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Measuring emissions from Picton to Bluff: mobile lab heads south on sampling road trip

The CarbonWatch-Urban mobile lab has completed its second campaign around the South Island, as part of the Earth Sciences New Zealand research programme’s mission to map the carbon dioxide sources and sinks for every town and city in Aotearoa New Zealand.

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Have you seen freshwater bubbling up at the coast?

Earth Sciences NZ is asking beachgoers, boaties and divers to help locate freshwater springs in the ocean, contributing to a better understanding of coastal groundwater systems.

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Drillers working through the night credit Ana Tovey SWAIS2C

Record-breaking sediment core provides unprecedented evidence of West Antarctic Ice Sheet retreat

An Earth Sciences New Zealand co-led international team has drilled the longest-ever sediment core from under an ice sheet, providing a record stretching back millions of years that will help climate scientists forecast the fate of the ice sheet in our warming world.

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CIR traverse Departure first corner after Williams airfield   8 Nov 2025   Anthony Powell Antarctica NZ

Mission for ancient climate clues beneath 500 m of Antarctic ice gets underway

An international team has set up a remote camp on the ice 700 km from the nearest base (Scott Base) to attempt to drill for mud and rocks holding critical insights about the fate of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet in our warming world.

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Degraded estuaries feel the heat

Degraded estuaries are less resilient to the impacts of heatwaves, new research from Earth Sciences New Zealand shows.

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NZ and US studying “huge unknown” in Antarctic climate science

Scientists are measuring a huge unknown in climate science: how much heat Antarctica emits into space.

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Programme co lead Uwe Morgenstern sampling a spring credit Earth Sciences New Zealand

Study provides a step-change in our understanding of New Zealand’s groundwater

Earth Sciences New Zealand has developed a world-first National Groundwater Age Map and a powerful suite of tools to support the sustainable management of our hidden groundwater resources, from national through to local scales.

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Earth Sciences New Zealand announces its new Chief Executive

Earth Sciences New Zealand Chair, David Smol, is pleased to announce the appointment of James Palmer as Chief Executive of the organisation, with effect from 2 March 2026.

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Photocomp winners 2025

Scientists’ stunning snaps

An annual photography competition held by Earth Sciences New Zealand has put our exceptional natural environment in the spotlight.

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It’s breeding season for invasive clam

Earth Science NZ researchers are seeing signs that the breeding season for the invasive freshwater gold clam (Corbicula fluminea) has begun.

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Carving deep into the secrets of Pounamu – a hui of stone, culture, science and shared knowledge

A unique collaboration between 22 pounamu carvers from across the motu and scientists from Earth Sciences NZ unfolded at the University of Otago recently; blending mātauranga Māori with scientific inquiry to explore the remarkable toughness of pounamu. Carvers are from a range of iwi affiliations, but most are listed with Ngāi Tahu.

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Only the facts: new Tūhua/Mayor Island Volcano resource now available

Lying offshore of western Bay of Plenty, Tūhua/Mayor Island is a famous big-game fishing and diving destination, and a haven for wildlife as a pest-free sanctuary. But did you know it is also a dormant volcano?

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