For database sales please get in touch with the database contact as listed at the bottom of each database description.
The Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences Limited holds 19 major databases, files, and collections of scientific and commercial importance. They are national in scope and are continuously updated.
Information in these databases is useful for scientific research and for planning and management related to land use, the environment, earthquakes, volcanoes, geology, minerals, groundwater, the petroleum exploration industry, and the geothermal energy industry.
For information about individual databases and collections
contact the database manager listed below the description of the
database. For issues concerning access to the Institute's databases
and data, please contact the Information Services Manager.
The databases are:
New Zealand fossil spores and pollen
Click here to go directly to
database now>>
This web-based catalogue presents an entry for each of the approximately 830 species of fossil spore or pollen from the New Zealand region that are recorded in the scientific literature. It has been compiled primarily as a reference tool for paleontologists engaged in biostratigraphic work in New Zealand pre-Pleistocene strata, and provides a snapshot of the present state of nomenclature for this group of fossils. Taxa are arranged according to a morphological classification, to which there is a key in the introductory text. For each species, a detailed synonymy lists significant nomenclatural changes, all published records from New Zealand strata, some important illustrated records from elsewhere, and records which are regarded as misidentifications. The web pages are comprehensively illustrated with previously published images of New Zealand specimens, where possible reproduced from original photographs. Brief notes on natural phylogenetic relationships are also included.
Contact
the Database owner here
Active Faults Database of New Zealand
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database now>>
The Active Faults database of New Zealand has been designed to hold all data collected from investigations of active faults. Along with the locations of active faults, the Active Faults Database contains the results from field measurements of offset features, trenching, and dating. It also stores interpretation of these results in the form of the fault recurrence interval, slip rate, single event displacement and date of last movement. Click on this link to query the database.
Contact
the Database owner here
The quarter million mapping (QMAP) programme is the
national 1:250 000 digital geological mapping project. It is upgrading
the national digital coverage of New Zealand's geology. The database
is being created using Geographic Information Systems software (ARC/INFO
and ARCVIEW) but can be exported to most other GIS packages. Detail
on the data tables and associated data dictionaries, and downloadable
ARC/INFO coverage templates, ARCVIEW shapefile templates, and EXCEL
attribute templates are available
.
The database is derived from numerous sources such as mining company
reports, petroleum exploration reports, university theses, unpublished
research by Institute staff, and new field work.
The Institute is publishing the data in a series of 21 regional
maps at a rate of between one and two a year. Check on the QMAP
progress here .
Completed maps are available in traditional paper
map and book form, as digital
images, GIS
data , and as downloadable
images.
Contact
the Database owner here
A collection of original data sheets, field compilations and overlays of published geological maps with files of unpublished maps, reports and field notes/records covering field observations and geological information from 1865. This includes data on sites now destroyed, drowned, or lost by weathering and erosion.
Contact
the Database owner here
Contact: Rob Reeves
New Zealand Stratigraphic Lexicon
A comprehensive computer database of formally named rock units in
New Zealand. Includes offshore islands, Kermadecs, Chatham Islands,
Subantarctic Islands, but excludes Ross Dependency (Antarctica).
Includes names of rock units with synonyms, hierarchic position,
geological age, geographic locality, and bibliography of significant
articles. It is a national facility for registration of new stratigraphic
names.
Full search facilities and further information are available here.
Names may be "reserved" prior to publication by filling
out an on-line form.
Contact: Ian
Raine
New Zealand Fossil Record
File
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go directly to database now>>
A computerised and paper file of fossil localities in the New Zealand
region, including offshore islands, New Caledonia, Pacific Islands,
Subantarctic Islands, Ross Sea region of Antarctica, sub-ocean floor
(including petroleum drill-hole sites) and some special purpose
localities.
This file is maintained jointly with the Geological Society of New
Zealand.
The file includes locality coordinates, with collection details,
stratigraphic position, and relevant sedimentary data; and fossil
identifications with paleontological opinion on geological age and
paleoenvironment. NZ mainland data are organised according to InfoMap260
map sheets (1:50 000), with each fossil locality given a unique
number. Regionally distributed paper files, based on the geology
departments of New Zealand universities and offices of the Institute,
contain over 86,000 entries, with 56,000 Institute collections registered
in the National File. Data on most of the Institute's collections
is held in a computer-based retrieval system.
Further information about the Fossil Record File, including online
searching and registration of new fossil localities is available
here.
Contact: Ian
Raine
A paper file database of stratigraphic columns which records descriptions of rocks exposed in important sections, mainly within Cretaceous-Cenozoic sedimentary basins. It documents the stratigraphic succession of rock types, and identifies sample points, age information, grain size, bedding information and stratigraphic nomenclature. The file is based on Info Map 260 1:50 000 map sheets and expands as research activities develop.
Contact: Brad
Field
Separately catalogued national collections of animal and plant macrofossils and microfossils, paleontological samples, residues, and type and reference collection of fossil specimens and modern specimens for comparison with fossil material. Includes associated electronic, card, and paper files. The collections date from 1865 and are the most comprehensive in New Zealand.
