From deep-sea creatures to earthquake hazards, come long to this series of free talks at Te Papa and hear about the latest scientific discoveries in and around Aotearoa, straight from the experts.

Venue: Opposite Espresso cafe by Phar Lap, Level 4, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 55 Cable Street, Wellington

May 9: Going Up or Down? Wellington in a Big Quake

What could happen in Wellington when the ‘Big One’ hits? Fault rupture, strong ground shaking, liquefaction, sinking, uplift, landslides? Explore the potential impact of a major earthquake with geologist Russ Van Dissen, an expert on the Wellington Fault and quake hazards in the Wellington region.

May 16: The JOIDES Resolution – exploring the ocean floor

The JOIDES Resolution is a ship working for an international research programme – the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program. It’s on a series of expeditions over 18 months within New Zealand waters. Recently, staff have been installing undersea observatories and drilling core samples in the ocean floor. Hear them discuss what their work reveals about tectonics, earthquakes, climate change, and undersea volcanoes.

May 23: Carbon dioxide emissions – how do we stack up?

Carbon dioxide levels now top 400 parts per million in the air globally – but what does that really mean? How does that level of pollution affect the Wellington region, and how do we compare to other parts of the world? Hear from Dr Jocelyn Turnbull, who leads a new programme at GNS Science to measure and model CO2 emissions.

May 30: The Undersea Brothers Volcano

One of the volcanoes that most fascinates marine scientists lies near New Zealand, 1.8 kilometres under the waves. The Brothers Volcano has vast fields of ‘black smoker’ chimneys up to 20 metres high. These form over vents, and belch mineral-rich hot water that sustains unique marine life. Dr Cornel de Ronde has visited the volcano, and takes you into its undersea world.

June 6: Climate change and the Antarctic ice core

The global sea level could rise 1 to 2 metres by 2100, and climate change is causing this dramatic acceleration. Nancy Bertler leads an international team using an ice core from Antarctica’s Ross Ice Shelf to understand climate conditions over the past 70,000 years. Hear Nancy discuss how the ice core is helping scientists to model future climate change.

June 13: Life in the extreme

A toxic environment with powerful deep-sea pressure, strong acids, and wildly swinging temperatures – the undersea Brothers Volcano doesn’t sound like a tempting place to call home. Yet life abounds there. How does this oasis flourish in the extreme? Join an expert on extremophiles, Dr Ken Takai, to uncover what makes these creatures so resilient.

June 20: Are we ready for a Wellington tsunami?

Tsunamis are an ever-present threat to coastal New Zealand. What would happen around Wellington Harbour if a tsunami hit? Dr William Power discusses the areas of high risk in Hutt City and Wellington City. He outlines initiatives to protect local communities and raise awareness about the danger of tsunamis.

June 27: The JOIDES Resolution – virtual tour

Take a virtual visit on board the JOIDES Resolution, an international research ship. It’s now northeast of New Zealand researching the Hikurangi subduction zone – possibly the most important source of earthquakes and tsunamis in Aotearoa. The JOIDES Resolution drills into the ocean floor to collect and study core samples. These give scientists insights into climate change, geology and Earth’s history.

For further information: www.tepapa.govt.nz/visit/whats-on/events/talks-science-for-lunch

Related content

We have a range of resources under our climate change topic, but why not start with Thin Ice in the classroom.

This article gives some background to the scientific research vessel JOIDES Resolution.

Read a series of blog articles by Aliki Weststrate, IODP (International Ocean Discovery Program) Outreach Educator covering her adventures aboard JOIDES Resolution. She was part of expedition #375 which undertook research around the Hikurangi subduction zone.

Find out more about deep sea Cold-seep communities.

Activity ideas

Carbon dioxide emissions calculator – in this activity, students can use the online calculator to calculate and compare the amount of CO2 produced by different energy sources.

Use one of these activities to learn more about tsunamis: Making Mexican waves, Similarities and differences: tsunamis and surf waves and Wave tank modelling.

Try the activity, Investigating sea level rise with your class and then use our search and filters to find more activities to aid your student’s understanding of climate change, for example here.

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