelihood of Covid-19 being transmitted in Aotearoa New Zealand classrooms is simply by opening doors and windows to create natural ventilation, say NIWA air quality experts.

Read NIWA's 2020/21 Annual Report and 2021 Year in Review.

A break in the clouds in a remote Fiordland valley and a chance encounter with a jellyfish under the Antarctic ice provide just some of the highlights from this year’s NIWA Staff Photography competition.

New NIWA-led research shows increasing flood risk is going to be what leads people to make changes to adapt to sea-level rise.

The Otolith is the earbone of the fish and like the rings on a tree it can tell us about the story of the fish's life.

With cascading waterfalls and native bush tumbling down mountainous terrain, Fiordland is one of the most eye-catching parts of the country. But peer beneath the waves and you'll see that Fiordland's marine invertebrate and seaweed communities are every bit as remarkable and awe-inspiring.

Christchurch-based environmental monitoring technicians Alec Dempster and Pieter Havelaar got way off the beaten track this week, heading to a snow-covered Mt Potts for weather station servicing in clear blue skies and some of the deepest snow they’ve ever worked in.