Seeds are part of most plant life cycles. Seed-producing plants and the seeds they produce provide resources for humans and other living things. These include food...
In January 2022 the world was shocked to hear of a sudden huge volcanic eruption close to Tonga, causing a tsunami and volcanic ash to cover...
This Connected article looks at the aftermath of the 2011 environmental disaster caused when the MV Rena struck Astrolabe Reef, off the Tauranga coast. Since then,...
The 2016 Kaikōura earthquake caused sudden large-scale changes along the coastline. The intertidal zones were lifted up to 6 metres in some places. In the media,...
On the islands of Sāmoa, the effects of climate change are being felt. Tsunamis, cyclones and sea level rise are some of the natural hazards villages...
At present, it is not possible for scientists to accurately predict the time, location or strength of earthquakes, nor to tell if a swarm of small...
The 2016 Mw 7.8 Kaikōura earthquake was a complex sequence of ruptures that included 12 major faults and nine lesser faults. The initial rupture started on...
Have you ever wondered about the differences between cyclones, typhoons and hurricanes? It is all due to their location. When they occur in the South Pacific...
Each day, people talk about the weather. It affects our jobs, our leisure and our travel, so when meteorologists (scientists who forecast the weather) predict extreme...
In October 2011, the Greek container ship MV Rena ran aground on Ōtāiti, also known as the Astrolabe Reef, off the coast of Tauranga. The oil...
The resources in this collection are about where the land meets the sea. New Zealand has 15,134 km of coastline with extensive marine habitat. Land and...
An earthquake near Christchurch in September 2010 started a chain of events still being felt years later. It caused extensive damage to property, and aftershocks also...
On 5 October 2011, the cargo vessel Rena was grounded on the Astrolabe Reef off the Tauranga coast. The ship was carrying 1,368 containers, 1,700 tonnes...
In this activity, students consider short-term and long-term responses to an environmental disaster such as the Rena. By the end of this activity, students should be...
Ngā Iwi o Tauranga Moana (a collective group for Māori tribes in Tauranga) were deeply concerned when the Rena grounded on the Astrolabe Reef on 5...
On 5 October 2011, the cargo vessel Rena ran aground on the Astrolabe Reef. The ship was carrying 1700 tonnes of heavy fuel oil and about...
The Rena disaster on 5 October 2011 impacted the surrounding environment of the Bay of Plenty in New Zealand. The ship was carrying 1,368 containers –...
Emma Sommerville had just arrived in the Bay of Plenty from Christchurch, after experiencing the Canterbury earthquake disaster, when the Rena ran aground. Having just completed...
In this activity, students work in small groups to select a 6-member disaster response team from a set of 12 biography cards. By the end of...
In this activity, students select items to include in a home disaster kit in case of emergency and calculate how much food and water they will...
In 2008, scientists, Civil Defence, electricity companies, transport providers and government came together in a major exercise to find out how a theoretical volcanic eruption might...
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