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The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research or NIWA (), is a
Crown Research Institute In New Zealand, Crown Research Institutes (CRIs) are corporatised Crown entities charged with conducting scientific research. In January 2025, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced plans to merge the existing crown research institutes into t ...
of
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
. Established in 1992, NIWA conducts research across a broad range of disciplines in the environmental sciences. It also maintains nationally and, in some cases, internationally important
environmental monitoring Environmental monitoring is the processes and activities that are done to characterize and describe the state of the environment. It is used in the preparation of environmental impact assessments, and in many circumstances in which human activit ...
networks, databases, and collections. , NIWA had 697 staff spread across 14 sites in New Zealand and one in
Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
, Australia. Its head office is in
Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
, with regional offices in
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...
,
Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...
,
Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...
,
Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
, and
Lauder The former Royal Burgh of Lauder (, ) is a town in the Scottish Borders in the historic county of Berwickshire. On the Southern Upland Way, the burgh lies southeast of Edinburgh, on the western edge of the Lammermuir Hills. Etymology Alt ...
(Central Otago). It also has small field teams, focused mostly on
hydrology Hydrology () is the scientific study of the movement, distribution, and management of water on Earth and other planets, including the water cycle, water resources, and drainage basin sustainability. A practitioner of hydrology is called a hydro ...
, stationed in Bream Bay,
Lake Tekapo Lake Tekapo () is the second-largest of three roughly parallel lakes running north–south along the northern edge of the Mackenzie Basin in the South Island of New Zealand (the others are Lake Pukaki and Lake Ōhau). It covers an area of and ...
,
Rotorua Rotorua () is a city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. It is sited on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua, from which it takes its name. It is the seat of the Rotorua Lakes District, a territorial authorities of New Zea ...
, Napier,
Whanganui Whanganui, also spelt Wanganui, is a city in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. The city is located on the west coast of the North Island at the mouth of the Whanganui River, New Zealand's longest navigable waterway. Whanganui is ...
,
Greymouth Greymouth () (Māori language, Māori: ''Māwhera'') is the largest town in the West Coast, New Zealand, West Coast List of regions in New Zealand, region in the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council. The populat ...
,
Alexandra Alexandra () is a female given name of Greek origin. It is the first attested form of its variants, including Alexander (, ). Etymology, Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb (; meaning 'to defend') and (; genitive, GEN , ; ...
, and
Dunedin Dunedin ( ; ) is the second-most populous city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from ("fort of Edin"), the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of S ...
. NIWA maintains a fleet of about 30 vessels for freshwater, marine, and atmospheric research. On 1 July 2025 NIWA will become part of the new
Public Research Organisation A Public Research Organisation (PRO) is a type of New Zealand research organisation, established in 2025 as a reformation of the science and research system. The government announced in January 2025 that the Crown Research Institutes would be r ...
New Zealand Institute for Earth Science The formation of the New Zealand Institute for Earth Science (Earth Science Institute) was announced as part of the New Zealand science sector reforms. The Earth Science Institute will come into being as a Public Research Organisation in July 2 ...
.


