“My Master’s research is looking at the intersection between climate change, natural hazards and human response and responsibility. This flood modelling project incorporates almost everything I have learnt at University – geology, geographic information science, geomorphology, environmental management, and hydrology, at scales ranging from the regional to the minute. My supervisors are at the top of their fields. They can explain the most complex concepts in the simplest terms, and are developing internationally recognised hydrologic modelling and mapping tools, which my project contributes to.”

“I love being around people who are passionate about their job, whether that be teaching, scientific research, or giving back to communities through outreach programmes such as Te Rōpū Āwhina.”

“This programme has exceeded my expectations. I can’t wait to put my skills into practice. I’d like to work for a company that pushes the boundaries in geo-technology, science communication or climate change and hazard research.

“There is no better place in New Zealand to study. Dynamic is probably the best way to describe Wellington. The learning environment isn’t just the classroom; it extends from the national fieldtrips, to the powerful political decisions being made just down the road. I love being able to look out the window of my office and see a landscape uplifted from the sea, and a highway that follows the path of a fault.”

The interdisciplinary nature of the earth sciences subjects at the University fostered Nicole’s interest in environmental issues.

“The great thing about Development Studies and Geography is that they are subjects situated between people and their environments—therefore they use knowledge from both earth and social sciences to understand and connect them.”

Nicole says the programme has tied into her conservation concerns. “It has been interesting and eye-opening, and I’ve enjoyed meeting lots of people with similar interests. It’s motivated me to seek out opportunities and expand my understanding.”

In the future, she plans to put into practice what she has learnt in class. “I am interested in a career that has a strong environmental focus, and the political complexity and challenges that society faces with environmental change. I would also love to travel and work overseas to further my knowledge about the world.”

Dr Anderson has travelled to the glaciers of the Southern Alps on a monthly basis for more than a decade. His work helps us to understand the way that the glaciers are changing and work out what this tells us about climate change.

His fieldwork usually involves drilling four-metre long poles into glacier ice and timing how long it takes for the ice around each pole to melt away. Global positioning technology is used to track glacier movement.

Each year, Dr Anderson and his team trek on the upper reaches of Franz Josef Glacier to look down crevasses and work out how much snow is left after the summer melt. At Brewster Glacier, a small alpine glacier near Haast in South Westland, they use long sticks, called probes, and ground-penetrating radar to measure the depth of the snow.

Earlier this year, Dr Anderson says a 70-metre chunk of ice broke off the terminal face of Tasman Glacier, releasing an estimated seven million cubic metres of ice into Tasman Lake.

“Tasman is undergoing rapid decline right now, with large chunks breaking off and falling into Tasman Lake. We are using time-lapse photography to capture these ‘calving’ events as they happen and gather valuable information on ice loss and glacier behaviour at the same time.”

After completing a Master’s in Geography at Ohio University, Kyle wanted to improve his understanding of Southern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation and its connection to Antarctic climate change. He made the decision to move to New Zealand and begin a PhD at Victoria University of Wellington where research in the earth sciences and physical geography are world renowned.

“I had a particular focus in understanding how changes in sea surface temperature and precipitation patterns in the tropics, such as those associated with El Niño, were connected to Antarctic climate trends.”

The results of the research showed that different regions and time scales of tropical variability affected different aspects of the southern hemisphere atmospheric circulation and Antarctic climate.

During his time as a PhD student, Kyle worked closely with his supervisors Professor James Renwick and Dr Jim McGregor who provided important advice and guidance for the duration of his research.

“My supervisors were knowledgeable, friendly, and approachable. They knew when to push me to think more deeply and critically about my research. James is a world-leading expert on Southern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation.”

On completion of his PhD, Kyle accepted a Postdoctoral position at Rutgers University in the United States. There he learnt how to perform climate model experiments to further investigate and test if and how changes in tropical variability influence Antarctic climate. Since then, Kyle has moved back to Wellington and is now working as a Research Fellow in Climate Science at Victoria University of Wellington.

“I was incredibly fortunate to get the opportunity to return to Wellington last year to serve in my current role as a research fellow. My responsibilities include a range of teaching, supervising, and research. I teach two undergraduate geography courses, and guest lecture in the Master’s of Meteorology programme. I have co-supervised three Master’s students, and am currently collaborating with a Master’s student from the School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences looking at the causes of ice shelf collapse on the Antarctic Peninsula.”