University of Canterbury

Rapid Rupture Mapping of Potential Tsunamigenic Earthquakes in the Southwest Pacific Using Regional Seismic Arrays

Abstract Rapid spatial characterization of rupture in tsunamigenic earthquakes (Mw≥7.5) is critical for improving tsunami early warning capabilities, particularly for sparsely instrumented regions. We investigate how regional array seismology can be optimized for such settings by...

Why No One Has Implemented the Turing Test: Identifying Turing’s Design and Putting it into Practice

Abstract In October 1950, Alan Turing proposed that a machine’s success in an imitation game provides a criterion for thinking. Turing’s test became one of the philosophical foundations of AI, but three-quarters of a century later, it is widely claimed that generative AI models p...

A novel seismic connector for precast concrete shear walls

Abstract A critical aspect of the seismic performance of precast concrete walls is the deformation capacity of their connections, which can be limited by premature bar fracture, reinforcement buckling, or cyclic instability. This paper introduces and experimentally validates a ne...

Biological Flora of New Zealand 17: Kunzea ericoides (Myrtaceae), Kānuka

This review summarises the taxonomic status, morphology, physiology, ecology, plant communities, mycological, invertebrate and vertebrate interactions and human use of the New Zealand endemic tree Kunzea ericoides (A. Rich.) Joy Thomps. (kānuka) (Myrtaceae). While first treated a...

Beyond Scalar Objectives: Expert-Feedback-Driven Autonomous Experimentation for Scientific Discovery at the Nanoscale

Abstract Self-driving laboratories or autonomous experimentation are emerging as transformative platforms for accelerating scientific discovery. Bayesian optimization (BO) is among the most widely used machine learning frameworks in self-driving laboratories, but these BO-based f...

The limits of Antarctic conservation governance

Abstract The Antarctic region exerts a profound influence on the Earth system, making its conservation fundamental to sustaining planetary health and human wellbeing. The Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) holds near-exclusive authority for environmental protection across the region,...

Forecasting Cascading and Compounding Flood Risk From Earthquake‐Induced Ground Deformation

ABSTRACT Large earthquakes can disrupt river systems and produce abrupt, unforeseen changes in flood risk. Forward modelling of earthquake‐related surface deformation and its influence on inundation extent, depth, and frequency enables pre‐emptive assessment of exposure to this c...

New Zealand Seed Ecology in the Pyrocene: Testing Seed Responses to High Temperatures Under Laboratory Conditions

Fire has been an historically rare disturbance in New Zealand ecosystems that is becoming increasingly frequent. Most native plants lack fire‐related adaptations, contrasting with exotic species that evolved with frequent fire disturbance. We investigated seed responses to short‐...

MAGIC: A Dataset Capturing Mid-Air Gesture Performance for Interaction and Feature Analysis

Mid-air gestures are increasingly used as a natural modality in interactive systems, ranging from smart home controls and automotive interfaces to augmented reality and public displays. Despite their growing adoption across diverse domains, we still lack a comprehensive understan...

Investigation of the relationship between oxygen bubble behaviour and local thermal stress in PEMWE

Understanding the interplay between gas bubble evolution and thermal behaviour is vital to improving the efficiency and durability of Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysers (PEMWEs). This study presents a real-time visualisation approach that combines synchronised microscop...

Response and Failure of Los Grillos Bridge to a Slow-Moving Landslide

Abstract A reconnaissance mission was organized by the American Concrete Institute, Committee 133, to visit the Los Grillos Bridge in Colombia on September 13, 2023. The bridge is a post-tensioned cast-in-place segmental cantilever structure featuring a box girder spanning 180 m....

Preventing Premature Disposal: How Personal Values Shape Consumer Disposal Decisions in a Circular Economy

Waste generation and resource extraction are increasing at an alarming rate. The circular economy whereby keeping resources in a closed loop is an opportunity to address current waste and resource issues. Investigating the underlying drivers of consumer disposal decision-making i...

"When I see Jodie, I feel relaxed": Examining the Impact of a Virtual Supporter in Remote Psychotherapy

Virtual agents have shown promising potential in mental health applications, but current research has predominantly focused on contexts outside of traditional therapy sessions. This paper examines the impact of a virtual supporter in remote psychotherapy sessions conducted via Zo...

Augmenting rhythm: a scoping review of technologies and feedback modalities in elite sport

Abstract Rhythm—the precise timing and harmonious flow of movement—is a determinant of success in elite sports but remains difficult to train using traditional, subjective coaching methods. Human augmentation technologies offer a pathway to objectify and train this complex skill...

Not speaking my language: playback experiments reveal early-orphaned human-reared adult cheetahs lack interest in species-specific vocalizations

Abstract Early adult models, particularly the mother, play an essential role in tuning perception to build the multimodal representation of species-specific social signals, especially in mammals. Therefore, early maternal loss adversely impacts social integration in mammals. More...

Past and present generation of natural hydrogen at a convergent plate boundary – the case of Aotearoa New Zealand

Convergent margins provide an array of geological settings where serpentinization of ultramafic rocks may generate natural hydrogen. Aotearoa New Zealand (A-NZ) is an archetypal example of a convergent margin where tectonic assembly, spatiotemporal variability of serpentinization...

Investigating Drivers’ Heterogeneity and Its Impacts on Interactive Lane-Changing Maneuvers

This paper investigates the impacts of driving-style heterogeneity on safety, interaction efficiency, and comfort in discretionary and mandatory lane-changing interaction scenarios. Leveraging two naturalistic driving datasets, highD and exiD, complete lane-changing interactions...

Graph neural networks for antarctic sea ice concentration forecasting

Antarctic sea ice is a crucial component of the climate system, yet in recent years it has undergone abrupt, poorly understood changes that motivate more accurate weeks-ahead forecasts. Existing statistical and dynamical approaches can struggle to represent the strongly nonlinear...

A Bayesian workflow for multi-station IDF curve development in data-limited island settings: application to Grenada

Abstract Small island states in the Caribbean face disproportionate climate risks, yet rainfall observations remain sparse, fragmented, and often insufficient for spatially representative intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) analysis. In Grenada, engineering practice has therefore...

A machine learning approach to estimating nitrate-nitrogen concentrations in shallow groundwater across New Zealand

Nitrate contamination of shallow groundwater is a concern for drinking water safety and ecosystem health globally, yet national-scale prediction techniques remain limited. Here, we describe the development and evaluation of an ensemble machine learning framework to estimate media...