2018 ANZIC Masterclass (2-9 December 2018, North Island, NZ)

GNS Science hosted the third-and-final New Zealand-led edition of the annual ANZIC IODP Masterclass. The initiative was funded by the Australia/New Zealand IODP Consortium (ANZIC), via a grant to Giuseppe Cortese, who led a bid involving GNS Science, University of Otago, NIWA, and Victoria University of Wellington (VUW). This year’s edition began in Wellington, with the first day surveying Wellington Harbour on NIWA’s vessel Rukuwai and working in the labs at NIWA, followed by field trips to the Wairarapa and the Hawke’s Bay regions for the rest of the program. Twenty undergraduate students from Australia and NZ took part in the Masterclass. They were introduced to a variety of earth science concepts, including sedimentology, seismology, coastal processes, and fault displacement. The field trips, led by Kyle Bland and Malcolm Arnot (both GNS Science), focused on local geology and presented fantastic examples of a major fault, turbidites, uplifted beach terraces, an underwater canyon, cycles of sea-level change and mass fluvial deposits.

The participants were all highly engaged and enjoyed their experience at the Masterclass. The program also helped build a fantastic network of young scientists, and the facilitators look forward to engaging with them in their future research ventures.

Geosciences 2018: Our land, Our ocean, Our responsibility Conference (27-30 November 2018, Napier, NZ)

ANZIC and the recent IODP expeditions feature strongly in the 2018 NZ Geosciences Society Annual Conference programme

• There will be a public talk on the Hikurangi Margin IODP effort
• Three of the six plenary speakers are ANZIC/IODP: Leanne Armand, Rupert Sutherland, Phil Barnes (or Hikurangi alternate)
• Two confirmed sessions will feature recent IODP science:
  • Session 4: Taupo Volcanic Zone-Kermadec Arc (convenor: Cornel de Ronde)
  • Session 5: Hikurangi Margin (convenors: Laura Wallace, Kate Clarke, Dan Bassett)
• One additional session is likely to feature recent IODP science:
  • Session 12: Antarctica: Rob McKay likely to present on Ross Sea.

Te Kura Kōhatu: School of Rock 2018 (5-13 July; Auckland, New Zealand)

School of Rock is an annual education program offered by the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP), the world’s largest geoscience program. It is usually run on board the JOIDES Resolution while the ship is in transit between expeditions. This year, for logistical reasons, it was held onshore in Auckland and had a special focus on the local geology.

The program started onboard the JOIDES Resolution, where the participants learned about the science led by IODP and got to do some lab work, such as core description and sample processing. For the reminder of the program, the group was based at various locations around Auckland, with one day at the labs of the University of Auckland. The participants visited a total of 12 field sites, each with a fascinating geoscience story. Topics covered ranged from basic geological principles to volcanism, sea level change, erosion, long shore drift, ecology and biodiversity. Bruce Hayward, an expert on Auckland geology, led most of the field trips and the program had a good balance of new information and hands-on experiential learning activities.

The group of participants, a mixture of USA, Australian and New Zealand educators, varied in their geology experience prior to the program. At the end of the course, the participants showed a wider understanding of and great enthusiasm for earth science, which they will bring into their teaching streams.

Apply to sail on these upcoming IODP Expeditions

Expedition 385 Guaymas Basin Tectonics and Biosphere - Special call for for scientists with expertise in geochemistry and sedimentology/lithostratigraphy. Application deadline: 8 June, 2018

Discovering the secret past of Antarctica 

The JOIDES Resolution, a scientific research ship, is journeying to the Ross Sea to discover more about the history of the ice sheets around Antarctica. 

Voyages of discovery

One of the world’s largest scientific research ships is in New Zealand waters for six expeditions to probe some of the 21st century’s biggest science questions. 

Mastering Marine Geoscience

Twenty students from universities around New Zealand and Australia took part in this year’s Marine Geoscience Masterclass. The programme, focused around the science led by the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP), ran from 4^th to 8^th December. The event has been hosted by GNS Science, with contributions from NIWA and Victoria University of Wellington.

Explorers probe hidden continent of Zealandia

Rupert Sutherland talks about exploring Earth’s hidden continent.

Connect to the JOIDES Resolution via live Ship-to-shore link

There are outreach officers currently on board the JOIDES Resolution dying to tell school students and teachers more about life on board and the science behind drilling deep beneath the seafloor to unlock our geological history. 

VIDEO: Exploring Zealandia-Expedition 371 Tasman Sea Frontier

A brief explanation of Zealandia with interviews from Co Chiefs Rupert Sutherland, and Jerry Dickens. Take a look at the first core samples taken from Zealandia

VIDEO: The Adventure Begins: Expedition 371-Tasman Sea Frontier

The excitement grows as we leave port in Townsville Australia for the beginning of Expedition 371-Tasman Sea Frontier. 

Plumbing the depths of Zealandia’s ocean

One of the world’s top scientific research ships will next week start a series of expeditions in the seas around New Zealand probing some of the 21st century’s big earth science questions.

Voyage to discovery: drilling to diagnose slow slip earthquakes

GNS and NIWA scientists are preparing to go on two voyages, joining the International Ocean Discovery Programme, onboard research ship Joides Resolution. Kathryn Ryan from RadioNZ speaks with NIWA principal scientist Phil Barnes and project leader at GNS Science Laura Wallace, who has recently held a series of hui with East Coasters about the project.

Five IODP Expeditions are scheduled for 2017-18 in NZ waters

Information on key objectives and co-chief scientists for the five IODP expeditions taking place in New Zealand waters during 2017-2018. 

JOIDES Resolution charts a course for NZ waters

The world’s largest geoscience programme has confirmed that the research ship JOIDES Resolution will undertake several projects exploring the seafloor off New Zealand’s coast.

Scientific ocean drilling charts a new course

The International Ocean Discovery Program plans drilling expeditions for 2016 and 2017 while increasing efficiencies in ship scheduling and operations.

ANZIC Annual Report for 2014 now available

The Annual Report for the Australian-New Zealand (ANZIC) Consortium is now available online. It contains a summary of the many IODP activities that took place over last year. Quite a good read while waiting for the results of Australia’s bid for renewal within the ARC/LIEF mechanism, and for the flurry of Expeditions that will (hopefully!) take place in the SW Pacific from Fiscal Year 2018.

Drilling off Gisborne to study silent quakes

An international proposal to use scientific ocean drilling to investigate ‘silent earthquakes’ under the seafloor east of Gisborne has been scheduled for 2018 by the International Ocean Discovery Program.

Seeking an ANZIC scientist: IODP Environmental Protection and Safety Panel

We are actively seeking an Australian or New Zealand representative for the IODP Environmental Protection and Safety Panel (EPSP).

The long-term track of JOIDES Resolution

A recent letter from Anthony Koppers, Chair, U.S. Advisory Committee for Scientific Ocean Drilling, to the scientific community on the long-term track of JOIDES Resolution.

Japan tectonic study has implications for NZ

An investigation of the plate boundary fault off the east coast of Japan that caused the magnitude 9.0 quake and tsunami in March 2011 has implications for New Zealand, according to Virginia Toy, an Otago University scientist who contributed to the study.

Drilling into the Alpine Fault - Radio NZ: Our Changing World interview with Rupert Sutherland

Rupert Sutherland gives a general overview of the Alpine Fault drilling project.