Snake fangs: insights into evolution, palaeoclimate and biodesign . This project aims to generate unprecedented insights into the fangs of venomous snakes, focusing on elapids (taipans, tiger snakes etc). We will examine fang shape diversity, correlation with behavior and ecology, evolutionary history, and biomechanical properties. Data will be collected using cutting-edge micro-CT technology and analysed using 3D geometric morphometrics, computer simulations, and advanced phylogenetic techniqu ....Snake fangs: insights into evolution, palaeoclimate and biodesign . This project aims to generate unprecedented insights into the fangs of venomous snakes, focusing on elapids (taipans, tiger snakes etc). We will examine fang shape diversity, correlation with behavior and ecology, evolutionary history, and biomechanical properties. Data will be collected using cutting-edge micro-CT technology and analysed using 3D geometric morphometrics, computer simulations, and advanced phylogenetic techniques. This should greatly improve understanding of the evolution of venom fangs in all snakes. Other benefits include a large 3D reference database allowing identification of fossil fangs, with applications for studies of past climates, and a characterisation of fang biomechanics, relevant to biodesign and biomimicry.Read moreRead less
Predictability of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation. This project aims to improve understanding of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the world’s largest source of climate variability. ENSO’s effects are so large that knowledge of its current phase and forecasts of its future phase underpin seasonal rainfall, temperature and tropical cyclone forecasts worldwide. In Australia, ENSO cycles cause drought and floods. Using a suite of empirical observations and numerical models to analyse ENSO e ....Predictability of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation. This project aims to improve understanding of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the world’s largest source of climate variability. ENSO’s effects are so large that knowledge of its current phase and forecasts of its future phase underpin seasonal rainfall, temperature and tropical cyclone forecasts worldwide. In Australia, ENSO cycles cause drought and floods. Using a suite of empirical observations and numerical models to analyse ENSO event precursors, initiation and predictability, this project intends to enhance skill in inter-seasonal climate forecasting and help those sectors reliant on accurate prediction.Read moreRead less
Dynamics of the Southern Ocean. The Southern Ocean is critically important to future global climate: it controls the natural global carbon cycle and the distribution of heat and nutrients around the ocean. This project will investigate key uncertainties in the Southern Ocean's response to climate change, and thereby improve our capacity to predict future climate.
Unraveling ocean mixing and air-sea forcing along the Indo-Pacific exchange. This project aims to collect unprecedented observations and develop high resolution model simulations to examine changes in the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) north of Australia. This project expects to develop new knowledge of ocean-atmosphere interactions along the path of the ITF from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean, which are the powerhouse that drives changes in winds and rainfall around Australia and the entire Indo ....Unraveling ocean mixing and air-sea forcing along the Indo-Pacific exchange. This project aims to collect unprecedented observations and develop high resolution model simulations to examine changes in the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) north of Australia. This project expects to develop new knowledge of ocean-atmosphere interactions along the path of the ITF from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean, which are the powerhouse that drives changes in winds and rainfall around Australia and the entire Indo-Pacific region. Expected outcomes include a 1000-fold increase in the observations of mixing in the Indonesian seas and new understanding of the ocean-atmosphere processes that control water property change along the ITF. This should lead to strong improvement in the skill of climate forecast models in the Australian region.Read moreRead less
Annual temperature variability and abrupt climate change over the Holocene. This project intends to generate a near-continuous annual temperature reconstruction for the past 10 000 years using low-elevation Huon pine from south-western Tasmania. The unprecedented length and temporal resolution of the reconstruction would offer new insights into temperature variability at decadal, centennial, and millennial time scales and establish a unique record describing the nature, timing, and intensity of ....Annual temperature variability and abrupt climate change over the Holocene. This project intends to generate a near-continuous annual temperature reconstruction for the past 10 000 years using low-elevation Huon pine from south-western Tasmania. The unprecedented length and temporal resolution of the reconstruction would offer new insights into temperature variability at decadal, centennial, and millennial time scales and establish a unique record describing the nature, timing, and intensity of abrupt temperature changes associated with known events in the palaeoclimate record. The detailed understanding of historical temperature variability and past abrupt climate change provided by the tree-ring record would provide a historical context for recent and future climate variability.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE140100189
