On this page
- NIWA’s new executive team
- New home for NIWA, Nelson
- Sea and Learn 2002
- NIWA’s National Centres
- Perlan: gliding to new heights
- New Zealand’s Sandy Coasts CD-ROM
- Where did all the water go?
- NIWA in the desert
- New Zealand–French collaboration: a symposium
NIWA’s new executive team
The new executive team, which met for the first time under Chief Executive Rick Pridmore on 22 August, consists of three directors and seven general managers, each with various portfolio responsibilities. They are:
Dr Bryce Cooper Director, Strategic Development
Dr Mark James Director, Operations
Dr Rob Murdoch Director, Research
Dene Biddlecombe General Manager, Finance Company Secretary
Dr Neil Andrew General Manager, Marine and Aquaculture
Dr Clive Howard-Williams General Manager, Freshwater and Education
Dr John McKoy General Manager, Fisheries and Bioactives
Dr Murray Poulter General Manager, Atmosphere
Dr Don Robertson General Manager, Biodiversity, Biosecurity and Information Systems
Dr Charlotte Severne General Manager, Maori Development
NIWA has also established five further National Centres in addition to the highly successful National Climate Centre (see Water & Atmosphere 10(2): 4). The following people have been appointed to head these Centres:
Aquatic Biodiversity and Biosecurity Dr Wendy Nelson [email protected]
Climate Dr David Wratt [email protected]
Climate–Energy Solutions Gavin Fisher [email protected]
Fisheries and Aquaculture Dr John McKoy, Fisheries [email protected] Dr Simon Hooker, Aquaculture [email protected]
Natural Hazards Dr Murray Poulter [email protected]
Water Resources Dr Ross Woods [email protected]
New home for NIWA, Nelson
NIWA’s regional office in Nelson recently moved into new, purpose-built premises near Port Nelson. The new building, situated on the shore of Nelson Haven, includes a large seminar room (which is available for hire), meeting rooms, and specialist rooms for IT and equipment servicing. Regional Manager Ken Grange says, “Over the past 5–6 years, NIWA in Nelson has grown considerably to include research on marine ecology, fisheries biology, stock assessment, water quality and aquaculture. The old site was simply too small for us to provide a wide range of services for our clients. The new offices will accommodate our recent staff expansion while providing us with much-needed laboratory and storage space, including a seawater lab. The site is close to many of our clients and provides NIWA with a much more recognisable presence in Nelson.”
Sea and Learn 2002
Photos: Alan Blacklock
More than 180 senior high school students and their teachers took the opportunity to spend a day at sea in June on NIWA’s research vessel Kaharoa with the Sea and Learn programme. The students came from schools in the Wellington, Bay of Plenty and Auckland regions.
With the assistance of scientists Julie Hall (NIWA, Hamilton) Ashley Rope and Paul Breen (NIWA, Wellington), Royal Society Science Teacher Fellow Keith Hartle, and the crew of the Kaharoa, students were introduced to hands-on marine science.
Kaharoa set sail each day with a new group of students eager to look at freshly sampled phyto-plankton and zooplankton, complete dredging of the sea floor for sediments and organisms, and trawl for fish. The students also spent time with the crew learning about the ship’s navigation and operating systems.
For these students, Sea and Learn was a positive introduction to marine science and ship-board life, and it put some of the ideas they learned at school into a real situation. It also provided an insight into how scientific research is carried out.
In their evaluation of the programme, students and teachers alike rated the experience a resounding success, despite the best efforts of weather and lumpy seas.
For further information about Sea and Learn contact:
Julie Hall PO Box 11-115 Hamilton Phone +64 7 856 7026 Fax +64 7 856 0151 [email protected]
NIWA’s National Centres
National Centre for Climate–Energy Solutions
New Zealand relies on natural gas for much of its energy needs, but these reserves are running out – and just like other fossil fuels, they are not renewable. In April this year, for example, it was announced that the Maui gas field might run out two years earlier than predicted. Relying on fossil fuels such as oil and gas for energy is fraught with other problems as well: the burning of fossil fuels is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. So, where can we get the energy we need if we want to increase our economic prosperity and improve our standard of living, without damaging the environment?
