Public Research OrganisationA Public Research Organisation (PRO) is a type of New Zealand research organisation, established in 2025 as a reformation of the science and research system. The government announced in January 2025 that the Crown Research Institutes would be reorganised into three PROs, with a fourth to be established focusing on advanced technology.
Earth Sciences New ZealandEarth Sciences New Zealand (formally New Zealand Institute for Earth Science) is a Public Research Organisation in New Zealand since 1 July 2025. The formation of Earth Sciences New Zealand was announced as part of the New Zealand science sector reforms.
Crown Research InstituteIn New Zealand, Crown Research Institutes (CRIs) are corporatisedCrown entities charged with conducting scientificresearch. In January 2025, Prime MinisterChristopher Luxon announced plans to merge the existing crown research institutes into three new Public Research Organisations (PROs).
VolcanologyVolcanology (also spelled vulcanology) is the study of volcanoes, lava, magma, and related geological, geophysical and geochemical phenomena (volcanism). The term volcanology is derived from the Latin word vulcan. Vulcan was the ancient Roman god of fire. A volcanologist is a geologist who studies the eruptive activity and formation of volcanoes and their current and historic eruptions.
GeophysicsGeophysics () is a physical science concerned with the processes and properties of Earth and its surrounding space environment, studied using quantitative and observational methods. It focuses primarily on Earth’s shape and its gravitational, magnetic, and electromagnetic fields. It also studies internal structure, composition, and dynamics, and their surface expression in tectonics, volcanism, and rock formation.
IsotopeIsotopes are distinct nuclear species (or nuclides) of the same chemical element. They have the same atomic number (number of protons in their nuclei) and position in the periodic table (and hence belong to the same chemical element), but different nucleon numbers (mass numbers) due to different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei. While all isotopes of a given element have virtually the same chemical properties, they have different atomic masses and physical properties.
GeologyScientific study of Earth's physical compositionNot to be confused with Geography.The Grand Canyon, Arizona, in March 2013Geology is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical bodies, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. The name comes from Ancient Greek γῆ (gê) 'earth' and λoγία (-logía) 'study of, discourse'.
Radiocarbon datingMethod for determining the age of objectsRadiocarbon dating helped verify the authenticity of the Dead Sea Scrolls.Radiocarbon dating (also referred to as carbon dating or carbon-14 dating) is a method for determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of radiocarbon, a radioactiveisotope of carbon. The method was developed in the late 1940s at the University of Chicago by Willard Libby.
SeismologySeismology (; from Ancient Greek σεισμός (seismós), meaning 'earthquake', and -λογία (-logía), meaning 'study of') is the scientific study of earthquakes (or generally, quakes) and the generation and propagation of elastic waves through planetary bodies.
Māori languagePolynesian language spoken in New ZealandMāori (Māori:; endonym: te reo Māori, 'the Māori language', also shortened to te reo) is an Eastern Polynesian language and the language of the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. The southernmost member of the Austronesian language family, it is related to Cook Islands Māori, Moriori, Tuamotuan, and Tahitian.
Atomic nucleusThe atomic nucleus is the small, dense region consisting of protons and neutrons at the center of an atom, discovered in 1911 by Ernest Rutherford at the University of Manchester based on the 1909 Geiger–Marsden gold foil experiment. After the discovery of the neutron in 1932, models for a nucleus composed of protons and neutrons were quickly developed by Dmitri Ivanenko and Werner Heisenberg.
Ion beamAn ion beam is a beam of ions, a type of charged particle beam. Ion beams have many uses in electronics manufacturing (principally ion implantation) and other industries. There are many ion beam sources, some derived from the mercury vapor thrusters developed by NASA in the 1960s. The most widely used ion beams are of singly-charged ions.
Earth Sciences New ZealandEarth Sciences New Zealand (formally New Zealand Institute for Earth Science) is a Public Research Organisation in New Zealand since 1 July 2025. The formation of Earth Sciences New Zealand was announced as part of the New Zealand science sector reforms.Crown Research InstituteIn New Zealand, Crown Research Institutes (CRIs) are corporatisedCrown entities charged with conducting scientificresearch. In January 2025, Prime MinisterChristopher Luxon announced plans to merge the existing crown research institutes into three new Public Research Organisations (PROs).VolcanologyVolcanology (also spelled vulcanology) is the study of volcanoes, lava, magma, and related geological, geophysical and geochemical phenomena (volcanism). The term volcanology is derived from the Latin word vulcan. Vulcan was the ancient Roman god of fire. A volcanologist is a geologist who studies the eruptive activity and formation of volcanoes and their current and historic eruptions.GeophysicsGeophysics () is a physical science concerned with the processes and properties of Earth and its surrounding space environment, studied using quantitative and observational methods. It focuses primarily on Earth’s shape and its gravitational, magnetic, and electromagnetic fields. It also studies internal structure, composition, and dynamics, and their surface expression in tectonics, volcanism, and rock formation.IsotopeIsotopes are distinct nuclear species (or nuclides) of the same chemical element. They have the same atomic number (number of protons in their nuclei) and position in the periodic table (and hence belong to the same chemical element), but different nucleon numbers (mass numbers) due to different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei. While all isotopes of a given element have virtually the same chemical properties, they have different atomic masses and physical properties.GeologyScientific study of Earth's physical compositionNot to be confused with Geography.The Grand Canyon, Arizona, in March 2013Geology is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical bodies, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. The name comes from Ancient Greek γῆ (gê) 'earth' and λoγία (-logía) 'study of, discourse'.Radiocarbon datingMethod for determining the age of objectsRadiocarbon dating helped verify the authenticity of the Dead Sea Scrolls.Radiocarbon dating (also referred to as carbon dating or carbon-14 dating) is a method for determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of radiocarbon, a radioactiveisotope of carbon. The method was developed in the late 1940s at the University of Chicago by Willard Libby.SeismologySeismology (; from Ancient Greek σεισμός (seismós), meaning 'earthquake', and -λογία (-logía), meaning 'study of') is the scientific study of earthquakes (or generally, quakes) and the generation and propagation of elastic waves through planetary bodies.Māori languagePolynesian language spoken in New ZealandMāori (Māori:; endonym: te reo Māori, 'the Māori language', also shortened to te reo) is an Eastern Polynesian language and the language of the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. The southernmost member of the Austronesian language family, it is related to Cook Islands Māori, Moriori, Tuamotuan, and Tahitian.Atomic nucleusThe atomic nucleus is the small, dense region consisting of protons and neutrons at the center of an atom, discovered in 1911 by Ernest Rutherford at the University of Manchester based on the 1909 Geiger–Marsden gold foil experiment. After the discovery of the neutron in 1932, models for a nucleus composed of protons and neutrons were quickly developed by Dmitri Ivanenko and Werner Heisenberg.Ion beamAn ion beam is a beam of ions, a type of charged particle beam. Ion beams have many uses in electronics manufacturing (principally ion implantation) and other industries. There are many ion beam sources, some derived from the mercury vapor thrusters developed by NASA in the 1960s. The most widely used ion beams are of singly-charged ions.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.