History

NIWA was formed as a stand-alone organisation in 1992 as part of a government initiative to restructure the New Zealand science sector. It was previously part of the Meteorological Service of the Ministry of Transport but was separated into a
Crown entity A Crown entity (from the Commonwealth term ''The Crown, Crown'') is an organisation that forms part of New Zealand's public sector organisations in New Zealand, state sector established under the Crown Entities Act 2004, a unique umbrella governa ...
focusing on long-term weather patterns and climate change. Its foundation staff came mainly from the former Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) and the Meteorological Service of the Ministry of Transport. One of the DSIR divisions absorbed was the N.Z. Oceanographic Institute. The Fisheries Research Division of the former Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries joined NIWA in 1995. NIWA is currently structured as a limited liability company under the
Crown Research Institutes Act 1992 In New Zealand, Crown Research Institutes (CRIs) are corporatised Crown entities charged with conducting scientific research. In January 2025, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced plans to merge the existing crown research institutes int ...
Most of NIWA's revenue is from contestable research funding and commercial consultancy work. , NIWA had a revenue of $123.8 million and assets of $103.6 million. On 26 September 2024, the
Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology The Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology is a Ministers in the New Zealand Government, minister in the New Zealand Government. The minister's responsibilities include leading the science and innovation system and setting the directio ...
,
Judith Collins Judith Anne Collins (born 24 February 1959) is a New Zealand politician who has served as the attorney-general and minister of defence since 27 November 2023. She served as the leader of the Opposition and leader of the New Zealand National P ...
, announced that NIWA would be acquiring the
MetService Meteorological Service of New Zealand Limited, or simply MetService (), is the national meteorological service of New Zealand. MetService was established as a state-owned enterprise in 1992. It employs about 300 staff, and its headquarters are ...
. On 14 May 2025, the Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology,
Shane Reti Shane Raymond Reti (born 5 June 1963) is a New Zealand politician and a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives, and a Cabinet Minister with the roles of Minister for Pacific Peoples, Minister of Science, Innovation, and Technology, ...
, confirmed that NIWA would be integrated into a new
Public Research Organisation A Public Research Organisation (PRO) is a type of New Zealand research organisation, established in 2025 as a reformation of the science and research system. The government announced in January 2025 that the Crown Research Institutes would be r ...
called the
New Zealand Institute for Earth Science The formation of the New Zealand Institute for Earth Science (Earth Science Institute) was announced as part of the New Zealand science sector reforms. The Earth Science Institute will come into being as a Public Research Organisation in July 2 ...
.


Mission statement

"NIWA's mission is to conduct leading environmental science to enable the sustainable management of natural resources for New Zealand and the planet."


Research


Research programmes

NIWA focuses on atmospheric, marine, and freshwater research – extending from the deep ocean to the upper atmosphere – in New Zealand, the Pacific, Southern Ocean, and Antarctica. NIWA's research spans diverse fields: *
aquaculture Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. Nelu ...
* aquatic
biodiversity Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...
* aquatic
biosecurity Biosecurity refers to measures aimed at preventing the introduction or spread of harmful organisms (e.g. viruses, bacteria, plants, animals etc.) intentionally or unintentionally outside their native range or within new environments. In agricult ...
*
atmospheric science Atmospheric science is the study of the Atmosphere of Earth, Earth's atmosphere and its various inner-working physical processes. Meteorology includes atmospheric chemistry and atmospheric physics with a major focus on weather forecasting. Clima ...
*
climate change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...
* coastal
ecology Ecology () is the natural science of the relationships among living organisms and their Natural environment, environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community (ecology), community, ecosystem, and biosphere lev ...
* renewable energy *
fisheries Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life or, more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a., fishing grounds). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farm ...
*
hydrology Hydrology () is the scientific study of the movement, distribution, and management of water on Earth and other planets, including the water cycle, water resources, and drainage basin sustainability. A practitioner of hydrology is called a hydro ...
*
marine geology Marine geology or geological oceanography is the study of the history and structure of the ocean floor. It involves geophysical, Geochemistry, geochemical, Sedimentology, sedimentological and paleontological investigations of the ocean floor and ...
*
mātauranga Māori Mātauranga (literally ''Māori knowledge'') is a modern term for the traditional knowledge of the Māori people of New Zealand. Māori traditional knowledge is Interdisciplinarity, multi-disciplinary and Logical holism, holistic, and there is c ...
*
natural hazards A natural disaster is the very harmful impact on a society or community brought by natural phenomenon or hazard. Some examples of natural hazards include avalanches, droughts, earthquakes, floods, heat waves, landslides - including submarin ...
(e.g.
tsunami A tsunami ( ; from , ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and underwater explosions (including detonations, ...
,
storm surge A storm surge, storm flood, tidal surge, or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones. It is measured as the rise in water level above the ...
,
floods A flood is an overflow of water (list of non-water floods, or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are of significant con ...
,
earthquake An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...
,
volcano A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most oft ...
) *
oceanography Oceanography (), also known as oceanology, sea science, ocean science, and marine science, is the scientific study of the ocean, including its physics, chemistry, biology, and geology. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of to ...
*
sedimentology Sedimentology encompasses the study of modern sediments such as sand, silt, and clay, and the processes that result in their formation (erosion and weathering), transport, deposition and diagenesis. Sedimentologists apply their understanding of m ...
Research projects are undertaken in collaboration with local and central government agencies, other
Crown Research Institutes In New Zealand, Crown Research Institutes (CRIs) are corporatised Crown entities charged with conducting scientific research. In January 2025, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced plans to merge the existing crown research institutes into ...
, industry, private research companies, and universities in New Zealand and the rest of the world. In 2007–08, NIWA scientists were involved in more than 970 collaborations and NIWA had formal links with some 150 overseas institutions. Within New Zealand, NIWA has close working relationships with many Māori entities (85 entities in 2007-08) through its Māori environmental research group
Te Kūwaha o Taihoro Nukurangi
NIWA set up the Te Kūwaha – Māori Environmental Research group to develop ways of sharing knowledge with Māori communities and empowering Māori business with the latest science. This is a critical part of science in Aotearoa New Zealand as institutes have been criticised for poor representation for Māori and Pasifika researchers. The team have had notable success with a
taonga ''Taonga'' or ''taoka'' (in South Island Māori) is a Māori-language word that refers to a treasured possession in Māori culture. It lacks a direct translation into English, making its use in the Treaty of Waitangi significant. The current ...
species guide and Māori specific climate impact research.


