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.

  • Mean heat: Marine heatwaves to get longer and hotter by 2100

    Media release
    New research from the Deep South Challenge: Changing with our Climate and NIWA shows that New Zealand could experience very long and “very severe” marine heatwaves by the end of the century.
  • Hotspot Watch 4 March 2022

    Hotspot
    A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent.
  • Microplastics: a deeper problem than we thought?

    There is increasing global concern about the presence of plastic pollution in our oceans.
  • Hotspot Watch 25 February 2022

    Hotspot
    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.
  • Tropical seafloor secrets revealed

    Media release
    NIWA scientists and Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) have used satellite technology to chart the Cook Islands’ seafloor in never-before-seen detail. The work was done as part of Seabed 2030 - a collaborative project to produce a definitive map of the world ocean floor by 2030.
  • Pacific Risk Tool for Resilience, Phase 2 (PARTneR-2)

    Research Project
    The three-year PARTneR–2 project aims to help countries in the Pacific become more resilient to the impacts of climate-related hazards.
  • A robot sea craft helps count fish

    A six-metre-long autonomous vessel is equipped with artificial intelligence and a range of data gathering equipment, including a battery powered echosounder that can estimate the size of fish populations.
  • Cutting-edge AI sea craft helping scientists count fish

    Media release
    A robot sea craft is the latest tool NIWA scientists are using to help them count fish.
  • Hotspot Watch 17 February 2022

    Hotspot
    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.
  • Mapping the oceans through citizen science

    The Seabed 2030 South and West Pacific Ocean Data Center is one of four global Regional Centres, each being responsible for data gathering and mapping in their territory.
  • CKS2020 - Building Aotearoa-New Zealand Research Capability

    In collaboration with the University of Waikato, the CKS team has also supported students and scholarship interns through a variety of practical experiences.
  • Public asked to help build national flood photo database

    Media release
    NIWA is asking people in flood-affected areas to contribute photos to a national database to support understanding of flood hazard and flood risk.