Science Media Centre

It’s no secret that Auckland sits on a large volcanic field, but new research has modelled what would happen if there was an eruption within the city limits. The study, published last week in the Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, considered what could happen during a hypothetical two-month-long period of unrest and eruption near […]

All international flights to the small island nation of Tonga have been cancelled after the underwater Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano sent up a huge plume of ash this week. GNS Science volcanologist Brad Scott tells TVNZ that volcanic activity has been recorded for several weeks in a stretch of ocean and islands north of the capital, Nuku’alofa, and […]

A rather unorthodox geoengineering study has examined the potential for greenhouse gases to play a positive role in humanity’s future… if  a giant volcanic ash cloud created a global winter by blocking out the sun. The paper, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, examined the potential for short-lived greenhouse gases to be used to […]

Japanese volcano Mount Ontake erupted suddenly over the weekend, when the popular recreational site was crowded with hikers, resulting in significant casualties. Rescue efforts are ongoing and the total loss of life has yet to be confirmed. Latest reports indicate over 47 deaths, with dozens more injured in the eruption. Ontake’s last major eruption was […]

Science Media Centre manager and Sciblogs editor Peter Griffin hosts this week’s Sciblogs podcast, with a special on the Curiosity Mars Rover landing – the biggest science news event since, well the discover of the Higgs Boson. You’ll enjoy the insights New Zealand scientists provide in the podcast on the Curiosity mission. Professor Craig Cary, […]

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 […]