Geology & Seismology
New Thinking
Staying well in Wellington, come hell or high water
Healthy attitudes can play a key role in the way people recover from an earthquake or tsunami.
NZ and German researchers look to the long-term
Earth scientists from Germany and New Zealand are looking to build a long-term partnership that will bring economic and environmental benefits to New Zealand.
Otago Coastline biggest tsunami risk
The Otago coastline is more likely to be affected by a tsunami generated close to home rather than one from afar, according to new research.
Young River landslide biggest in 16 years
Geologists have found that the Young River landslide in Mt Aspiring National Park is the biggest landslide in New Zealand since the top fell off Mount Cook in 1991.
Whole lot of shakin' going on
A string of earthquakes has jolted parts of New Zealand - but GNS Science seismologists say the activity is nothing to worry about.
GNS Science wins funding for three new science projects
Government-owned research and consultancy company GNS Science has won funding of $2.16 million from the Marsden Fund for three new science projects.
NZ no older than 23m years
New research in the Chatham Islands suggests the whole of New Zealand's terrain was submerged about 23 million years ago, says a GNS scientist.
Northland sitting on pot of gold?
A study by GNS Science and the NZ Institute of Economic Research has revealed that Northland sits on mineral deposits potentially worth $33.2 billion.
Give 'em enough rope...
A roping technique widely used by mountain climbers has come under Industrial Research scrutiny, with much improved mountain safety standards in mind...
Scientists call for earthquake forecasting centre
Some of New Zealand’s top scientists and their overseas counterparts are pushing for the establishment of an earthquake and volcano forecasting centre.
New Science
Project to focus on risk of volcanoes in Auckland
A major research project is underway to improve the understanding of the vulnerability of the Auckland region to volcanic eruptions.
Earthquake faulting research helps assess seismic risk
NIWA scientists have discovered there is no connection between major fault lines in the North and South islands through central Cook Strait – meaning that an earthquake fault rupture may be contained to one island if it occurred.
What makes Alpine Fault tick?
A group of New Zealand and international scientists are to drill into the Alpine Fault on the West Coast of the South Island, to learn about earthquakes and how the fault operates.
Huge undersea landslide discovered in Cook Strait
Undersea mapping by NIWA scientists has revealed detail of massive rock movements less than 15 km from Wellington Airport.
Fault line's movement studied
A gash has been opened up across the Alpine Fault, but the split has been made by geologists and not nature.
Scientists to take close look at Fiordland aftershocks
GNS Science Seismologists plan to install portable instruments in Fiordland later this week to record aftershocks in the wake of today’s magnitude 6.7 quake west of Milford Sound.
Robotic Vehicles To Explore Offshore Volcano
In a project led by GNS Science, unmanned vehicles will fly into the crater of an offshore volcano to map it and search for possible mineral deposits.
Wellington faultline project to focus on the big one
A $3.5 million project, to be lead by GNS Science, will focus over the next seven years on predicting when the next big one will hit Wellington.
Preparing for natural disasters
The Joint Centre for Disaster Research, created this week, will focus the skills of a "winning team" of psychologists, sociologists, planners, geologists, risk assessors, Maori researchers, and economists from both Massey University and GNS Science, the crown research institute.
But WHY do the shifting sands shift?
For many who live near the coast, beach erosion and buildup is much more than a philosophical question: it’s fundamental to the future. An international research team led by NIWA is investigating how sandbars influence beach shape – with The Coromandel’s Tairua and Pauanui beaches both in the spotlight.
New Value
A Continent on the Move
A magnificent new book on earth science in New Zealand went on sale in bookstores recently.
New gauge part of tsunami monitoring network
A sea-level gauge installed at the Port of Tauranga this week will form part of a national network of gauges for monitoring tsunamis.
Borehole instrument boosts earthquake monitoring in Auckland
A new borehole earthquake recorder installed by GNS Science will boost earthquake and volcano monitoring capability in the Auckland region.
Exploring NZ's Undersea Treasures
Modern-day explorers use high-tech equipment to explore earth's last great frontier - the ocean floor. Join GNS Science's Cornel de Ronde in this fascinating Australian TV documentary as he explains the discovery of huge submarine volcanoes, weird marine creatures, and large mineral deposits on New Zealand's seafloor.
NZ Fossils: Dead Precious ...
This week sees the launch of an exhibition on fossils that will tour New Zealand for the next three years. Called NZ Fossils: Dead Precious!, it showcases fossils as predictors and indicators of climate change, evolution, natural disasters, and resources such as minerals and oil and gas.
Survey software strikes it rich
A boost for a 20-year-old piece of programming is turning oil into gold for GNS Science.
