GNS Science

Reflecting on the decade of impactful mahi from the Resilience to Nature's Challenges, we celebrate the strong culture of collaboration that has been fostered 🤝 With science support enabled by the Resilience Challenge, the AF8 Programme is an award-winning example of enhancing awareness, enabling conversations and building societal preparedness for large earthquake on the Alpine Fault 🏆 With a 75% probability of an Alpine Fault earthquake occurring within the next 50 years, there’s never been a better time for everyone to work together to plan and prepare 💪 The programme's successes are testament to the collective contributions of its partner network Emergency Management Southland, Emergency Management Otago, Emergency Management Canterbury, Emergency Management West Coast, Emergency Management Nelson, Marlborough District Council, National Emergency Management Agency (NZ), Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, Te Hiranga Rū QuakeCoRE, Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake,  University of Canterbury, The University of Auckland, University of Otago, Victoria University of Wellington, GNS Science, NIWA and Massey University.

🏅 CO₂ injection discovered to be a win-win-win! ⚡Geothermal power uses hot brines from the Earth's crust to generate electricity. These brines naturally contain high concentrations of CO₂, resulting in average emissions of ~122 grams of CO₂ per kWh generated. 🔄 Geothermal power stations are increasingly re-injecting their CO₂ to combat their emissions and carbon tax cost. In fact, Ngāwhā Generation in Northland became New Zealand's first net carbon zero geothermal power station last year! ⏳However, the long-term impact of CO₂ re-injection is still unknown, so we conducted a series of #experiments and found a triple-winning solution. 🤔 How? Re-injected CO₂ forms carbonic acid when dissolved into the geothermal brine flowing through the pipes. ✌️ Retaining the acidity of the brine with CO₂ emissions is a two-for-one deal for geothermal generators. The acidity helps slow silica scaling build-up on the pipes, which is precipitated from the calcite in surrounding rock. 🧼 Our tests also revealed that injecting higher concentrations of carbonic acid accelerated the removal of calcite. This means re-injecting CO₂ can act as a “cleaning agent”, potentially reducing ongoing operational costs and the need to drill new wells! Read about our experimental research here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gs9RWMuH This research was made possible through funding support from MBIE Science and Innovation and our partners. 🔉 ThinkGeoEnergy, New Zealand Geothermal Association, Mercury NZ, EECA (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority), Contact Energy Ltd, Climate Change Commission, Top Energy

🌊GNS Scientists have used a state-of-the-art earthquake simulator to re-run the numbers on the tsunami-generating Hikurangi-Kermadec subduction zone – and it is good news! 🌏The new research suggests the maximum likely earthquake is a magnitude 9.2, lower than the largest possible earthquake based on previously-applied methods (~M9.5). This is an important finding for improving tsunami risk measurements and planning. 💻The research was underpinned by NZ's first earthquake cycle simulator developed under the Resilience to Nature's Challenges programme. The simulator uses physics-based computer models to create of catalogue of hundreds of thousands of years' worth of earthquakes to see how big and how often large earthquakes could occur. 👀Read the full study here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gJnXXRUD #tsunami Yi-Wun Mika Liao Charles Williams

Catch up on the latest mahi from GNS Science. This week in science... 💡Our research revealed deeper, superhot geothermal could viably provide up to 2,050 Megawatts by 2050. 🌋 Whakaari/White Island has been a popular topic recently. We clear up some rumours and answer frequently asked questions about the active volcano in our latest news story. 🗺️ Seabed 2030 has now mapped over 25% of the seafloor and plans to reach a bold target of 100% by 2030. 🌱 Our climate research such as forecasting sea-level rise and understanding groundwater-related hazards has been acknowledged by the Climate Change Commission's 2024 National Adaptation Plan Progress Report.  Discover all these stories and more 👉 https://lnkd.in/gGHJEHGy 📸🗺️: Credit: Seabed2030. 📸🌱: Dunedin groundwater, Credit: Otago regional council.

💪From forecasting sea-level rise from Antarctic ice sheet melt, to understanding how groundwater-related hazards will increase as our planet warms, and developing land-use planning tools to reduce landslide risk – our research helps strengthen Aotearoa’s adaptation to climate change impacts. 🏅We’re proud to have our efforts acknowledged in the Climate Change Commission's 2024 National Adaptation Plan Progress Report, released last week. 📖South Dunedin is featured as a case study, an area where we’ve worked closely with Otago Regional Council and the South Dunedin Future programme to provide vital information on when and where groundwater-related hazards are likely to occur. The report describes the value expert knowledge has played in advancing community understanding. “We heard during many of our conversations about the important role that experts – from University of Otago and GNS Science in particular – are playing in the process underway in South Dunedin.” 🗣️Several of our research programmes and tools were also mentioned – NZSeaRise (GNS and Victoria University of Wellington), RiskScape (GNS, NIWA, Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake), and our Landslide Planning Guidance. 📷Dr Simon Cox (GNS) and Dr Jean-Luc Payan (Otago Regional Council)with South Dunedin in the background. Photo: ORC Read the 2024 National Adaptation Plan Progress Report: 👉https://lnkd.in/gyHi7xbp Find out more about our Dunedin groundwater research 👇

