Laurie Winkless: physicist and science writer on the risks of New Zealand's major cities sinking

No coastal city is immune to rising sea levels - and one expert has warned New Zealand could be at risk of sinking shorelines.

A new study from a group of New Zealand researchers shows human activity is exacerbating the risks of oceans rising and impacting land. 

Physicist and science writer Laurie Winkless says oceans are getting warmer and glaciers are melting - and it's something that should be considered for future urban planning.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudkin
from News Talks EDB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
It is time for our science study now and joining
me is Lori Winkless Laury as a physicist and science right.

Speaker 3 (00:19):
Good morning, Lorry, Good morning Francisca. How are you good?

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Thank you. You've got a really interesting story for us
today on how the combined effect of sea level rise
and land subsidence is having a major impact on New
Zealand cities.

Speaker 3 (00:35):
Yes, so this was a study from a group of
researchers mostly based here in Altairoa, and it builds on
a project called the New Zealand Sea Rise Project. So
as you suggest that, it looks at the combined effect
of sea level rise which is driven by the melting
of ice sheets and glaciers and thermal expansion of the oceans,
and also land subsidence around the coasts. So they used

(00:58):
a technique called InSAR, and this is a radar based
technique that can look at how the land deflects over
time and how it moves vertically. And yes, they found
that seventy seven percent of New Zealand's urban coastlines are
subsiding and they're doing so at rates of about half
a millimeter per year or more, and that doesn't sound

(01:20):
like much, but if that were to continue over several
years or decades or centuries, then that starts to become
a little bit worrying.

Speaker 2 (01:27):
So why is that? Is it because we've reclaimed land?
Is that because we've built on the land?

Speaker 3 (01:34):
Yes, exactly. That definitely. Something that Jesse Kurse, who's the
main author of this paper, noticed was that the engineering
approach that's taken to land reclamation seems to have an
effect on its current stability. So in some areas where
you've had reclaimed land, like Wellington Airport was an example,
he mentioned to me that's very very stable even now,

(01:56):
and he believes that that has something to do with
the way the land is reclaimed. In other parts of
the country, like Naval Point in christ Church, the land
reclamation there was done let's say a little bit more simply,
and we've seen a lot more subsidence as a result
that the rate is six point five millimeters per year
in Naval Point.

Speaker 2 (02:16):
Have I learned anything new about the sea level rise
in why this is taking place?

Speaker 3 (02:22):
We haven't learned anything new in terms of we know
the main impact. We know the main result reasons are
because the ocean is getting warmer and expanding to fillmore space,
and we are seeing melting of the ice sheets and glaciers.
But this subsidence is a new result in the sense
that it's the first time we've actually looked at just

(02:43):
New Zealand's coastal cities. So this is the first time
that we've really looked at this in very very high detail.
So it is something that at least the authors suggest
should be considered when we're looking at future development plans
or any vulnerable urban areas looking at building high rise
apartments or you know, important infrastructure, maybe we to rethink.

Speaker 2 (03:07):
That, Laurie, where can people find this study?

Speaker 3 (03:10):
So I would suggest going to CRISE dot Nz. That
is the project website. There's actually a map on there
where you can look at data from twenty twenty four
I believe, of all the coastal areas of New Zealand.
But otherwise you would look at my article I guess
in Forbes, where I've linked a paper the paper if

(03:32):
this is based on Thank.

Speaker 2 (03:33):
You so much, Laurie, appreciate your time this morning.

Speaker 3 (03:36):
My pleasure, Francesca.

Speaker 1 (03:37):
Thank you for more from the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin.
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