Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL100100214
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,918,382.00
Summary
Future risks associated with ocean surface warming: impacts on climate, rainfall, carbon, and circulation. Climate change is already affecting Australia, with harsh drought, more intense bushfire seasons, increased monsoon rains, heatwaves, and warmer temperatures all a feature of the past few decades. Climate change is expected to accelerate in the future, warming the oceans at an increased rate. This will affect ocean circulation, carbon uptake and ocean-atmosphere modes, such as El Nino, with ....Future risks associated with ocean surface warming: impacts on climate, rainfall, carbon, and circulation. Climate change is already affecting Australia, with harsh drought, more intense bushfire seasons, increased monsoon rains, heatwaves, and warmer temperatures all a feature of the past few decades. Climate change is expected to accelerate in the future, warming the oceans at an increased rate. This will affect ocean circulation, carbon uptake and ocean-atmosphere modes, such as El Nino, with unknown intensity. This project will improve our preparedness for climate change by better quantifying the risks that ocean warming will transform Australia's climate, rainfall, and sea level; as well as the ocean's uptake of carbon and the global ocean circulation. This will benefit sectors including agriculture, water management, fisheries, and tourism.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100223
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$357,024.00
Summary
Dynamics, variability and change in Southern Ocean abyssal flows. Changes in the Southern Ocean abyssal circulation are linked with dramatic climate events, yet the associated dynamics are poorly understood. This project aims to determine the fundamental dynamic processes driving abyssal flows, and diagnose impacts of recent and projected climate change. The project also aims to bridge the large gap between conceptual and observational understanding of this vital limb of the ocean's overturning ....Dynamics, variability and change in Southern Ocean abyssal flows. Changes in the Southern Ocean abyssal circulation are linked with dramatic climate events, yet the associated dynamics are poorly understood. This project aims to determine the fundamental dynamic processes driving abyssal flows, and diagnose impacts of recent and projected climate change. The project also aims to bridge the large gap between conceptual and observational understanding of this vital limb of the ocean's overturning circulation. A significant innovation is that it will be the first study of the Southern Ocean abyss using realistic global-scale models capable of simulating all the key dynamic processes. Results will guide Southern Ocean observation programs, explain observed changes, and reduce uncertainties in climate projections.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130100663
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Understanding the termination of El Nino-Southern Oscillation events. Australia's climate is extreme, with significant drought and flooding events driven by cycles of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). This study will improve our understanding of the termination of ENSO events and lead to better inter-seasonal climate forecasting, aiding the sectors reliant on accurate climate prediction.
Remote forcing of Pacific Ocean variability and impacts on global climate. Variability in the Pacific Ocean has a profound impact on global climate. Recent unprecedented decadal variability in the Pacific has been linked to global temperature trends and extremes, yet little is known about what drives this variability or its impact on regional climate. This project will combine observations, advanced coupled climate models and ocean-atmosphere dynamical theory to quantify remote drivers of Pacifi ....Remote forcing of Pacific Ocean variability and impacts on global climate. Variability in the Pacific Ocean has a profound impact on global climate. Recent unprecedented decadal variability in the Pacific has been linked to global temperature trends and extremes, yet little is known about what drives this variability or its impact on regional climate. This project will combine observations, advanced coupled climate models and ocean-atmosphere dynamical theory to quantify remote drivers of Pacific Ocean variability on interannual-decadal time-scales. This project aims to enhance our understanding of the modes of variability operating in this region and their impact on global and Australian climate. This will have significant benefits for the many sectors of society reliant on interseasonal-decadal climate prediction.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL150100090
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,770,434.00
Summary
Ocean mixing processes and innovation in oceanographic models. Ocean mixing processes and innovation in oceanographic models: This fellowship project aims to develop new oceanographic tools and thermodynamic variables to support a new generation of accurate ocean models more suitable for the prediction of changes in a warming world. The ocean’s role in the climate system is predominantly to store and to transport heat and carbon dioxide, and the ocean’s ability to do this is sensitive to the str ....Ocean mixing processes and innovation in oceanographic models. Ocean mixing processes and innovation in oceanographic models: This fellowship project aims to develop new oceanographic tools and thermodynamic variables to support a new generation of accurate ocean models more suitable for the prediction of changes in a warming world. The ocean’s role in the climate system is predominantly to store and to transport heat and carbon dioxide, and the ocean’s ability to do this is sensitive to the strength of mixing processes, which are quite uncertain. This project hopes to distinguish the vital role of vertical mixing from that of horizontal mixing by (i) developing algorithms to construct neutral density surfaces in climate models, (ii) formulating new inverse techniques to deduce the amount of vertical mixing in various ocean regions, and (iii) incorporating new approaches to ocean mixing processes and thermodynamics into ocean models.Read moreRead less
