Erosion Morphodynamics and Evolution of Shore Platforms. Rocky coasts consist of a cliff and often a platform at the base which protects the cliff from wave energy. Such coasts undergo continuous erosion that may threaten property. Climate change may worsen this situation. Despite the importance of platforms in coastal management they remain poorly studied. This project seeks to improve scientific knowledge and understanding of the development and erosion of shore platforms, the relationships ....Erosion Morphodynamics and Evolution of Shore Platforms. Rocky coasts consist of a cliff and often a platform at the base which protects the cliff from wave energy. Such coasts undergo continuous erosion that may threaten property. Climate change may worsen this situation. Despite the importance of platforms in coastal management they remain poorly studied. This project seeks to improve scientific knowledge and understanding of the development and erosion of shore platforms, the relationships between shore platform and cliff retreat and the processes that drive erosion. As a result we will understand how rock coasts with platforms develop and change, especially as sea levels change and be better able to manage the coast in response to climate change. Read moreRead less
Stream power and river morphology in partly-confined valleys of coastal New South Wales, Australia. Rivers in the escarpment-dominated catchments of coastal NSW are characterised by confined and partly-confined valley-settings in which channels have little capacity to adjust. The key aim of this project is to determine controls on the distribution of floodplains in this landscape. Particular attention will be placed on the role played by stream power in determining the relationship between val ....Stream power and river morphology in partly-confined valleys of coastal New South Wales, Australia. Rivers in the escarpment-dominated catchments of coastal NSW are characterised by confined and partly-confined valley-settings in which channels have little capacity to adjust. The key aim of this project is to determine controls on the distribution of floodplains in this landscape. Particular attention will be placed on the role played by stream power in determining the relationship between valley incision and lateral expansion processes along river courses. Understanding controls on these rivers is critical in determining how they modify their form in response to various disturbance events (whether 'natural' of human-induced). Results will provide a rigorous basis with which to explain cross-catchment variability in river forms and processes, aiding our capacity to predict future adjustments to disturbance and develop river management strategies that 'work with nature'.Read moreRead less
Environmental impacts of climate change in the Nile basin over the past 30,000 years. There is growing international and national concern over the possible environmental, economic and social impacts of global and regional climate change. This project brings together a multi-disciplinary team of internationally recognised research leaders and the resources they command to investigate the environmental impacts of climatic changes in the Nile basin over geologically recent times. The outcome will b ....Environmental impacts of climate change in the Nile basin over the past 30,000 years. There is growing international and national concern over the possible environmental, economic and social impacts of global and regional climate change. This project brings together a multi-disciplinary team of internationally recognised research leaders and the resources they command to investigate the environmental impacts of climatic changes in the Nile basin over geologically recent times. The outcome will be a more comprehensive understanding of how a major river system responds to global and regional climate change, and will provide an enhanced conceptual basis for anticipating how drainage systems such as the Murray-Darling could respond to future change.Read moreRead less
European impact on Eastern Australian coastal lakes: understanding pre-impact conditions and post-settlement modification. Coastal lakes are vulnerable to European impact, yet little is known about how they have been altered in the last 200 years. For example: Are blue-green algal blooms a natural occurrence in coastal lakes? How long have freshwater lakes been isolated from the ocean? Preliminary results indicate that, at key sites, blue-green algae were more abundant before European settlement ....European impact on Eastern Australian coastal lakes: understanding pre-impact conditions and post-settlement modification. Coastal lakes are vulnerable to European impact, yet little is known about how they have been altered in the last 200 years. For example: Are blue-green algal blooms a natural occurrence in coastal lakes? How long have freshwater lakes been isolated from the ocean? Preliminary results indicate that, at key sites, blue-green algae were more abundant before European settlement and that coastal lakes thought to be permanently fresh have been exposed to the ocean within the past 200 years. By documenting change at representative sites, the project will identify which lake types are most vulnerable to impact. Results from the project will ensure that costly restoration efforts are not misplaced.Read moreRead less
River sensitivity to change: An assessment of threshold shifts between River Styles in Coastal NSW. Over 70% of coastal catchments in northern NSW comprise confined or partly-confined valleys in which floodplains are absent or discontinuous. Evolutionary controls on floodplain presence and their sensitivity to disturbance since European settlement will be explained. Increased understanding of the character, behaviour and evolution of these river types will provide a generic framework to assess ....River sensitivity to change: An assessment of threshold shifts between River Styles in Coastal NSW. Over 70% of coastal catchments in northern NSW comprise confined or partly-confined valleys in which floodplains are absent or discontinuous. Evolutionary controls on floodplain presence and their sensitivity to disturbance since European settlement will be explained. Increased understanding of the character, behaviour and evolution of these river types will provide a generic framework to assess river sensitivity to change. The understanding achieved via this project will form the basis upon which to manage these rivers in an environmentally sustainable manner.Read moreRead less
