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Areas of LUCAS LUM forests that have been cleared between 2008 and 2020 inclusive. Forest clearing is detected using mosaics of satellite imagery captured over a range of dates; therefore the year of clearing provided is nominal.

A glacier is a body of slow-moving ice, at least 1 hectare in area that has persisted for two decades or longer. New Zealand has 3,144 glaciers. Most are located along the Southern Alps on the South Island, although Mount Ruapehu on the North Island supports 18 glaciers. New Zealand’s large glaciers are noteworthy for their large debris cover. The exceptions, Franz Joseph and Fox glaciers, are rare examples of glaciers that terminate in a rainforest.
Glacier volume is strongly influenced by climate factors, such as temperature and precipitation, which scientists expect to be affected by the warming climate. Glacial ice is an important water resource. Changes to ice storage and melting can affect ecological and hydropower resources downstream, as well as important cultural values and tourism.
More information on this dataset and how it relates to our environmental reporting indicators and topics can be found in the attached data quality pdf.

"River flow refers to the quantity of water passing a point in the river over a certain amount of time. Different rivers have different flow patterns, such as sharp peak flows following rain with low flows in between, or high spring flows from snow melt. These flow characteristics affect how much water is available for irrigation, drinking water, hydro–electric power generation, and recreational activities such as fishing and boating. River flows are also very important for maintaining the health and form of a waterway.

This dataset relates to the "Geographic pattern of natural river flows" measure on the Environmental Indicators, Te taiao Aotearoa website. "

For more information, refer to the March 2015 report: 'Hydrological indices for national environmental reporting' data.mfe.govt.nz/document/11463-hydrological-indic....

INDEX ONLY: These footprints are the index for the 'Sentinel2 2021 Mainland NZ' mosaic. It has been provided to enable users to explore coverage and capture dates of the component imagery. To enquire about ordering the imagery itself, please e-mail lucas[at]mfe.govt.nz.

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The imagery represented is a 10m, ten-band multispectral, cloud-minimised mosaic of Sentinel 2A and 2B satellite tiles over mainland New Zealand made from scenes captured late-2020/early-2021.

INDEX ONLY: These footprints are the index for the 'Sentinel2 2021 Chatham Islands' mosaic. It has been provided to enable users to explore coverage and capture dates of the component imagery. To enquire about ordering the imagery itself, please e-mail lucas[at]mfe.govt.nz.

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The imagery represented is a 10m, ten-band multispectral, cloud-minimised mosaic of Sentinel 2A and 2B satellite tiles over Chatham Islands made from scenes captured late-2020/early-2021.

This dataset includes three “packages” of information, each with multiple variables. The packages include:

1. Load – results on mean annual suspended sediment load reported by REC 2 river reach scale for various model scenario variations.
2. Lakes – results on sediment inflow, outflow, and entrapment in lakes and reservoirs
3. Coastal – results on sediment inflows, trap efficiency, and sedimentation rates in coastal hydrosystems (estuaries)

For further detail on the modelling methods and discussing results, see Hicks, M., Semademi-Davies, A., Haddadchi, A., Shankar, U., Plew, D. (2019) Updated sediment load estimator for New Zealand. NIWA Client Report No. 2018341CH, prepared for Ministry for the Environment. January 2019. Available online: environment.govt.nz/publications/updated-sediment-...

Note that some portions of this dataset refine and update 2011 modelling on suspended sediment loads across New Zealand, whereas other components, especially the coastal package, report new modelling results.

Ground-level (tropospheric) ozone (O3) exists at a natural background level but is also produced when nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds from vehicle emissions, petrol fumes, industrial processes solvents, and other human-made sources react in the presence of heat and sunlight. It is the primary component of photochemical smog. Ozone also occurs naturally in the stratosphere, where it protects us from ultraviolet radiation – this ozone occasionally can mix downwards to ground level.

Ozone is a colourless, odourless gas. Exposure to high concentrations of ozone can cause respiratory health problems and is linked to cardiovascular health problems and increased mortality. Those most at risk include people with asthma, children, older adults, and people who are active outdoors, such as outdoor workers. People with certain genetic characteristics and nutrient deficiencies are also at greater risk from ozone exposure. Ozone can also affect sensitive vegetation and ecosystems and can cause damage during the growing season.

This dataset reports on the seasonal trends assessed for the period 2011-2020.

More information on this dataset and how it relates to our environmental reporting indicators and topics can be found in the attached data quality pdf.