Science Media Centre

New Zealand scientists have cemented their role at the forefront of discussions around de-extinctions with a leading role in a special journal issue on the topic.  University of Otago’s Professor Philip Seddon guest-edited the special issue of Functional Ecology, published this week, which included contributions from other New Zealand scientists, including University of Canterbury conservation […]

Scientists have confirmed a tsunami did occur along the Canterbury coastline following Monday morning’s magnitude 7.8 earthquake. It reinforces the correct decision people made to self-evacuate in the wee hours of the morning. Dr Matthew Hughes, lecturer in geohazards, risk and resilience, University of Canterbury “Following the ongoing earthquake sequence in North Canterbury that began […]

Cantabrians have former seismologist Dr Helen Anderson’s vote for the world’s best citizen seismologists, she writes in Fairfax’s science page, Catalyst. An excerpt (read in full): Before [GeoNet], seismologists like me only knew an earthquake had occurred when the “drum” needles started shaking and the telephone for the seismological observatory became jammed with calls. For […]

A magnitude 5.7 quake struck Christchurch just after 1pm yesterday. Strong shaking was reported and a cliff near Sumner partially collapsed sending up a large cloud of dust. Initial reports indicate the damage in the city has been minor and superficial. Selected coverage of the quakes includes: The Wireless: Why does this keep happening to […]

Dr Mark Quigley is Senior Lecturer in Active Tectonics and Geomorphology in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. Since the September Mw 7.1 earthquake, GNS scientists have been using aftershock statistics-based models to ‘forecast’ the expected range of aftershocks of given magnitudes. Not to be confused with earthquake ‘predictions’, which require specific […]

Since the magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit the Canterbury region a little before 5am on Saturday, 4 September, the media has been covering events closely. The earthquake, felt strongly in Wellington and even further north, badly damaged large parts of Christchurch; luckily, no one was killed. LATEST SCIENTIFIC UPDATE FROM GEONET HERE Media coverage (oldest first*) […]

Paul Gorman of The Press reports that surveys are to be undertaken to determine how many basking sharks are present in Canterbury’s waters. The sharks are which are the second largest fish in the world, and have been labelled a ‘vulnerable’ species. An excerpt: (read in full here) “As well as the aerial surveys, DOC […]

Paul Gorman, of The Press, reports that current conditions in Canterbury, namely strong winds as well as high temperatures, are bringing the threat of a drought in the region ever closer. The region seems set to continue experiencing unusually dry weather as well as high-than-normal temperatures (see here for NIWA’s climate outlook) – Timaru had […]

The Draft Canterbury Water Management Strategy was released today, and is up for public discussion.  It is expected that a final report will be issued in late October 2009.