The Wellington fault makes the region a shaky place to live – and so do all the other faults that run through the capital city and could cause an earthquake at any time. 🎥 Tune in to a brand new video where GNS scientists Dr Nicola Litchfield, Dr Kate Clark, Dr Sheng-Lin Lin and Dr William Power take you through the latest research on Wellington's major fault lines, what we know about New Zealand’s largest and most active fault – the Hikurangi Subduction Zone, share the latest tsunami modelling for Wellington, and discuss how scientists and iwi are working together to prepare for and recover from earthquakes. 🤝 We’re proud to partner with the Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake with a presentation on building Wellington’s earthquake resilience. It’s Our Fault: Nō Mātou Te Hapa studies the forces that shape the Wellington region, and looks at how we prepare for and recover from earthquakes. Watch the talk here 👇

This week, we highlight mahi on impact-based forecasts and warnings by the Resilience to Nature's Challenges 🤩 ⛈️ Impact-based forecasts and warnings describe the consequences of weather, e.g. cause power outages, rather than what the weather is likely to be, e.g. high winds.  🛡️ This can make warnings more meaningful and enable people to take actions that will reduce the impacts of severe weather on themselves and their communities.  🌤️ Through the Resilience to Nature’s Challenges Weather & Wildfire programme, GNS experts Dr Dr Sally Potter and Dr Sara Harrison worked with MetService New Zealand and other agencies to identify and overcome the challenges involved in developing impact-based forecasts and warnings. ☀️ Their work has led to MetService’s advancements in forecasts and warnings for severe weather, and is also informing international best practice through Sally's involvement World Meteorological Organization's High-Impact Weather programme. Scroll through the images below for examples of impact-based forecasts and warnings, or find out more in this short video 👉https://lnkd.in/gRVzkZMG

We're proud to have hosted Resilience to Nature's Challenges. Over the next few weeks, we'll be reflecting on 10 years’ of mahi accelerating Aotearoa New Zealand’s resilience to natural hazards. ⭐ Today we highlight work co-led by GNS Science's Dr Bill Fry and University of Canterbury's Prof Andy Nicol to develop New Zealand’s first earthquake cycle simulator. 🖥️ By using physics-based computer models, the team generated a ‘catalogue’ of hundreds of thousands of years’ worth of earthquakes. The work enables us to better understand New Zealand’s full earthquake cycle – and what the next big quake might look like. 🌏 This work is helping the team develop more reliable models of earthquake hazards such as ground shaking, tsunami, liquefaction, and landslides—new knowledge that can then feed into next generation building codes, early warning systems, tsunami evacuation zones, and other initiatives to keep New Zealanders safer.   "At its simplest, you can think of an earthquake as a stick breaking," Bill explains. Discover more in this video 👇

⚡ New Zealand's electricity demand is projected to surge 50% by 2050, and wholesale energy prices have risen from $100/MWh to nearly $860/MWh in less than three years. 💡With energy leaders like Contact Energy Ltd committing to net-zero generation by 2035, how can we secure much more renewable energy that will also meet peak winter demands? 🌋We've found that hotter and deeper #geothermal resources in the Taupō Volcanic Zone (TVZ) could be a big part of the solution. 🔋Our research has found that at depths between 3.5-6 km under the TVZ we can access "supercritical" or "superhot" geothermal, which has up to three times higher production enthalpy compared to conventional geothermal. Harnessing this power means superhot geothermal could supply near-limitless baseload generation for New Zealand. 🔍 So the science is in, but what about the cost? To verify if supercritical geothermal (SCGT) is an economically viable for the near-future for New Zealand, we engaged Castalia Limited to independently evaluate the opportunity. 📊 The Castalia report, based on our geological research, confirms that superhot geothermal could address the #energytrilemma of #security, #sustainability, and #affordability, providing reliable, zero-emissions electricity. 🗓️ With the right investment and regulatory support, New Zealand could start harnessing this power as early as 2037 and grow 2000MW by 2050. 📰 Last week Castalia's Managing Director, Andreas Heuser, wrote about the superhot opportunity in New Zealand Herald, read it here 👉 https://lnkd.in/g6sMvf7H 📈 Check out the full report on how the numbers stack up on the economic viability of a superhot-powered New Zealand 👉 https://lnkd.in/gqCDantX ♨ Read about our research here 👉https://lnkd.in/gkdpDt8G  #NetZero #SupercriticalGeothermal #EnergyInnovation #GNSScience ThinkGeoEnergy, MBIE Science and Innovation, Electricity Authority Te Mana Hiko, EECA (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority)

📺Screening tonight! Don't miss this 2-part doco Patrick Gower: On Ice that explores the stark reality of climate change, and includes an interview with GNS's Chief Science Advisor Richard Levy. 🧊Paddy witnesses the impact of global warming on Antarctica first-hand, meets the scientists on the front-line of the climate crisis, and investigates how the future's looking for Aotearoa's coastal communities if we don't take urgent action.  📅 Monday/Tuesday  ⏲️ 7pm  📍 Three/ThreeNow