Priorities for soil science in Aotearoa New Zealand

Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) has a diverse and complex range of soils, climate, and landscapes (Hewitt et al., 2021), with all 12 Orders of USDA Soil Taxonomy present (Fig. 1), along with unique ecological and farming systems. NZ, located on the Pacific tectonic plate boundary, has rapid uplift and erosion, and active volcanism, resulting in a dynamic landscape with relatively young soils. A long period of isolation has resulted in evolution of unique indigenous flora and fauna influenced by <1000 years of human habitation. NZ has a strong soil science research tradition contributing to global understanding of soils as well as local land management. Local soil research and data are vital to sustainable land management in NZ's unique environment

Permafrost Thermal Regime from Two 30-m Deep Boreholes in Southern Victoria Land, Antarctica

Two 30-m deep permafrost temperature-monitoring boreholes were installed in bedrock, one at Marble Point and one in the Wright Valley, in the Ross Sea region of Antarctica. A soil climate-monitoring station in till is located near each borehole. The ground surface temperature (GST) was highly correlated with the air temperature at both sites in 2008. Thermal offsets were small (< 1 degrees C) in the till and negligible in the boreholes. The active layer was thicker in the boreholes than in the till, presumably because of the higher thermal diffusivity of the rock. The measured depth of zero annual temperature amplitude was around 27 m at Wright Valley and 25 m at Marble Point. Permafrost thickness was estimated at about 680 m at Wright Valley and 490 m at Marble Point. The GST history, reconstructed using an inversion procedure, suggests a slight cooling from 1998 to 2003 followed by a slight warming to 2008. Longer temperature records or deeper boreholes would be required to establish if long-term climate change has occurre