Public Reports

2019 MAPM winter field campaign

  • MAPM campaign paper is available online on ESSD here.

    • This paper describes the 2019 MAPM winter field campaign that took place in Christchurch and the measurements taken.

  • All measurements are publicly available on Zenodo

2019 ROM SAF Visiting Scientist Report:
Radio Occultation Measurements as the Primary Anchor in a Hierarchy of Anchor Observations for Numerical Weather Predictions

Jordis was a Visiting Scientist within EUMETSAT's Radio Occultation Meteorology Satellite Application Facility (ROM SAF) in Europe in 2019. Jordis's report, titled 'Radio Occultation Measurements as the Primary Anchor in a Hierarchy of Anchor Observations for Numerical Weather Predictions' has been published by ROMSAF, and available below and on their website.

Click here to view the full report.

Climate change implications for the Queenstown Lakes District

At the end of 2019, Bodeker Scientific was engaged to produce the report "Climate change implications for the Queenstown Lakes District" for the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) to help provide an analyses of both historical and projected changes in the climate of the Queenstown Lakes District, including an assessment of changes in the following six essential climate variables (ECVs):

    1. Temperature

    2. Wind

    3. Relative humidity

    4. Precipitation (rainfall and snowfall)

    5. Snowpack as a resource

    6. Solar radiation

Click here to view the full report.

The Past, Present and Future Climate of Central Otago: Implications for the District

At the end of 2017, Bodeker Scientific was engaged to produce the report "The Past, Present and Future Climate of Central Otago: Implications for the District" for the Central Otago District Council (CODC) to help in developing their 30-year Infrastructure Strategy and 10-year Long Term Plan, with the next versions to come into effect on 1 July 2018.

CODC sought information regarding projected changes in climate within the district to inform those plans. Until now, CODC had not adequately considered the impacts of climate change on their activities, and wished to address this in the 2018 strategy and plan. Bodeker Scientific was engaged to produce this report and provide both a synopsis of changes in the climate of the region to date and projected climate changes so that possible implications for services provided by the Council, such as water, storm-water, sewerage, local roading, and emergency response activities, could be determined. Such information will also be used to inform high level considerations on possible land use change and how these changes might impact demand for services.

Click here to view the full report.

Precipitation Trends for the Otago Region over the 21st Century

The report titled "Precipitation Trends for the Otago Region over the 21st century" was presented at the Otago Regional Council.

An analysis of historic trends and precipitation projections over the 21st century was presented for the Otago region. Nine annual precipitation metrics were used to assess the historical trends in precipitation for the Otago Region.

    • The number of wet days.

    • The total annual precipitation.

    • The maximum consecutive number of wet days.

    • The maximum precipitation over a 5-day period.

    • The average daily precipitation.

    • The number of days with very high or extreme precipitation (2 metrics).

    • The proportion of the total annual rainfall coming from very high or extreme precipitation days (2 metrics).

Click here to view the full report.

Investigating Meteorological Intervention for Improving Air Quality in Airshed 1 Towns

The report titled "Investigating Meteorological Intervention for Improving Air Quality in Airshed 1 Towns" was presented at the Otago Regional Council.

The report evaluated the potential for reducing air pollution through modifying the atmosphere above small towns (classed Airshed 1) that experience high levels of night time pollution. An advection-diffusion model was created that allowed the effect of various interventions on increasing the dispersal of smoke from home heating to be clearly assessed. These interventions included using frost-fighting fans to mix the lower atmosphere, enhancing a naturally occurring low-level (50-100 m above ground level) wind in the mid evening as well as drawing air out the Alexandra basin. It was found that none of the interventions would be able to significantly reduce levels of air pollution to within the national standards within reasonable energy limits. The model may be useful for identifying the most effective strategies for improving air quality through reducing emissions.

Click here to view the report.

2016 ROM SAF Visiting Scientist Report:
Radiosonde Temperature Bias Corrections using Radio Occultation Bending Angles as Reference

In 2016 Jordis was a Visiting Scientist at the Radio Occultation Meteorology Satellite Application Facility (ROM SAF). Her report 'Radiosonde Temperature Bias Corrections using Radio Occultation Bending Angles as Reference' is available on the ROM SAF website.

Click here to view the report.

Alexandra Community Climate Change Discussion Forum

On Saturday 7 November 2015, the Alexandra Community Climate Change Forum was held at the Alexandra Community Centre. The purpose of the forum was to solicit ideas from the community as to how Central Otago might respond to both the threats and opportunities posed by climate change. The Discussion Forum arose out of deliberations within the MAD4CO (Making A Difference For Central Otago) group in the lead up to the Alexandra Thyme Festival. The goal was to host a discussion evening that would more closely link current climate change research to the needs of a small community, such as Central Otago, and to raise community awareness of the latest outcomes of climate change research.

Click here to view the report that was produced collating the comments and results from the forum.

2015 ROM SAF Visiting Scientist Report:
Characterisation of radiosonde temperature biases and errors using radio occultation measurements

In 2015 Jordis was a Visiting Scientist at the Radio Occultation Meteorology Satellite Application Facility (ROMSAF). Her report 'Characterisation of radiosonde temperature biases and errors using radio occultation measurements' is now available on the ROM SAF website.

Click here to view the report.

Domestic Heating Survey, Alexandra, New Zealand - Outcomes Report

Alexandra, New Zealand, experiences a winter-time smog problem as a result of emissions of small particles. These fine particulate matter, up to ten micrometres in size (PM10), become trapped under an inversion layer that forms preferentially during cold weather. These emissions result from the use of wood, coal and diesel burners and vehicle emissions. Diesel exhaust is a mixture of gases (CO2, CO, NOx, hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds) and fine particulate matter. The national environmental standard for PM10 concentrations is a daily average of 50 μg/m3. Alexandra typically exceeds this limit 20 times each year. Exceedances pose a health risk for the population of Alexandra.

Bodeker Scientific is exploring options for alternatives to home heating that may reduce particulate emissions. As part of that project, a survey of selected homes in Alexandra was undertaken during the week of 15-19 December 2014 to provide contextual information regarding current domestic heating and the scope for uptake of alternative heating technologies in Alexandra. Attitudes around the perceived importance of winter-time air quality in Alexandra and the management of home heating requirements were also addressed.

Key recommendations and outcomes were addressed in the report. Click here to view the full report.