One potential, and as yet untapped, energy source around New Zealand is wave power. On average, a 10-km length of New Zealand’s coastline is exposed to as much energy from waves as the energy produced by the Benmore hydroelectric power station – over 200 MW. The resource is enormous, environmentally friendly, and renewable, which is why it is one of the options being looked at by NIWA’s newly established National Centre for Climate–Energy Solutions.
The Centre was established to help New Zealand manage the problems associated with climate change and energy reform, and to create new economic, social, and environmental opportunities by finding solutions to these issues. It will provide a focal point to help with reducing greenhouse gas emissions, climate energy reform, better use of energy sources, new emission and energy technologies, and reducing undesirable environmental and human health effects associated with energy use and climate change. Details on the latest research will be available through the Centre’s quarterly newsletter Climate–Energy Matters, web page (see www.niwa.co.nz/ncces), and public lecture series.
National Centre for Aquatic Biodiversity & Biosecurity
Discoveries like the recent find of a new northern Pacific goby in the Coromandel and Waitemata Harbour, and a large population of aggressive Asian paddle crabs in Waitemata Harbour are becoming more commonplace. There are now more than 150 exotic marine species in our coastal waters, and at least one new species arrives every year, mostly on the hulls of visiting vessels.
To help us understand the impact of these exotic invaders, and to assess the risks and possible means of controlling them, NIWA has established the National Centre for Aquatic Biodiversity & Biosecurity. The Centre will help increase our awareness of the aquatic biodiversity and biosecurity issues facing New Zealand and bring research results to the community, including industry, iwi, councils, and Government agencies.
The New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy, launched by the Prime Minister in February 2000, was a significant milestone in New Zealand’s approach to environmental management – aquatic and terrestrial. The Centre will work closely with other research organisations in New Zealand and overseas to better serve the objectives of this Strategy and the forthcoming Biosecurity Strategy. We will also help New Zealand meet its responsibilities as signatory to various treaties, conventions and protocols affecting Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.
Access to the array of tools and services for aquatic environments produced by NIWA, including databases, identification guides and habitat surveys, aquatic weed management strategies, and identification of toxic microalgae and introduced marine species are available through the Centre’s web page (see www.niwa.co.nz/ncabb). The Centre also publishes the quarterly newsletter Aquatic Biodiversity & Biosecurity to keep the public, government agencies, and the science community abreast of developments.
Perlan: gliding to new heights
During July and August 2002 an attempt was made to establish a new world altitude record for gliders. The flights were made at Omarama in the central South Island, one of the world’s best gliding locations and just 60 km north of NIWA’s Lauder research laboratory.
The current height record stands at 49,009 feet (16 km). The American Perlan Project, which includes pilots Einar Enevoldson and Steve Fossett, plans to soar high into the stratosphere, perhaps to 62,000 feet (19 km). (Perlan is the Icelandic word for pearl. High-altitude clouds of ice crystals, sometimes found during wave events show “mother-of-pearl” colours.)
There is still much to learn about low-speed flight at these altitudes and the team will use their findings to design a more suitable glider for stage two of the project. NASA has an active interest in this research and is providing the pressure suits and life-support systems needed at these extreme heights.
NIWA was asked to provide real-time atmos-pheric soundings using GPS radiosondes, flown on balloons launched and tracked at Lauder. The sondes measured wind speed, wind direction, temperature and humidity up to altitudes of 23 km. In addition, NIWA installed sensors on the glider to measure UV radiation and provided some additional technical support.
Originally a motor glider, the craft is highly modified. The small retractable engine was removed and the space used for life-support oxygen, plus batteries for the extensive instrumentation onboard. A double-glazed canopy and emergency-descent drogue parachute where also added.