People

Past and present staff include: * Helen Bostock – oceanographer * Helen ES Clark (Rotman) – zoologist *
Dennis Gordon Dennis William Gordon (7 June 1924 – May 1998) was an English professional footballer who scored 72 goals from 302 Football League appearances playing for West Bromwich Albion and Brighton & Hove Albion, where he spent the majority of his car ...
– zoologist *
Janet Grieve Janet Mary Grieve , also known as Janet Bradford-Grieve and Janet Bradford, is a New Zealand biological oceanographer, born in 1940. She is researcher emerita at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research in Wellington. She has ...
– zoologist *
Barb Hayden Barbara June Hayden is a New Zealand marine biologist, and is Chief Scientist at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), specialising in marine biosecurity and aquaculture. In 2019 she was elected a Companion of the Roy ...
– marine biologist * Clive Howard-Williams – freshwater biologist * Andrew Leachman – master mariner *
Brett Mullan Brett is an Irish and English surname of Breton origin. It arrived in both countries via the Norman Invasion of England and Norman Invasion of Ireland respectively. Irish Bretts are most commonly found in the counties of Tipperary, Waterford and ...
– climate scientist * Dave Lowe – atmospheric scientist * Wendy Nelson – phycologist * James Renwick – climate scientist * Natalie Robinson – polar oceanographer * Jim Salinger – climate scientist *
Simon Thrush Simon Francis Thrush FRSNZ (born 10 November 1958) is a New Zealand marine scientist and current Director of the Institute of Marine Science at the University of Auckland. He graduated from the University of Otago with a first class BSc in Zool ...
– marine ecologist *
Dianne Tracey Dianne Margaret Tracey is a New Zealand marine biologist specializing in research on deep-sea fisheries and deep-sea corals at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) ...
– deep-sea marine biologist * David Wratt – climate scientist


Awards

In 2007, 12 NIWA climate scientists – Greg Bodeker, Matt Dunn, Rod Henderson, Darren King, Keith Lassey, Dave Lowe,
Brett Mullan Brett is an Irish and English surname of Breton origin. It arrived in both countries via the Norman Invasion of England and Norman Invasion of Ireland respectively. Irish Bretts are most commonly found in the counties of Tipperary, Waterford and ...
, Kath O'Shaughnessy, Guy Penny, James Renwick, Jim Salinger and David Wratt – shared the
Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize (Swedish language, Swedish and ) is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the Will and testament, will of Sweden, Swedish industrialist, inventor, and armaments manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobe ...
with other contributors to the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations. Its job is to "provide governments at all levels with scientific information that they can use to develop climate policies". The World Met ...
.