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$191,095.00
Summary
A shared mass spectrometer with compound-specific capabilities to support innovative research in biology, the environment and geology. A shared mass spectrometer with compound-specific capabilities to support innovative research in biology, the environment and geology: Stable isotope studies have huge and increasing relevance to environmental studies, many of which form the backbone of understanding Australia's terrestrial and marine systems. Compound-specific isotope analysis yields much more i ....A shared mass spectrometer with compound-specific capabilities to support innovative research in biology, the environment and geology. A shared mass spectrometer with compound-specific capabilities to support innovative research in biology, the environment and geology: Stable isotope studies have huge and increasing relevance to environmental studies, many of which form the backbone of understanding Australia's terrestrial and marine systems. Compound-specific isotope analysis yields much more information than is available through bulk methods. The problem has been that the separations were labour-intensive and employed complex wet chemistry. New methods reduce the work-load enough to make compound-specific studies possible. In the case of carbon isotopes, new liquid chromatographic technology removes the need for derivatisations which dilute the natural signal and can render it unusable.Read moreRead less
Pre-industrial sea-surface temperatures in the Australian region. Humanity faces an enormous challenge as there is much debate on whether the world is warming up and when this started. This project will document sea-surface temperature records over the last millennium for the Australian region and provide data of critical importance to global climatology and oceanography that precede the instrumental record.
Distribution of ocean heat uptake and its implications for sea level and climate change. Increasing sea levels and ocean temperatures provide critical evidence of long term warming of the climate system. This project will investigate geographical changes in the vertical distribution of heat uptake by the ocean and contribution to sea level changes, including understanding of physical mechanisms and the role of human activity and other natural external and internal factors. The expected outcomes ....Distribution of ocean heat uptake and its implications for sea level and climate change. Increasing sea levels and ocean temperatures provide critical evidence of long term warming of the climate system. This project will investigate geographical changes in the vertical distribution of heat uptake by the ocean and contribution to sea level changes, including understanding of physical mechanisms and the role of human activity and other natural external and internal factors. The expected outcomes will contribute to place more rigorous constraints on the likelihood of future warming and sea level rise projections, and are aligned with scientific deliverables required to address key questions in support of Australia’s climate change policy.Read moreRead less
Deep Atlantic’s role in millennial atmospheric carbon dioxide changes. This project aims to fill in a critical knowledge gap in global carbon cycle research, by generating the first high-resolution deep Atlantic carbonate ion and nutrient records for the last 150,000 years. The project will derive air-sea carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange signals, which permit straightforward evaluation of the deep Atlantic’s role in millennial atmospheric CO2 changes under various climate conditions. The intended o ....Deep Atlantic’s role in millennial atmospheric carbon dioxide changes. This project aims to fill in a critical knowledge gap in global carbon cycle research, by generating the first high-resolution deep Atlantic carbonate ion and nutrient records for the last 150,000 years. The project will derive air-sea carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange signals, which permit straightforward evaluation of the deep Atlantic’s role in millennial atmospheric CO2 changes under various climate conditions. The intended outcome of this project is to substantially improve our understanding of the mechanisms that govern the global carbon cycle. This should provide significant benefits including the assessment of models used to predict future global warming due to anthropogenic CO2.Read moreRead less
Understanding spread in sea level rise projections. This project aims to investigate changes in water properties and ocean circulation mechanisms leading to intermodel spread in sea-level projections. Sea-level rise projections for this 21st century largely disagree in magnitude and spatial changes between climate models, particularly in hotspots. The expected outcomes will contribute towards more rigorous constraints on the likelihood of future warming and sea-level rise projections, and are al ....Understanding spread in sea level rise projections. This project aims to investigate changes in water properties and ocean circulation mechanisms leading to intermodel spread in sea-level projections. Sea-level rise projections for this 21st century largely disagree in magnitude and spatial changes between climate models, particularly in hotspots. The expected outcomes will contribute towards more rigorous constraints on the likelihood of future warming and sea-level rise projections, and are aligned with scientific deliverables required to address key questions in support of Australia’s climate change policy. They are also aligned with international scientific deliverables in support of the World Climate Research Programme Grand Challenge on Regional Sea Level Change and Coastal Impacts.Read moreRead less