The glider is first launched to low altitude behind a tow plane. After release the pilots seek out natural rising air currents to climb further. For the Perlan Project strong wave lift is required. These standing waves form in the lee of our Southern Alps during times of strong westerly winds. Such waves are quite common, often seen giving rise to stationary lenticular clouds or, on a bigger scale, the famous Canterbury Nor’west Arch.
The tropopause is normally the upper limit of wave activity. However around mid-winter the Antarctic polar vortex can extend to mid-latitudes and provide the additional energy needed for waves to propagate as high as 100,000 feet (30 km). These waves have been seen on previous radiosonde flights from Lauder.
This year the right wave conditions did not occur during July/August although likely events occurred twice in June. During the campaign several flights to 30,000 feet were made and the complex systems on board the glider were thoroughly tested. The Perlan Project should be back at Omarama in June 2003 and NIWA will be involved again.
Lauder staff assisting the Perlan Project were: Jill Scott and Sonia Petrie (balloon flights), and John Robinson (instruments and support). John is also a keen glider pilot and flew on a test flight while visiting Omarama.
To find out more about the Perlan Project visit their website.
To find out more about gliding in New Zealand phone 0800 GLIDING to reach the nearest gliding club.
New Zealand’s Sandy Coasts CD-ROM
NIWA is coordinating the production of an educational CD-ROM entitled “New Zealand’s Sandy Coasts”, designed as a teaching resource for New Zealand high schools. The aim is to encourage students to learn about coastal processes and to use coastal processes as a tool for understanding other natural phenomena such as waves and tides. The CD is designed to raise awareness of coastal issues and hazards, such as the effect that erosion might have on coastal development. “Sandy Coasts” promotes the message that environmental science is fun and relevant.
The resource is built around six modules: Overview of our coastal environment, What causes beaches?, Surf-zone processes, Beaches, Dunes, and Coastal erosion. Other topics within the modules include: winds and waves, tides and sea-level rise and rip currents. Each module ends with questions posed at a range of levels. Numerous Web links encourage further reading/research.
The CD features colourful three-dimensional schematics, photographs of real-life examples, bullet-point text for easy reading, animations, and pop-up definitions that appear technical terms. A voice-over (like a video) lets students listen instead of reading so they can pay more attention to the graphics and animations. The design allows students to work at their own pace and move freely between topics.
The first version of the CD requires Windows, and a Macintosh version will be considered if there if there is sufficient demand. Release date is the end of November 2002. (NB Release date has been revised to February 2003.)
Scott Stephens, George Payne and Rob Bell have been involved in the production of the CD. Additional authors include Karin Bryan, Patrick Hesp, Bronwen Riddle and Keith Smith.
For further information contact: Scott Stephens NIWA PO Box 11-115 Hamilton Phone +64 7 856 1745 Fax +64 7 856 0151 Order Form
Where did all the water go?
In mid-July 2002 we noticed that all our sea-level recorders down the east coast of the South Island and at the Chatham Islands were registering sea levels well below what we expected from local weather. In fact, on 17 July the level at Sumner Head dropped to 410 mm below mean sea level. This was 300 mm below what we expected from the inverted barometer effect. Inverted barometer is the theoretical response of the ocean to changing atmospheric pressure. When pressure falls, sea level rises, and when pressure rises, sea level falls. In an idealised situation the relationship is –10 mm for every hPa of pressure change. The negative sign is the reason for the name “inverted” barometer.
Such a large discrepancy is very unusual. We often see the opposite effect, that is, sea levels above inverted barometer. We call this “storm surge”, and from time to time it is the cause of coastal flooding (e.g., on 17 April 1999 reported in Aniwaniwa).
What we had in mid-July was negative storm surge. At the end of July, it happened again, but this time it was confined to the Canterbury–Marlborough coast (Timaru, Sumner Head and Kaikoura). The level at Sumner Head dropped even lower – to 506 mm below mean sea level and 470 mm below inverted barometer. We didn’t hear of any problems with ships going aground in these events but it could have happened if a ship was manoeuvring at low tide in shallow water, because the depth was half a metre lower than registered on the charts.