Research facilities

NIWA's research facilities include: * A gas laboratory which uses
gas chromatography Gas chromatography (GC) is a common type of chromatography used in analytical chemistry for Separation process, separating and analyzing compounds that can be vaporized without Chemical decomposition, decomposition. Typical uses of GC include t ...
and
mass spectrometry Mass spectrometry (MS) is an analytical technique that is used to measure the mass-to-charge ratio of ions. The results are presented as a ''mass spectrum'', a plot of intensity as a function of the mass-to-charge ratio. Mass spectrometry is used ...
to assess the composition of gases and their
isotopes Isotopes are distinct nuclear species (or ''nuclides'') of the same chemical element. They have the same atomic number (number of protons in their nuclei) and position in the periodic table (and hence belong to the same chemical element), but ...
in samples of air and water, and isotope analysis of solid material. * An ecotoxicology laboratory for assessing the effects of contaminants – such as
heavy metals upright=1.2, Crystals of lead.html" ;"title="osmium, a heavy metal nearly twice as dense as lead">osmium, a heavy metal nearly twice as dense as lead Heavy metals is a controversial and ambiguous term for metallic elements with relatively h ...
,
pesticide Pesticides are substances that are used to control pests. They include herbicides, insecticides, nematicides, fungicides, and many others (see table). The most common of these are herbicides, which account for approximately 50% of all p ...
s, and wastes – on aquatic organisms. * Aquaculture research facilities at Bream Bay in Northland and at Mahanga Bay, Wellington. * An upper atmosphere research laboratory located at Lauder, Central Otago, New Zealand. * Additionally, NIWA also operates (in conjunction with
Antarctica New Zealand Antarctica New Zealand is an agency set up by the Government of New Zealand to manage its interests in Antarctica and the Ross Sea. As well as providing logistics support to a large scientific programme, it also runs bases such as Scott Base. ...
) a suite of atmospheric in situ and
remote sensing Remote sensing is the acquisition of information about an physical object, object or phenomenon without making physical contact with the object, in contrast to in situ or on-site observation. The term is applied especially to acquiring inform ...
instruments at Arrival Heights, Ross Island, Antarctica.


Lauder Atmospheric Research Laboratory

The NIWA Lauder Atmospheric Research Laboratory takes atmospheric measurements for the purpose of observing and better understanding interactions between the
stratosphere The stratosphere () is the second-lowest layer of the atmosphere of Earth, located above the troposphere and below the mesosphere. The stratosphere is composed of stratified temperature zones, with the warmer layers of air located higher ...
,
troposphere The troposphere is the lowest layer of the atmosphere of Earth. It contains 80% of the total mass of the Atmosphere, planetary atmosphere and 99% of the total mass of water vapor and aerosols, and is where most weather phenomena occur. From the ...
and global
climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in a region, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteoro ...
. This is achieved through measurements of
ozone Ozone () (or trioxygen) is an Inorganic compound, inorganic molecule with the chemical formula . It is a pale blue gas with a distinctively pungent smell. It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic allotrope , break ...
,
solar radiation Sunlight is the portion of the electromagnetic radiation which is emitted by the Sun (i.e. solar radiation) and received by the Earth, in particular the visible light perceptible to the human eye as well as invisible infrared (typically p ...
,
aerosols An aerosol is a suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in air or another gas. Aerosols can be generated from natural or human causes. The term ''aerosol'' commonly refers to the mixture of particulates in air, and not to t ...
and
greenhouse gases Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are the gases in the atmosphere that raise the surface temperature of planets such as the Earth. Unlike other gases, greenhouse gases absorb the radiations that a planet emits, resulting in the greenhouse effect. T ...
. There are approximately 10 staff (scientists and technicians) working at the Laboratory (December 2015).


Location

Lauder The former Royal Burgh of Lauder (, ) is a town in the Scottish Borders in the historic county of Berwickshire. On the Southern Upland Way, the burgh lies southeast of Edinburgh, on the western edge of the Lammermuir Hills. Etymology Alt ...
is located 33 km north-east of
Alexandra Alexandra () is a female given name of Greek origin. It is the first attested form of its variants, including Alexander (, ). Etymology, Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb (; meaning 'to defend') and (; genitive, GEN , ; ...
, in the
South Island The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...
of New Zealand.Atmospheric Research at NIWA Lauder Information Pamphlet, accessed 2 December 2015
/ref> It also hosts a telescope part of the BOOTES network. This location was chosen for the laboratory due to the area's low horizons, clear skies, dry atmosphere, and southern latitude location.Installing solar panels chance to test benefits, accessed 3 December 2015
/ref>