Invertebrates
Vertebrates
Plants
Comparative international reference material
For further information, click here
Ocean Drilling Programme Micropaleontological Reference Centre
An up-to-date set of Deep Sea Drilling Programme/Ocean Drilling Programme (DSDP/ODP) volumes and 8000 samples and associated records from selected lets (cruises). Samples and specimens are for on-site examination only, and may be loaned only with the permission of the ODP Curator (USA). The Institute's ODP Micropaleontological Reference Centre is one of eight world centres, and the only one in the Southern Hemisphere approved by the ODP.
Contact: John Simes
Five datasets related to geophysical properties of the solid earth.
This database documents the short-term and long-term fluctuations in the Earth's regional (New Zealand) magnetic field, including induction and diurnal effects.
The database consists of three interrelated components: observatory records, three- component repeat station observations, and three-component single observations.
New Zealand operates observatories in Canterbury and Antarctica (Scott Base). Observatories provide a record of temporal changes of the magnetic field, recorded at the rate of three-component vector readings per minute per observatory.
Three-component repeat station observations are made
at a number of sites in New Zealand at three-yearly intervals and
at sites on Subantarctic and South Pacific islands as the opportunity
arises. Three-component single observations are from surveys over
the oceans surrounding New Zealand by the Project MAGNET aircraft.
Contact: Tony
Hurst
Mineral Resources of New Zealand
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to go directly to database now>>
This database consists of two digital datasets and
a library collection of mining company exploration reports. The
individual digital databases are integrated into a Geographic
Information System (GIS) viewed via MinMap.
Digital databases
Mining Company Report Library
More than 2000 open-file mineral exploration reports submitted under the Mining Act 1971.
Contact: Tony
Christie
A comprehensive computer and paper file database of the results of coal exploration drilling programmes undertaken under the National Coal Resources Survey. It includes information on the locations of drillholes, coalfields, and coal mines; drillhole lithological and geophysical logs, and the results of coal analyses.
Contact: Steve
Edbrooke
A comprehensive collection of some 2000 open-file reports, mainly lodged under legislation by oil exploration companies, dating from 1906. It includes the results of geological and geophysical surveys (including seismic reflection surveys) and the completion reports and electric logs from all open-file exploration and development wells. This library is a subset of the master library of all data lodged to the Crown which is held by Crown Minerals, Ministry of Economic Development. There are computer indexes to this library along with digital databases of well logs, seismic lines and shot point location data.
The collection held at GNS is for in-house use only, all external enquiries please contact Crown Minerals.
Three datasets that characterise the geochemical and geophysical properties of geothermal features and geothermal fields of New Zealand.
Summary information of New Zealand earthquakes including epicentres, depths and magnitudes, together with felt information. This includes pre-instrumental shocks, but not all information is available for all events. Also contains analogue and digital seismograms recorded by the New Zealand National Seismograph Network.
Link: GeoNet
Contains strong-motion recordings (seismic motions that are strong enough to be of interest to engineers concerned with seismic resistant design) from a New Zealand-wide network. Peak accelerations are available for all recordings, and the larger events have been fully processed to give acceleration, velocity and displacement time histories and response spectra. Both structural and ground response data are available.
Link: GeoNet
An inter-related database consisting of three sub-datasets covering New Zealand's active and dormant volcanoes:
Contact: Brad
Scott
Landscape photograph
collection
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here to go directly to database now>>
Consists of 150,000 oblique aerial and ground photographs of landforms, geological features and rock types throughout New Zealand. More than 70 percent of these photographs have been taken by well-known photographer Lloyd Homer over the last 35 years as part of systematic surveys for research projects, and for clients. All photographs are available for sale. They are ideal for large wall murals, displays, and posters. Many of these high-quality photographs have been used for book illustrations, educational materials, wall posters, annual reports, calendars and greeting cards. The collection is housed in the Institute's library and can be inspected during office hours. For those unable to visit, representative colour photocopies can be supplied at cost.
Contact: Photo
sales
Bibliography of New Zealand Geology
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to database now>>
This database contains references and abstracts of geoscience publications relevant to New Zealand, inlcuding all GNS staff scientific papers and books, and all GNS publications. It is produced by GNS Information Services and is updated every week. These references and abstracts are provided free of charge to assist geoscience research in New Zealand. For more refined searching, subscribe to GeoRef or Knowledge Basket, both of which also contain these records. For access to the full article you may use your local library to interloan the item, or GNS publications may be purchased from us.
Contact us here
The national repository for IAEA reports in New Zealand. The collection is housed at Gracefield in the Rafter Building, and is available to the public by appointment only. Most of the literature can be interloaned from the Institute through your local library.
Contact: Pauline
Muir
Petroleum systems
database
The new Petroleum Systems Database is an integrated database consisting
of various data that were previously held in the following separate
databases: geophysical rock data, petroleum fluids, gas seeps, geological
measured section, petrophysics, source rock data, helium isotope,
well formation tops and geophysical well logs. A new interface called
"DataMiner" has been developed to allow the rapid populating
of the database from open-file Petroleum Reports and published data.
The development of further interfaces, quality control checks on
input data, and data-populating is continuing over the next few
years.
Go here for more information.
Contacts:
Phil Scadden
Rob Funnell