Dr Mike Williams
Position: Principal Scientist, NIWA. Field: Physical oceanography, marine physics.
Born in Dunedin, Dr Mike Williams has travelled the world for his research as a physical oceanographer, looking at why and how the ocean circulates. He has spent time researching off the coast of Chile, in Denmark, Australia and Antarctica.
Dr Mike Williams conducting an experiment
NIWA research scientist Dr Mike Williams conducting an experiment at the container base laboratory in Antarctica.
Mike is now based in Wellington where he is interested in understanding how ocean circulation around Antarctica affects both New Zealand’s climate and the world’s climate.
How to become a climate scientist
Dr Mike Williams from NIWA explains what areas you need to be good at if you want to study climates and the Antarctic environment.
As a research scientist, he spends time measuring how icebergs move and how sea ice may affect the movement of water. He also spends time doing data analysis and running complex mathematical models. His Masters degree in mathematics has provided him with a lot of experience with numbers.
What I like about science
Dr Mike Williams from NIWA explains what excites him about being a scientist and why he likes problem-solving.
While studying at Otago University, I met people who showed me that maths is more diverse than solving equations on pieces of paper
Dr Mike Williams
McMurdo - a natural laboratory
Dr Mike Williams from NIWA explains the significance of studying McMurdo Sound in Antarctica and why this environment is like a natural laboratory to the scientists.
When asked what he likes most about research, Mike answered, “I think the thing I like most about doing scientific research is the problem solving – it’s not so much that I want to know everything there is about icebergs or sea ice. I want to find out why we don’t know things about icebergs or sea ice.”
Why study oceanography?
Dr Mike Williams from NIWA explains why he studied oceanography and how he got hooked on working in and studying Antarctica.
With his science background in polar oceanography and interest in the Southern Ocean and the ways ice can interact with the ocean, Dr Mike Williams was a good fit for the Deep South National Science Challenge. He was subsequently appointed director of the Deep South Science Leadership team in September 2016.
Mike has now traveled to Antarctica and the Southern Ocean over a dozen times by ice breaker, research vessel and aircraft on 10 different expeditions.
Useful links
The varied sights and sounds of Antarctic icebergs begin to reveal themselves in this Radio NZ podcast with NIWA scientist and Deep South National Science Challenge director, Dr Mike Williams: Voice of the iceberg 2.
Read about the Deep South Challenge and the work to build a New Zealand Earth Systems Model, in this New Zealand Geographic article: New Zealand's Next Top Model.
Mike explains the importance of sea ice in the video Sea ice and climate change.
This article is based on information current in 2007 and updated in 2017.