Research history

A research laboratory was originally established at Lauder in 1961 with the purpose of observing the
aurora An aurora ( aurorae or auroras), also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...
. In the mid-70s Lauder was a ground tracking station for the satellite ensemble "International Satellites for Ionospheric Studies" (
ISIS (satellite) ISIS 1 and 2 ("International Satellites for Ionospheric Studies") were the third and fourth in a series of Canadian satellites launched to study the ionosphere over one complete solar cycle. After the success of Canada's Alouette 1, Canada a ...
). By the late 1970s research had shifted focus to the stratosphere. This shift was driven by the fear of
ozone depletion Ozone depletion consists of two related events observed since the late 1970s: a lowered total amount of ozone in Earth, Earth's upper atmosphere, and a much larger springtime decrease in stratospheric ozone (the ozone layer) around Earth's polar ...
due to manufactured gases, and by the fact that the ozone hole had been discovered. Lauder had begun measuring UV radiation, ozone, and other gases associated with ozone depletion.McKenzie, R., Connor, B., Bodeker, G. (1999). Increased Summertime UV Radiation in New Zealand in Response to Ozone Loss. Science. nline285 (5434), 1709–1711. 10.1126/science.285.5434.1709. From the 1990s Lauder has also monitored the effects of ozone depletion on solar UV irradiance.McKenzie, R., Kotkamp, M., Ireland, W. (1996). Upwelling UV spectral irradiances and surface albedo measurements at Lauder, New Zealand. Geophysical Research Letters. nline23 (14), 1757–1760. 10.1029/96GL01668 Recently, research at Lauder has focused on interactions between
climate change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...
and ozone depletion and Lauder now measures most gases that contribute to climate change. Computer models to predict future atmospheric changes have also been developed at Lauder, and the atmospheric measurements taken at Lauder are used in climate models around the world.


Measurements

Measurements of the atmosphere at Lauder can be carried out in situ, and through remote sensing. In situ measurements are mostly done at ground-level; however balloons are launched weekly and carry out in situ measurements through the atmosphere to altitudes of approximately 30 km. Data from these balloons enables atmospheric profiles of temperature, pressure, water vapour, and ozone to be produced. One method of remote sensing measurements at Lauder uses a
LIDAR Lidar (, also LIDAR, an acronym of "light detection and ranging" or "laser imaging, detection, and ranging") is a method for determining ranging, ranges by targeting an object or a surface with a laser and measuring the time for the reflected li ...
system to generate ozone profiles to 100 km in altitude. Another LIDAR measures aerosols in the atmosphere to 50 km in altitude. Other remote sensing at Lauder uses UV/Vis grating and FTIR spectrometers to measure trace gases in the atmosphere. Measurements at Lauder are also used to calibrate satellites such as
OCO-2 Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) is an American environmental science satellite which launched on 2 July 2014. A NASA mission, it is a replacement for the Orbiting Carbon Observatory which was lost in a launch failure in 2009. It is the seco ...
and
GOSAT Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT), also known as , is an Earth observation satellite and the world's first satellite dedicated to greenhouse gas monitoring. It measures the densities of carbon dioxide and methane from 56,000 locations o ...
.


Importance

The Lauder Atmospheric Research Laboratory is well known throughout the international world of atmospheric research through its participation in the international Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change ( NDACC), BSRN,
TCCON The Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON) is a global network of instruments that measure the amount of carbon dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide and other trace gases in the Earth's atmosphere. The TCCON ( ) began in 2004 w ...
, and GCOS Reference Upper Air Network (GRUAN). Lauder has many ongoing long-term measurements, including the longest time-series of
nitrogen dioxide Nitrogen dioxide is a chemical compound with the formula . One of several nitrogen oxides, nitrogen dioxide is a reddish-brown gas. It is a paramagnetic, bent molecule with C2v point group symmetry. Industrially, is an intermediate in the s ...
in the world. The Laboratory is located in a data-sparse region of the globe. The oceans of the southern hemisphere and the Antarctic region play an important role in the global climate system and so measurements taken at Lauder are valuable to the global scientific community. Solar radiation measurements at Lauder are used in studies on the effects of UV radiation on human health and in the solar energy and building industries


