News

Read about the important science being undertaken at NIWA, and how it affects New Zealanders

  • Scientists recreate the week it snowed everywhere

    Feature story
    NIWA has teamed up with Microsoft for a new project using artificial intelligence to combine historic weather records with breakthrough handwriting recognition tools.
  • The man of many pathways

    Feature story
    Dr Rob Bell worked out a long time ago that sea-level rise is much more than a scientific problem. No wonder then that people say his ability to listen is one of his best traits.
  • The Hill

    Feature story
    Castle Hill, on State Highway 73 between Darfield and Arthur’s Pass in the Waimakariri Basin, was named for the imposing array of limestone boulders in the area that mirror the look of castle ruins.
  • Embracing the revolution

    Feature story
    Technology and Innovation General Manager, Dr Barry Biggs, looks at the impact of the fast-moving world of “tech” on NIWA’s science.
  • Unlocking the mysterious marine life of eels

    Feature story
    Tiny, translucent eels may hold the answers to one of the fish world’s great mysteries. Zen Gregor investigates.
  • Hitting the high notes

    Feature story
    Dr Kameron Christopher plays a mean sax. Campbell Gardiner checks in with NIWA’s new Chief Scientist for High Performance Computing and Data Science.
  • Hotspot Watch 30 January 2020

    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.
  • Hotspot Watch 22 January 2020

    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.
  • Hotspot Watch 15 January 2020

    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.
  • Under the Antarctic ice

    Feature story
    The rich diversity of marine life near Scott Base in Antarctica has stunned scientists diving under the ice to set up environmental monitoring sites.
  • Hotspot Watch 8 January 2020

    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.
  • Epic spiny red rock lobster

    Feature story
    Sam Fraser-Baxter heads to the Wairarapa for one of New Zealand’s longest-running marine surveys – counting baby lobster.