Scientific Tools & Data

NIWA offers a diverse range of scientific tools and data to support research, analysis, education and exploration across various fields of science and environmental studies.

Supporting research, education & exploration

NIWA offers a diverse range of scientific tools and data across various fields of science and environmental studies. Many of the data sets can be discovered via the National Environmental Data Centre. These include data from the atmosphere through to the ocean depths. New Zealand’s National Climate Database (accessed through Datahub), is one of the most popular.

Explore our data sets

  • Link to source page

    Mount Larkins electronic weather station (EWS)

    The Mount Larkins electronic weather station is located east of the main divide near Glenorchy and Lake Wakatipu at 1900m elevation.
    Hydrology and flow
    Stations

  • Link to source page

    Mueller Hut electronic weather station (EWS)

    Mueller Hut electronic weather station is at 1818m elevation and located in Mount Cook/Aoraki National Park. This site also measures solic precipitation and solar radiation. This is the deepest (~3m) of all the snow and ice network sites and records at this site start from 2010.
    Hydrology and flow
    Stations

  • Link to source page

    Mount Philistine electronic weather station (EWS)

    The Mount Philistine site is located at 1655m elevation on the Main Divide near Arthurs Pass and Rolleston Glacier. It is a high precipitation area and snow records here start in 2010.
    Hydrology and flow
    Stations

  • Link to source page

    Mahanga electronic weather station (EWS)

    Mahanga electronic weather station (EWS) is on Mount Mahanga in Tasman. It is at 1940 m elevation near the Nelson Lakes. It's our most northerly South Island site and our snow records here date back to 2009.
    Hydrology and flow
    Stations

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    New weapon in fight against invasive aquatic weeds

    Media release
    20 July 2021
    A combination of artificial intelligence and scientific ingenuity looks set to be the next step forward in protecting Aotearoa New Zealand’s lakes and rivers from invasive aquatic weeds.
    Estuaries
    Lakes
    Rivers

  • Link to source page

    Eavesdropping on sperm whales in Antarctica

    The moorings team is bringing back precious data from long-term underwater listening devices which the researchers are using to search for signs that sperm whales are finally returning in numbers to the Ross Sea.
    Antarctica
    Marine mammals
    Marine protected areas

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    From sky to server

    Feature story
    11 February 2021
    A few drops of rain can go a long way. Campbell Gardiner explains.
    Climate and weather
    Climate data
    Stations

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    Scientists use an autonomous vessel

    A six metre-long autonomous trimaran fitted out with a NIWA echosounder is being used as part of an innovative research collaboration.
    Freshwater
    Oceans
    Acoustics

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    Rob Christie - Manager of Marine Resources

    Eurofleets+ aims at providing, integrating and improving access to key research vessels and associated major equipment.
    Acoustics

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    NIWA science: important international collaborations

    This campaign brings together two Eurofleets+ Infrastructures, the RV Tangaroa and the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) from Sweden’s University of Gothenburg (UGOT).
    Acoustics

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    2020 - Hoki eggs survey

    Voyage
    Hoki is New Zealand's largest finfish fishery. During this voyage, hoki eggs reveal a few secrets that surprise scientists.
    Fisheries
    Population modelling
    Acoustics

  • Link to source page

    Can sound be used to characterise gas composition in the water column?

    Underwater gas bubbles acoustic monitoring and seabed mapping around Whakaari Island
    Bathymetry
    Acoustics