High Performance Computing Facility

In 2018 NIWA commissioned 3 powerful Cray supercomputers called Mahuika, Maui and Kupe, forming the HPCF (High Performance Computing Facility). The HPCF is capable of processing more than two thousand trillion calculations per second. 2 of the 3 Cray supercomputers (Mahuika and Maui) are located in NIWA's Wellington campus, while Kupe is located at the University of Tamaki Data Centre. It also leads investigations such as the analysis of genetic information, the modelling of the impact of climate change and forecasting weather related hazards. The detailed specifications of the HPCF can be foun
here


NIWA Invertebrate Collection

The NIWA Invertebrate Collection (NIC) is the largest repository of marine
invertebrate Invertebrates are animals that neither develop nor retain a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''spine'' or ''backbone''), which evolved from the notochord. It is a paraphyletic grouping including all animals excluding the chordata, chordate s ...
(animals without a backbone) specimens from the New Zealand region, southwestern Pacific, and the
Ross Sea The Ross Sea is a deep bay of the Southern Ocean in Antarctica, between Victoria Land and Marie Byrd Land and within the Ross Embayment, and is the southernmost sea on Earth. It derives its name from the British explorer James Clark Ross who ...
(Antarctica). It holds representatives of almost all
phyla Phyla, the plural of ''phylum'', may refer to: * Phylum, a biological taxon between Kingdom and Class * by analogy, in linguistics, a large division of possibly related languages, or a major language family which is not subordinate to another Phy ...
in the New Zealand region. Collected over the last 50 years and still growing, the collection holds several million specimens, ranging from single-celled organisms to giant corals. , it included over 2100
type Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * ...
specimens of species new to science (800 holotypes and 1300 paratypes). The collection is used by scientists, teachers, and journalists throughout New Zealand and the world.


Natural Hazards Centre

In 2002 NIWA teamed up with the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Science to create the Natural Hazards Centre as a New Zealand resource for all hazards information and advice. The centre develops systems to monitor and predict the following hazards:
earthquakes An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they c ...
,
tsunami A tsunami ( ; from , ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and underwater explosions (including detonations, ...
,
floods A flood is an overflow of water (list of non-water floods, or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are of significant con ...
,
storms A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstorm) ...
, landslides,
coastal flooding Coastal flooding occurs when dry and low-lying land is submerged (flooded) by seawater. The range of a coastal Flood, flooding is a result of the elevation of floodwater that penetrates the inland which is controlled by the topography of the coas ...
and waves,
coastal erosion Coastal erosion is the loss or displacement of land, or the long-term removal of sediment and rocks along the coastline due to the action of Wind wave, waves, Ocean current, currents, tides, wind-driven water, waterborne ice, or other impacts ...
, and
volcanoes A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often fo ...
.


Research vessels

Foremost among NIWA's 30 vessels is the 70-metre deepwater research vessel RV ''Tangaroa'', New Zealand's only ice-strengthened research ship. The 28-metre RV ''Kaharoa'' is used mainly for coastal research, but has gone further afield to deploy ocean-profiling
Argo In Greek mythology, the ''Argo'' ( ; ) was the ship of Jason and the Argonauts. The ship was built with divine aid, and some ancient sources describe her as the first ship to sail the seas. The ''Argo'' carried the Argonauts on their quest fo ...
floats, from Chile to Mauritius.


Environmental monitoring


Monitoring Networks

NIWA maintains a range of monitoring networks that collect long-term environmental data, including climate information, sea level, river flows, water quality, and freshwater fish distributions and habitats. As at 1 August 2008, NIWA had 1339 operational stations in its climate and water monitoring networks, spread throughout New Zealand, including the
Chatham Islands The Chatham Islands ( ; Moriori language, Moriori: , 'Misty Sun'; ) are an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about east of New Zealand's South Island, administered as part of New Zealand, and consisting of about 10 islands within an approxima ...
. NIWA also holds data from more than 3000 closed stations, many of which have long usable records. The National Water Quality Network, for instance, has been operating at 77 sites since the 1970s. It can now show long-term trends in water quality.


