A Global Satellite Altimeter Database for Ocean Engineering Applications. Australia is a maritime nation with major shipping activities, offshore facilities and a very significant percentage of its population living near the coast. As such, it is critical that engineers can accurately predict ocean wave conditions. This project will bring together more than 20 years of satellite observations of the ocean into a single database. This database will represent a major resource for the nation, signif ....A Global Satellite Altimeter Database for Ocean Engineering Applications. Australia is a maritime nation with major shipping activities, offshore facilities and a very significant percentage of its population living near the coast. As such, it is critical that engineers can accurately predict ocean wave conditions. This project will bring together more than 20 years of satellite observations of the ocean into a single database. This database will represent a major resource for the nation, significantly enhancing our understanding of ocean wave conditions. The research projects associated with the database will provide an understanding of the ocean wave climate, oceanic extremes, tropical cyclone conditions and nearshore ocean design parameters.Read moreRead less
Australian climate extremes and predictability in a changing CO2 world: the unique role of the Southern Hemisphere extratropical ocean-atmosphere. Australia's climate is extreme, with harsh droughts, severe bushfire seasons, climate change, soil loss, and salinity all posing potentially enormous socio-economic challenges over the next fifty years. Research into climate variability, extremes, and predictability is thus highly significant for Australia, and will underpin efforts to protect our bio ....Australian climate extremes and predictability in a changing CO2 world: the unique role of the Southern Hemisphere extratropical ocean-atmosphere. Australia's climate is extreme, with harsh droughts, severe bushfire seasons, climate change, soil loss, and salinity all posing potentially enormous socio-economic challenges over the next fifty years. Research into climate variability, extremes, and predictability is thus highly significant for Australia, and will underpin efforts to protect our biodiversity and ensure the nation's environmental sustainability. We propose to launch a major new initiative in extratropical climate analysis. This work will have significant benefits for the many sectors of society reliant on interseasonal-interannual climate prediction. Prominent examples include agriculture, energy, freshwater supply, bushfire control, air quality, health, and tourism.Read moreRead less
Scientific basis for improved climate predictions on seasonal and climate-change timescales. This project would lead to improved accuracy of Australian climate predictions, leading to benefits in many sectors. Increasing the accuracy of seasonal climate predictions across March-May, a crucial time for decision-making in Australian agriculture but a time when the forecasts exhibit little skill, would lead to large economic/societal benefits. Separating the factors influencing tropical cyclones is ....Scientific basis for improved climate predictions on seasonal and climate-change timescales. This project would lead to improved accuracy of Australian climate predictions, leading to benefits in many sectors. Increasing the accuracy of seasonal climate predictions across March-May, a crucial time for decision-making in Australian agriculture but a time when the forecasts exhibit little skill, would lead to large economic/societal benefits. Separating the factors influencing tropical cyclones is essential to determine whether global warming is changing Australian tropical cyclones, a crucial climate change question. Separating the influences of atmospheric circulation variations and other factors on climate changes and impacts should improve climate impact predictions, leading to enhanced economic benefits.
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Unravelling the nature of secular global climatic change on the Precambrian Earth. Ancient sedimentary rocks record evidence of major climate change and variations in the composition of the atmosphere. By applying novel isotopic and geochemical techniques, this project aims to document when and how the Earths atmosphere and climate changed prior to the evolution of complex lifeforms. Curiously, such dramatic climate changes have controlled both the rate of evoutionary process and the formation o ....Unravelling the nature of secular global climatic change on the Precambrian Earth. Ancient sedimentary rocks record evidence of major climate change and variations in the composition of the atmosphere. By applying novel isotopic and geochemical techniques, this project aims to document when and how the Earths atmosphere and climate changed prior to the evolution of complex lifeforms. Curiously, such dramatic climate changes have controlled both the rate of evoutionary process and the formation of world class mineral deposits.Read moreRead less
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
The ARC Earth System Science Research Network. The ARC Earth System Science Network incorporates data collectors, modellers and impacts researchers to address the impacts of climate change and variability on Human, biological and physical systems. Our capacity to adapt to changes in water availability, agricultural productivity, the likelihood of species extinctions, and risks to human health will be enhanced through the Network's use of frontier technologies. The enhanced capacity to use data a ....The ARC Earth System Science Research Network. The ARC Earth System Science Network incorporates data collectors, modellers and impacts researchers to address the impacts of climate change and variability on Human, biological and physical systems. Our capacity to adapt to changes in water availability, agricultural productivity, the likelihood of species extinctions, and risks to human health will be enhanced through the Network's use of frontier technologies. The enhanced capacity to use data and model the Earth System will allow policymakers to make more informed decisions with regard to water, biodiversity, human health, industry and agriculture sustainability; thereby enhancing the national capacity to respond to climate change and variability and securing our common interest.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354594
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$20,000.00
Summary
The Australian Climate System Network. The climate system integrates the atmosphere, oceans, cryosphere, biosphere, land-surface and the fluxes of energy, water and biogeochemical quantities between these elements. Changes in climate affect Australia dramatically: for example, the cost of the recent drought exceeded $10 billion. To enable internationally competitive climate system research, networking is required to enhance our national capability and our international connectivity. We will expl ....The Australian Climate System Network. The climate system integrates the atmosphere, oceans, cryosphere, biosphere, land-surface and the fluxes of energy, water and biogeochemical quantities between these elements. Changes in climate affect Australia dramatically: for example, the cost of the recent drought exceeded $10 billion. To enable internationally competitive climate system research, networking is required to enhance our national capability and our international connectivity. We will explore the establishment of a Climate System Network by facilitating communication between Universities, government agencies and CRCs. The Climate System Network will enable new climate-related questions relating to the sustainability of the Australian physical and Human environments to be explored.Read moreRead less
Palaeoclimate reconstruction in northwestern China. Records of climatic change between semi-arid regions of the two large continents, China and Australia, provide invaluable data on the manner in which the globe has responded to past environmental changes. Such reconstructions impose constraints on possible patterns of future change.
The visit by an established researcher in Prof. Sun Jiamin will provide new data (including new dates) on the evolution of lakes and dunefields in China, and on ....Palaeoclimate reconstruction in northwestern China. Records of climatic change between semi-arid regions of the two large continents, China and Australia, provide invaluable data on the manner in which the globe has responded to past environmental changes. Such reconstructions impose constraints on possible patterns of future change.
The visit by an established researcher in Prof. Sun Jiamin will provide new data (including new dates) on the evolution of lakes and dunefields in China, and on the climatic conditions which controlled them. The visit builds on and extends the established links between the Chinese Academy of Sciences and staff in the Melbourne University, School of Earth Sciences.
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The coldest region on Earth gets even colder. Studying the observable atmospheric indicators of climate change is of national interest and importance. It strengthens the Australia's participation and further recognition in this research area. This project adds to the Australia's contribution to fundamental atmospheric physics and complements work carried out by other Australian researchers. Australian science further benefits from satellite data access and analyses skills. Development of interna ....The coldest region on Earth gets even colder. Studying the observable atmospheric indicators of climate change is of national interest and importance. It strengthens the Australia's participation and further recognition in this research area. This project adds to the Australia's contribution to fundamental atmospheric physics and complements work carried out by other Australian researchers. Australian science further benefits from satellite data access and analyses skills. Development of international collaborations in this research area and involvement in several international satellite projects is important for future national atmospheric and space programs. Postgraduate training in this area provides expertise needed at many Australian organisations. 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