{"id":156,"date":"2026-04-01T22:29:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T22:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.massey.ac.nz\/putorino\/?p=156"},"modified":"2026-06-01T22:30:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T22:30:09","slug":"whakamarama-i-te-onamata-illuminating-past-dust-flux-dynamics-in-the-lower-north-island-of-aotearoa-new-zealand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.massey.ac.nz\/putorino\/2026\/04\/01\/whakamarama-i-te-onamata-illuminating-past-dust-flux-dynamics-in-the-lower-north-island-of-aotearoa-new-zealand\/","title":{"rendered":"Whakamarama i te Onamata: Illuminating past dust flux dynamics in the lower North Island of Aotearoa New Zealand"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Kaja Fenn (University of Liverpool) has been working with Utiku Potaka (Ng\u0101ti Hauiti), Alan Palmer and Callum Rees (Massey University) on research exploring dust deposits and landscape evolution in the lower North Island of New Zealand. This work forms part of a collaborative initiative involving Massey University, University of Liverpool, iwi partners, and local landowners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Recent fieldwork across the Rangit\u012bkei and Oroua valleys has focused on mapping and sampling loess, river terraces, and associated deposits to better understand how these dynamic landscapes formed over time. Sites on the Rata (R\u0101t\u0101) and Porewa (Pourewa) terraces, including well-preserved tephra layers, are providing important reference points for reconstructing past environmental conditions. This work complements <a href=\"https:\/\/rsnz.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/jgo2.70043\">newly published research<\/a>, which presents new type sections for the last glacial river terraces in the Rangit\u012bkei River Valley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Together, these efforts aim to improve our understanding of Southern Hemisphere dust records by developing new chronologies and environmental reconstructions. The collaboration combines field expertise in Aotearoa New Zealand with luminescence dating capabilities at the University of Liverpool, contributing to a growing international research network and laying the groundwork for future research outputs and funding opportunities.<em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"940\" height=\"621\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.massey.ac.nz\/putorino\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/144\/2026\/06\/image-2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-157\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.massey.ac.nz\/putorino\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/144\/2026\/06\/image-2.png 940w, https:\/\/sites.massey.ac.nz\/putorino\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/144\/2026\/06\/image-2-300x198.png 300w, https:\/\/sites.massey.ac.nz\/putorino\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/144\/2026\/06\/image-2-768x507.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>View east over the Rangit\u012bkei Valley at the Rata (R\u0101t\u0101) Terrace type section (photo by Kaja Fenn).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"940\" height=\"705\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.massey.ac.nz\/putorino\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/144\/2026\/06\/image-3.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-158\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.massey.ac.nz\/putorino\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/144\/2026\/06\/image-3.png 940w, https:\/\/sites.massey.ac.nz\/putorino\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/144\/2026\/06\/image-3-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/sites.massey.ac.nz\/putorino\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/144\/2026\/06\/image-3-768x576.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Alan Palmer measures and samples a sand lens within the Rata (R\u0101t\u0101) terrace gravel alluvium for luminescence dating (photo by Kaja Fenn).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"937\" height=\"966\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.massey.ac.nz\/putorino\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/144\/2026\/06\/image-5.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-160\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.massey.ac.nz\/putorino\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/144\/2026\/06\/image-5.png 937w, https:\/\/sites.massey.ac.nz\/putorino\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/144\/2026\/06\/image-5-291x300.png 291w, https:\/\/sites.massey.ac.nz\/putorino\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/144\/2026\/06\/image-5-768x792.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Kaja Fenn participating in a hui on 6 March 2026 and taking the opportunity to share her research expertise with Ng\u0101ti Hauiti and build connections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kaja Fenn (University of Liverpool) has been working with Utiku Potaka (Ng\u0101ti Hauiti), Alan Palmer and Callum Rees (Massey University) on research exploring dust deposits and landscape evolution in the lower North Island of New Zealand. This work forms part of a collaborative initiative involving Massey University, University of Liverpool, iwi partners, and local landowners. &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.massey.ac.nz\/putorino\/2026\/04\/01\/whakamarama-i-te-onamata-illuminating-past-dust-flux-dynamics-in-the-lower-north-island-of-aotearoa-new-zealand\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Whakamarama i te Onamata: Illuminating past dust flux dynamics in the lower North Island of Aotearoa New Zealand&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":255,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-156","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.massey.ac.nz\/putorino\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.massey.ac.nz\/putorino\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.massey.ac.nz\/putorino\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.massey.ac.nz\/putorino\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/255"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.massey.ac.nz\/putorino\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=156"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sites.massey.ac.nz\/putorino\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":161,"href":"https:\/\/sites.massey.ac.nz\/putorino\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156\/revisions\/161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.massey.ac.nz\/putorino\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=156"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.massey.ac.nz\/putorino\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=156"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.massey.ac.nz\/putorino\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=156"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}