Understanding the effect of climate change on runoff variability and water resource systems performance. This project aims to assess the impacts of climate changes on annual runoff variability. Understanding variability of annual runoff is important in managing water resources, in catchment and stream management, and to researchers in hydrology, stream ecology and fluvial geomorphology. Expected outcomes from this research are an estimate of impact on the variability of annual runoff from futu ....Understanding the effect of climate change on runoff variability and water resource systems performance. This project aims to assess the impacts of climate changes on annual runoff variability. Understanding variability of annual runoff is important in managing water resources, in catchment and stream management, and to researchers in hydrology, stream ecology and fluvial geomorphology. Expected outcomes from this research are an estimate of impact on the variability of annual runoff from future climate change, improvement in understanding the processes that operate on the variability of annual runoff, and an assessment of the performance of water resource systems under a changing climate.Read moreRead less
Fire Scar Impacts on Surface Heat and Moisture Fluxes in Australia's Tropical Savanna and Feedbacks to Local and Regional Climate. Fire burns as much as 250,000 km2 of northern Australia every year, mostly tropical savanna land. The atmospheric impacts of burning extend beyond the direct emissions of aerosol and trace gases to include the effects of land surface alteration on atmospheric circulation. Using observation and modelling, this study examines the modification of surface heat and mois ....Fire Scar Impacts on Surface Heat and Moisture Fluxes in Australia's Tropical Savanna and Feedbacks to Local and Regional Climate. Fire burns as much as 250,000 km2 of northern Australia every year, mostly tropical savanna land. The atmospheric impacts of burning extend beyond the direct emissions of aerosol and trace gases to include the effects of land surface alteration on atmospheric circulation. Using observation and modelling, this study examines the modification of surface heat and moisture fluxes to the atmosphere caused by fire scars, along with the impact of such changes on atmospheric motion and precipitation at a range of scales. This unique work is of fundamental scientific interest and significance for current and future management of this important national resource.Read moreRead less
Understanding and modelling of interannual hydroclimatic variability in the context of historic streamflow. Recent persistently dry conditions in Australia have triggered water restrictions in major cities and re-emphasised the importance of water to this country. This project represents an integrated package of research that will enhance our understanding of interannual hydroclimatic variability, and its implications for land and water resources systems. The methodologies and model developed he ....Understanding and modelling of interannual hydroclimatic variability in the context of historic streamflow. Recent persistently dry conditions in Australia have triggered water restrictions in major cities and re-emphasised the importance of water to this country. This project represents an integrated package of research that will enhance our understanding of interannual hydroclimatic variability, and its implications for land and water resources systems. The methodologies and model developed here will directly lead to more informed decision making for sustainable use and management of Australia's increasingly scarce natural resources to cope with changing climate over a range of time scales. This is particularly important for Australia because of its higher interannual hydroclimate variability compared to elsewhere in the world.Read moreRead less
The Antarctic ice sheet through the Last Glacial Cycle - numerical modelling constrained by field evidence. The response of the world's largest ice mass to climate change is important because melting leads to a rise in sea level. Our ability to predict changes in ice volume and sea level under a warming climate, will be enhanced by better understanding of past ice sheet responses to changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide. Improved numerical models now exist that allow realistic simulations of Ant ....The Antarctic ice sheet through the Last Glacial Cycle - numerical modelling constrained by field evidence. The response of the world's largest ice mass to climate change is important because melting leads to a rise in sea level. Our ability to predict changes in ice volume and sea level under a warming climate, will be enhanced by better understanding of past ice sheet responses to changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide. Improved numerical models now exist that allow realistic simulations of Antarctic ice. These models will be developed further and constrained against existing and new field evidence for the Last Glacial Cycle (last 125,000 years), the period for which we can best define past ice sheet behaviour.Read moreRead less
Active Ice-Shelf Rift Systems on the Amery Ice Shelf, East Antarctica. Our work will inform the public on how the Antarctic might contribute to global sea level rise, e.g., are current iceberg production rates accelerating and causing inland ice to flow into the sea more rapidly? Furthermore, a greater understanding of the important Earth systems, including the ocean-ice-atmosphere system, is important to a society contemplating the responsibilities of stewardship of the planet as we move into t ....Active Ice-Shelf Rift Systems on the Amery Ice Shelf, East Antarctica. Our work will inform the public on how the Antarctic might contribute to global sea level rise, e.g., are current iceberg production rates accelerating and causing inland ice to flow into the sea more rapidly? Furthermore, a greater understanding of the important Earth systems, including the ocean-ice-atmosphere system, is important to a society contemplating the responsibilities of stewardship of the planet as we move into the era of potentially profound effects from global climate change.Read moreRead less