The question is: where did all the water go?
Our hypothesis is that while New Zealand was enjoying balmy mid-winter weather there were tremen-dous low-pressure storms in the Southern Ocean, and that water from the east coast of the South Island was drawn into those systems to satisfy the storm-surge demand.
We are only just developing the skills to model such large-scale, short-term effects in the ocean and the answer will have to wait until we have those skills. In the meantime, we can only marvel at another phenom-enon of nature and worry a little that we cannot predict when or if it will happen again on such a scale.
For further information contact: Derek Goring NIWA PO Box 8602 Christchurch Phone +64 3 348 8987 Fax +64 3 348 8987 [email protected]
NIWA in the desert
In March 2002, NIWA undertook an atmospheric dispersion study at a large oil refinery in western Saudi Arabia. The project was part of a larger assessment of the effects of discharges from numerous petrochemical industries in the country. NIWA’s role was to conduct a tracer study, where a known amount of tracer gas is introduced into the stack discharge, then captured in sample bags downwind. The concentrations were analysed in a specially set-up gas chromatograph, and used to test the accuracy of the dispersion model predictions. The client was Saudi Aramco (the largest oil producer in the world) who run the refinery.
The study was fascinating from a number of aspects. We had to take virtually all of the equipment – and transporting it there and back was quite a challenge. The desert working conditions also tested personnel and equipment. However, the NIWA team of Tom Clarkson, Gordon Brailsford and Lou Reddish (with Mark Silcock from K2 Environmental) overcame adversity and produced a result that pleased the client.
The success of this work has generated invitations to bid on several other projects in the region.
For further information contact: Gavin Fisher NIWA Private Bag 109-695 Newmarket Auckland Phone +64 9 375 2050 Fax +64 9 375 2051 [email protected]
New Zealand–French collaboration: a symposium
Dr Geoffroy Lamarche of NIWA, Wellington, convened the First Symposium on New Zealand–France Collaborative Research in Geosciences in July 2002. The meeting, sponsored by the French Embassy, the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology (MoRST) and the Royal Society of New Zealand, stemmed from the recognition that pooling international skills and resources is essential for timely solutions to regional research issues.
The symposium aimed to overview and foster current cooperation in the geosciences between New Zealand and France, and to encourage the emergence of new common initiatives. MoRST now identifies France as a priority bilateral partner following a recent survey which showed that about 10% of New Zealand researchers have a significant on-going collaboration with a French counterpart. Such collaboration between France and New Zealand is already established in marine geoscience, volcanology, sedimentology, and New Caledonian geology.
Among the 77 participants were more than 20 scientists from France and three from New Caledonia, along with senior New Zealand and French officials from government agencies. Researchers and students represented about 30 earth science departments.
Both the Hon. Pete Hodgson, Minister of Research, Science and Technology, and His Excellency the Ambassador of France, Mr Jacky Musnier, gave opening addresses.
In addition, a keynote speaker at the Symposium was Professor Xavier Le Pichon, member of the French Science Academy and currently the Geodynamics Chair at College de France. Prof. Le Pichon is internationally regarded as one of the leading thinkers in the development of plate tectonic theory.
Many speakers made the point that the relevance of earth science to modern life globally, including the success of national economies, has never been greater.
One outcome of the meeting was the recognition of four key areas of mutual interest:
- environmental research and natural hazards;
- active tectonics and geodynamics, including fluid processes;
- sedimentary basins and natural resources;
- southwest Pacific crustal dynamics.
The symposium has helped to open the way for more structured inter-institutional agreements. In particular a strong emphasis was placed on the possibility of shared supervision (or co-tutelle) of PhD projects, an efficient and productive way of collaborating which in return can provide a French – New Zealand doctorate to the successful student.
For further information see the symposium website