Annual rainfall variability and extreme drought over the late Holocene. This project aims to understand long-term rainfall variability for Australia by developing a network of extended, high resolution rainfall records from tree rings. How anthropogenic changes to the atmosphere have influenced changing rainfall patterns across Australia is unclear. By extracting climatic information from tree growth rings across a latitudinal gradient from the subtropical north to the south coast of western Aus ....Annual rainfall variability and extreme drought over the late Holocene. This project aims to understand long-term rainfall variability for Australia by developing a network of extended, high resolution rainfall records from tree rings. How anthropogenic changes to the atmosphere have influenced changing rainfall patterns across Australia is unclear. By extracting climatic information from tree growth rings across a latitudinal gradient from the subtropical north to the south coast of western Australia, the project will extend hydroclimatic records by several centuries, to identify the frequency and extent of extreme droughts across the continent. Outcomes are expected to provide appropriate context for evaluating and adapting to climate change, allowing climate modellers, agricultural producers and other industries to improve forecasts of likely change for risk management.Read moreRead less
Keeping pace with a changing climate: can Australian plants count on rapid evolution? Integrating field and common-garden experiments with cutting-edge genomic technology, this project will answer the critical question of whether Australia's flora can count on evolution to keep pace with a rapidly changing climate. The project outcomes will inform science-based policies integrating social-economic development and biodiversity conservation.
Transient coastal upwelling along Western Australia: The dynamics of the Ningaloo Current system. This project will lead to significant advances in our understanding of the Ningaloo Current system that dominates the regional circulation surrounding Ningaloo Marine Park, part of the National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas. The numerical model and field measurements will, for the first time, elucidate which physical factors drive the Ningaloo Current and the resulting spatial and ....Transient coastal upwelling along Western Australia: The dynamics of the Ningaloo Current system. This project will lead to significant advances in our understanding of the Ningaloo Current system that dominates the regional circulation surrounding Ningaloo Marine Park, part of the National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas. The numerical model and field measurements will, for the first time, elucidate which physical factors drive the Ningaloo Current and the resulting spatial and temporal variability of upwelling. This will ultimately provide insight into how various ecological processes are linked to hydrodynamics (e.g., nutrient delivery, bleaching) and help assess how susceptible the reef ecosystem may be to changes to physical forcing resulting from climate change.Read moreRead less
Consequences of extraterrestrial impacts on the biosphere and geosphere. This project will investigate whether high-velocity meteorite impacts can account for the Earth's mass extinctions and whether meteorite impacts and mass extinctions were synchronous. This work will help scientists understand the long-term climatic and biologic effects of massive injections of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Ocean-reef interactions as drivers of continental shelf productivity in a changing climate. Poor coastal management results in the irreparable destruction of reef systems' function and biodiversity, nationally and globally. To manage marine resources effectively we must implement sustainable practices, including forward planning in the context of climate change. A critical limitation in determining appropriate actions is a poor understanding of mechanisms driving productivity. Our project will p ....Ocean-reef interactions as drivers of continental shelf productivity in a changing climate. Poor coastal management results in the irreparable destruction of reef systems' function and biodiversity, nationally and globally. To manage marine resources effectively we must implement sustainable practices, including forward planning in the context of climate change. A critical limitation in determining appropriate actions is a poor understanding of mechanisms driving productivity. Our project will provide key information on the oceanographic mechanisms supporting Australia's coastal systems, linking nutrient supply, physical drivers and climate. By linking all these factors we will both assist in determining appropriate ecosystem management, and provide a knowledge base to support adaptation to future changes in Australia's climate.Read moreRead less
Extreme tidal forcing of a topographically complex coastal region: the Kimberley, Western Australia. This project will lead to significant advances in our understanding of the ocean circulation of the Camden Sound region of the Kimberley, Western Australia. The combination of field and laboratory observations, coupled with numerical modelling will, for the first time, elucidate the influence of the series of islands, reefs and headlands on the circulation and mixing along this coast. This will u ....Extreme tidal forcing of a topographically complex coastal region: the Kimberley, Western Australia. This project will lead to significant advances in our understanding of the ocean circulation of the Camden Sound region of the Kimberley, Western Australia. The combination of field and laboratory observations, coupled with numerical modelling will, for the first time, elucidate the influence of the series of islands, reefs and headlands on the circulation and mixing along this coast. This will ultimately provide insight into other similar systems with complex coastal topography, such as the Great Barrier Reef, and provide the frame work to understand the various physical processes that drive the marine ecology of the region.Read moreRead less
