Royal Society of New Zealand, Canterbury Branch

RSNZ Canterbury Branch

Managed by our council since 1862 promoting science and technology in Canterbury.

Anyone can join or post to our mailing list to keep up to date with science-related activities in Canterbury.

Join us and support our activities: our lecture programme and receive our monthly newsletter.

Find out more about us or our Awards programmes: our science promotion and student travel grants and Science fair prizes.

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2019 Annual Report avaivable for download here

Upcoming Events

Foulden Maar: protecting NZ’s geological sites

Dr Daphne Lee

Thursday 19th November 2020 7.00pm
TDC Council Chamber (from Barnard St carpark)

Foulden Maar, Hindon Maar and Roxburgh Amber Forest, three of the most important terrestrial fossil sites in New Zealand. Some of these sites have been under threat form mining and other Human activities as well as natural processes. How can we protect and preserve our fossil treasures and geological features for future generations?

Dr Daphne Lee is an Honorary Associate Professor at the Department of Geology, University of Otago and has studied the Foulden Maar site for many years and authored many papers on the discoveries there. Her research interests are Cenozoic paleobotany and paleoclimate, Invertebrate paleontology (brachiopods), Cenozoic stratigraphy and Earth science education.

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Christchurch Talks November

Celestial Fireworks: from comets to exploding stars

Associate Professor Karen Pollard

5th November 2020 6.00pm
Turanga60 Cathedral Square

New discoveries and science programs at UC and the Mt John Observatory.

Karen Pollard is the Director of the University of Canterbury Mt John Observatory and is an associate professor in the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences at University of Canterbury. Her research involves investigating the structure and evolution of stars and planetary systems; especially studying variable, pulsating and exploding stars to understand how these objects form, live and die and how they interact with their local environment. Karen, originally from Christchurch,has worked as an astronomer at the University of Canterbury; the South African Astronomical Observatory in South Africa; at Gettysburg College, PA, USA; and as a visiting fellow at the European Southern Observatory, Chile.

Foulden Maar: protecting NZ’s geological sites

Dr Daphne Lee

Thursday 26th November 2020 6.00pm
Turanga60 Cathedral Square

Foulden Maar, Hindon Maar and Roxburgh Amber Forest, three of the most important terrestrial fossil sites in New Zealand. Some of these sites have been under threat form mining and other Human activities as well as natural processes. How can we protect and preserve our fossil treasures and geological features for future generations?

Dr Daphne Lee is an Honorary Associate Professor at the Department of Geology, University of Otago and has studied the Foulden Maar site for many years and authored many papers on the discoveries there. Her research interests are Cenozoic paleobotany and paleoclimate, Invertebrate paleontology (brachiopods), Cenozoic stratigraphy and Earth science education.

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Geoscience NZ Presidential lecture

Just How On Earth Do We Know What Mars Is Made Of?

GSNZ President, James Scott of University of Otago

Postponed due to Covid 19 until further notice

Right now there is the NASA Mars InSight programme to help understand the interior of our neighbouring Red Planet. Humans haven’t retrieved rocks from Mars, but we do have rocks on Earth from Mars...

* How is this possible?
* What is Mars made of?
* Are Mars rocks unique?
* Are geological processes operating on Mars different to those on Earth?
* What is the prospect that life occurs (or has occurred) on the planet?

I will explain just how on Earth we know about Mars, I will summarise some of my research on the high-P ejecta, and I will bring some (very small) Martian meteorites for show and tell.

James has undertaken university and industry-based research from New Zealand’s Sub-Antarctic Islands, to the Pacific Islands, to central Europe. His research involves examination of shallow Earth processes from mineralisation to environmental studies. He has recently undertaken research projects on the evolution of Earth’s mantle to the formation of the solar nebula, largely from a high temperature geochemical perspective.

This talk is sponsored by the Geoscience Society of New Zealand.
https://www.gsnz.org.nz/news-and-events/presidents-tour/

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