Marine heatwaves: subsurface structure and interactions with other extremes. Marine heatwaves routinely cause major ecosystem degradation affecting valuable industries. The aim of this project is to extend our understanding to the workings of temperature extremes hidden below the ocean surface and how other concurrent ocean and terrestrial extremes interact with these marine heatwaves. The project will generate significant new knowledge around the mechanisms driving subsurface heatwaves and how ....Marine heatwaves: subsurface structure and interactions with other extremes. Marine heatwaves routinely cause major ecosystem degradation affecting valuable industries. The aim of this project is to extend our understanding to the workings of temperature extremes hidden below the ocean surface and how other concurrent ocean and terrestrial extremes interact with these marine heatwaves. The project will generate significant new knowledge around the mechanisms driving subsurface heatwaves and how they interact with ocean acidification, oxygen and terrestrial extremes. The outcomes would include improved forecasting of ocean extremes and a quantification of the multivariate risks posed to marine species. This will help guide mitigation or adaptation strategies, benefitting exposed industries like fisheries and tourism.Read moreRead less
The Antarctic Slope Current in a warming climate. Melting Antarctic ice sheets are responsible for 28% of global sea level rise in recent decades, and can contribute more than 1 metre of sea level rise by year 2100, and a staggering 15 metres by 2500. Increased glacial melt rates are best understood by studying changes in the circulation of water around the Antarctic coastline. The combination of physical processes that must be resolved in this region places a high demand on ocean observations a ....The Antarctic Slope Current in a warming climate. Melting Antarctic ice sheets are responsible for 28% of global sea level rise in recent decades, and can contribute more than 1 metre of sea level rise by year 2100, and a staggering 15 metres by 2500. Increased glacial melt rates are best understood by studying changes in the circulation of water around the Antarctic coastline. The combination of physical processes that must be resolved in this region places a high demand on ocean observations and modelling systems. This project uses a series of high-resolution ocean and ice experiments, cross-validated with observations, to provide a deeper understanding of how waters at the Antarctic margin respond to both anthropogenic and natural climate forcing.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130101336
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$374,354.00
Summary
Inter-ocean exchange around Australia and its relation to regional and global climate. The flow of water from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean is important to both regional and global climate. Most of the water flows through the Indonesian Archipelago, but there is also a westward flow south of Tasmania. We will study the dynamics of this inter-ocean exchange and investigate how it impacts regional climate and marine ecosystems.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100004
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$440,185.00
Summary
Mixing and air-sea coupling in the Pacific: Toward better El Nino forecasts. The Tropical Pacific drives significant year-to-year variability in Australian rainfall and climate extremes. However, tropical climate predictions are severely limited due to systematic biases in numerical climate models. Using new techniques and leveraging international collaborations, this project aims to transform our ability to simulate tropical Pacific climate through a new understanding of key air-sea interaction ....Mixing and air-sea coupling in the Pacific: Toward better El Nino forecasts. The Tropical Pacific drives significant year-to-year variability in Australian rainfall and climate extremes. However, tropical climate predictions are severely limited due to systematic biases in numerical climate models. Using new techniques and leveraging international collaborations, this project aims to transform our ability to simulate tropical Pacific climate through a new understanding of key air-sea interaction and ocean mixing processes. Expected outcomes include a better representation of tropical climate in the Australian climate model and improved seasonal to interannual predictive capability. These improved predictions will give communities more time to prepare for extreme events such as droughts, heatwaves and bushfires.Read moreRead less
The krill pump: transferring carbon across a layered ocean in a changing climate. Krill may have an important role in temperate oceanic ecosystems, and rise to the surface to feed at dusk, competing with other zooplankton and being eaten by commercial fish species. Their response to a rapidly warming ocean is a key unknown, especially with currents off eastern Australia warming 2.5 degrees Celsius by 2100.