Environmental data

NIWA maintains several databases containing long-term records of environmental data, and species records. Th
National Climate Database
for instance, contains more than 250 million individual measurements (), with records dating back to the 1850s. Th
New Zealand Freshwater Fish Database
records the occurrence of fish in fresh waters of New Zealand, including major offshore islands, and details of their habitats. , the database included more than 28 000 records. Among other things, these databases are used to detect geographical and temporal trends in the state of the environment. NIWA holds the longest continuous record of atmospheric CO2 concentrations in the Southern Hemisphere, measured at
Baring Head Baring Head (, officially gazetted as Baring Head / Ōrua-pouanui) is a headland, located between Wellington Harbour and Palliser Bay at the southern end of the North Island of New Zealand. It marks the southern end of Fitzroy Bay. The Barin ...
, near Wellington, since the 1970s. Along with equivalent measurements from the Northern Hemisphere, taken at
Mauna Loa Observatory Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO) is an atmospheric baseline station on Mauna Loa on the island of Hawaiʻi, located in the US state of Hawaii. History MLO was founded on June 28, 1956, as part of the US Weather Bureau. It was established on th ...
in Hawaii, these records are used to model the effects of atmospheric CO2 on global climate. The history of this sampling record is described by Dave Lowe in the book "The Alarmist" which recounts his career. The information in NIWA's databases is in high demand. In the 2007-08 financial year, for instance, NIWA responded to more than 350 000 requests for data from its databases. In July 2007, NIWA allowed free online access to archived data on climate, lake levels, river flow, sea levels, water quality, and freshwater fish.


Weather forecasting competition with MetService

NIWA and
MetService Meteorological Service of New Zealand Limited, or simply MetService (), is the national meteorological service of New Zealand. MetService was established as a state-owned enterprise in 1992. It employs about 300 staff, and its headquarters are ...
are both government organizations that produce weather forecasts. NIWA was previously part of the MetService until 1992. In 2009, they signed a memorandum of understanding to work more closely together. In 2020, NIWA chief executive John Morgan told Parliament the two organizations are like "a car and a truck; both being vehicles but each serving different purposes". Private weather forecaster WeatherWatch commented that it is "bizarre" the government is funding two weather forecasters and compared it to "Fire Service getting into Police Speeding Infringements". On 20 September 2024, the Minister for Science and Innovation, Judith Collins, announced that NIWA would be acquiring the Met Service. NIWA welcomed the merger announcement, stating that "it will be critical to ensure adequate capability is in place to maintain continuity of weather forecasting services, particularly during this transition..." It also said that it looked forward to legislation facilitating the takeover of MetService.


Legal issues


Climate Court Action

From 2010 to 2012, NIWA defended itself in a court case claiming that they had exaggerated temperature increases. The charge was brought by the
climate change deniers Climate change denial (also global warming denial) is a form of science denial characterized by rejecting, refusing to acknowledge, disputing, or fighting the scientific consensus on climate change. Those promoting denial commonly use rhetori ...
The New Zealand Climate Education Trust – a branch of the New Zealand Climate Science Coalition. They challenged NIWA figures which showed a rise in temperatures in New Zealand of 1 °C over the past 100 years. The
climate denier Climate change denial (also global warming denial) is a form of science denial characterized by rejecting, refusing to acknowledge, disputing, or fighting the scientific consensus on climate change. Those promoting denial commonly use rhetor ...
group said the published increase of 1 °C was significantly higher than global warming figures around the world and almost 50 per cent above the global average. In a High Court judgement, Justice Geoffrey Venning ruled that the New Zealand Climate Science Education Trust had not been successful in any of the challenges they brought against NIWA. Justice Venning also decided that NIWA's cost should be paid by the trust and he said that if an agreement on the costs could not be reached he would make another ruling at a later stage.


References


External links

*
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research: UV-ozone research

Natural Hazards Centre

Science New Zealand (the body representing New Zealand’s eight Crown Research Institutes)

International ARGO project homepage
{{Authority control Crown Research Institutes of New Zealand Science and technology in New Zealand Hydrology organizations Environmental organisations based in New Zealand