Aqueous fluids in the deep earth. This project aims to improve our understanding of the role of fluids in controlling exchanges between the deep Earth, shallow rocks, and atmosphere. The project expects to investigate some of the key weaknesses in the thermodynamic models that are used to predict the behaviour of sulphur, carbon and metals in fluids at high pressure and temperature by using recent advances in computational and experimental (geo)chemistry. Integrated in large-scale geodynamic mod ....Aqueous fluids in the deep earth. This project aims to improve our understanding of the role of fluids in controlling exchanges between the deep Earth, shallow rocks, and atmosphere. The project expects to investigate some of the key weaknesses in the thermodynamic models that are used to predict the behaviour of sulphur, carbon and metals in fluids at high pressure and temperature by using recent advances in computational and experimental (geo)chemistry. Integrated in large-scale geodynamic models, the more reliable predictions will provide a more realistic assessment of the role of sulphur in controlling metal endowment and atmospheric chemistry through geological times. This should provide a useful guide for mineral exploration and planetary science.Read moreRead less
Ocean Acidification in a Rapidly Increasing CO2 World. Carbon dioxide not only acts as a greenhouse gas but is being dissolved at increasing rates into the surface waters of the world's oceans, causing ocean acidity. We will examine how the rapidly increasing trend towards acidity in the oceans surrounding Australia is effecting the ability of marine organisms to calcify and determine the rate at which the world's ocean sink for CO2 is being reduced. New constraints will be placed on the critica ....Ocean Acidification in a Rapidly Increasing CO2 World. Carbon dioxide not only acts as a greenhouse gas but is being dissolved at increasing rates into the surface waters of the world's oceans, causing ocean acidity. We will examine how the rapidly increasing trend towards acidity in the oceans surrounding Australia is effecting the ability of marine organisms to calcify and determine the rate at which the world's ocean sink for CO2 is being reduced. New constraints will be placed on the critical threshold limits of CO2 emissions for sustainable calcification in both shallow tropical and deep-water marine ecosystems of the Southern Oceans.Read moreRead less
Why is (re)development hot?: Measuring cumulative heat in Australian cities. Incremental (re)development of Australia’s residential areas occurs piecemeal, with varied planning oversight, and results in potentially harmful cumulative warming. This project aims to causally identify the warming effect of residential (re)development and investigate the impact of planning policies that control changes in the built form associated with increased heat exposure. Using large geospatial datasets and a qu ....Why is (re)development hot?: Measuring cumulative heat in Australian cities. Incremental (re)development of Australia’s residential areas occurs piecemeal, with varied planning oversight, and results in potentially harmful cumulative warming. This project aims to causally identify the warming effect of residential (re)development and investigate the impact of planning policies that control changes in the built form associated with increased heat exposure. Using large geospatial datasets and a quasi-experimental research design, warming in Australia’s suburbs over the past decade at the micro (street canyon)- and neighbourhood-scales, will be attributed to (re)development types and ‘fissures’ in policy to inform climate resilient planning. Read moreRead less
Nonlinear Panel Data Econometrics: Theory and Practice. This research addresses the ARC National Research Priorities Goal of 'An Environmentally Sustainable Australia', specifically 'Reducing and capturing emissions in transport and energy generation'. Avoiding, managing, and/or adapting to the climate change impacts is now the most pressing global environmental problem. This project will produce tangible and original insights into policy options for institutional adjustment to future climate ....Nonlinear Panel Data Econometrics: Theory and Practice. This research addresses the ARC National Research Priorities Goal of 'An Environmentally Sustainable Australia', specifically 'Reducing and capturing emissions in transport and energy generation'. Avoiding, managing, and/or adapting to the climate change impacts is now the most pressing global environmental problem. This project will produce tangible and original insights into policy options for institutional adjustment to future climate change in Australia; will provide insight into the scope for positive community behavioural change; and possible transformations in Australian social debate to maximise adaptive capacity. It will also strengthen and produce original conceptual approaches and research methods.Read moreRead less