Science Media Centre

In response to queries from worried parents, experts has have issued an explanation of why New Zealanders don’t need to worry about health dangers from ash fall from the Chilean volcano plume. Following a number of quries from media and concerned parents and schools, experts Thomas Wilson (Natural Hazards Research Centre, University of Canterbury) with [...]

A sprawling ash plume from the Chilean Volcano Puyehue-Cordón Caulle, is causing disruptions to flights across the southern hemisphere. The SMC has contacted New Zealand experts for further explanation of the current situation and its impact. Feel free to use these quotes in your stories. To follow up with these or other local experts, please [...]

Iceland’s Grimsvotn volcano has erupted spilling ash into the atmosphere. While there is some concern that air travel could be affected, experts consider that the eruption will not cause as much disruption as Eyjafjallajökull did last year. Our colleagues at the Science Media Centre in London have rounded up commentary from scientists on the eruption [...]

John Roughan writes in the NZ Herald about the creation of New Zealand – an event which happened fairly recently – and how Auckland’s landscape has changed over the years. The massive volcanoes which helped to build Auckland up are mostly gone now, and it is also possible that New Zealand carried more plants and [...]

Isaac Davidson writes in the New Zealand Herald about a huge undersea volcano which has partially collapsed off the coast of Auckland. The volcano, called Rumble III, has crumbled by more than 100m – the collapse was caused by a recent eruption. An excerpt: (read in full here) Niwa principal scientist Geoffrey Lamarche said that [...]

Farmers in Taranaki and Taupo should learn lessons from the effect of the recent eruption in Iceland’s dairy farmers, and appropriate plans are necessary to avoid livestock loss in the case of such an event. Dangers include fluoride poisoning if outside during and after such an event, as well as crumbling teeth and contaminated water. [...]

Questions and answers about the volcanic ash cloud in Iceland, and its effects An excerpt: (read in full here) “Q. How do we know this cloud is dangerous to airplanes? “A. A NATO F-16 fighter suffered engine damage after flying through the cloud, a Western diplomat said. “Q. Can’t planes just fly above the ash? [...]

Michael Fox writes for Stuff about GNS volcanologist David Johnston, who is stranded in London as a result of the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano. Johnston and 25 other scientists had been attending a disaster planning meeting when they found they were actually involved in one. An excerpt: (read in full here) “Volcanologists and disaster [...]

New Zealand’s active geography means that mass airplane groundings, like those happening in Europe over the last few days, could also happen in New Zealand. Major eruptions near Mt Taupo or Mt Tarawera would have the most effect, say vulcanologists, but such eruptions are fortunately rare. An excerpt: (read in full here) “GNS Science vulcanology [...]

Ash means empty skies over Britain Thousands of travellers are feeling the effects of a large volcanic eruption in Iceland, with flights across Europe cancelled as ash floats across Britain and the continent. The impact on travel plans is illustrated well in this graphic that ran in The Guardian. Scientists meanwhile have been analysing every [...]