Optimal Source Control in Urban Water Cycle Management. Major opportunities exist to improve the management of the urban water cycle by better use of source control technology such as the use of rainwater tanks and water-sensitive design. This program will optimise the use of this technology at three scales, allotment, subdivision and regional, using genetic algorithms, parallel computing and shadow pricing. The aim is to minimise community lifecycle costs subject to sustainable use of ecosystem ....Optimal Source Control in Urban Water Cycle Management. Major opportunities exist to improve the management of the urban water cycle by better use of source control technology such as the use of rainwater tanks and water-sensitive design. This program will optimise the use of this technology at three scales, allotment, subdivision and regional, using genetic algorithms, parallel computing and shadow pricing. The aim is to minimise community lifecycle costs subject to sustainable use of ecosystems and maintenance of public health standards. The benefits include national savings of the order of $2 billion and significantly reduced demand on water supply and stormwater infrastructure and its supporting ecosystems.Read moreRead less
Drought, El Niño and Climate Change in Queensland over the last 200,000 years: the Lynch's Crater lake record. Lynch's Crater (Queensland) provides the longest, most sensitive terrestrial record of vegetation and climate change in the low altitude tropics. A multidisciplinary approach will exploit the potential of a core collected in 2003 through high-resolution multiproxy (sedimentology, geochemistry, stable and radiogenic isotopes, pollen, charcoal and diatoms) studies. The results will contri ....Drought, El Niño and Climate Change in Queensland over the last 200,000 years: the Lynch's Crater lake record. Lynch's Crater (Queensland) provides the longest, most sensitive terrestrial record of vegetation and climate change in the low altitude tropics. A multidisciplinary approach will exploit the potential of a core collected in 2003 through high-resolution multiproxy (sedimentology, geochemistry, stable and radiogenic isotopes, pollen, charcoal and diatoms) studies. The results will contribute substantially to the resolution of current debates on the role of the tropics in global climate forcing at a variety of temporal scales, including that of the El Niño phenomenon. The reconstruction of temperature and precipitation over the past 200,000 years will improve global climate databases and prediction models.Read moreRead less
Quantifying the El Niño-Indian Ocean Dipole system using high-resolution coral palaeoclimate archives. The ocean surrounding Indonesia is the warmest on Earth and a major source of energy for global atmospheric circulation. Understanding the role of the Warm Pool in future climate change is of key importance, but highly controversial because the potential extent of its variability is largely unknown. To address this issue, this project will provide the first major geochemical investigation of ....Quantifying the El Niño-Indian Ocean Dipole system using high-resolution coral palaeoclimate archives. The ocean surrounding Indonesia is the warmest on Earth and a major source of energy for global atmospheric circulation. Understanding the role of the Warm Pool in future climate change is of key importance, but highly controversial because the potential extent of its variability is largely unknown. To address this issue, this project will provide the first major geochemical investigation of recently discovered ancient corals in Indonesia using state-of-the-art microanalytical techniques. Outcomes from these palaeoclimate records will advance our understanding of global climate change, rainfall variability related to the El Nino - Indian Ocean Dipole system, and Australian drought.Read moreRead less
Impact of reforestation on the mitigation of climate extremes in eastern Australia resulting from global warming. This project will provide new information for climate change policy development and the goal of an Environmentally Sustainable Australia. It has a strong policy-management imperative, investigating the need for the maintenance and restoration of healthy native vegetation cover as part of Australia’s climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. Our previous research has shown ....Impact of reforestation on the mitigation of climate extremes in eastern Australia resulting from global warming. This project will provide new information for climate change policy development and the goal of an Environmentally Sustainable Australia. It has a strong policy-management imperative, investigating the need for the maintenance and restoration of healthy native vegetation cover as part of Australia’s climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. Our previous research has shown that land clearing has contributed to climate change, including more severe and persisting droughts, in eastern Australia. Successful implementation of the research findings will lead to an increased ability of regional landscapes to buffer against a more extreme future climate driven by increased concentrations of greenhouse gases.Read moreRead less
Linking social science and ecology to understand the vulnerability of coastal societies to changes in coral reef resources. This project will examine how vulnerable communities in Australia and across the Indo-Pacific are to the impacts of climate change on coral reefs. Key outcomes will include: vulnerability assessments in 30 communities, new insights into the conditions that foster adaptations that erode reef resilience; and research training for three PhD students.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130100295
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$373,679.00
Summary
Forecasting the future of flood and drought in Australia using multi-century tree-ring and isotope chronologies from the tropics. The effects of El Nino on Australian floods and droughts in a globally changing climate is unclear because we lack long climate records from the past. This project will measure tree-ring and isotope records using kauri pine to advance our understanding of El Nino's effects on the frequency and intensity of drought and floods in Australia.
Are humans responsible for recent changes in the behaviour of tropical cyclones? Decoupling natural variability from human influence using isotopes. An increase in the frequency of intense landfalling tropical cyclones will have a major impact upon Australia's economy and the safety of its citizens and visitors. There is little doubt that global climate change will cause this increase. Understanding when this might occur and the extent of this change over and above that which could also occur na ....Are humans responsible for recent changes in the behaviour of tropical cyclones? Decoupling natural variability from human influence using isotopes. An increase in the frequency of intense landfalling tropical cyclones will have a major impact upon Australia's economy and the safety of its citizens and visitors. There is little doubt that global climate change will cause this increase. Understanding when this might occur and the extent of this change over and above that which could also occur naturally will help reduce economic loss and save peoples' lives. Using isotope records of tropical cyclones and global climate models we will differentiate natural from human induced changes and ascertain the likely future impact of this hazard on Australia and its near neighbours.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE120100218
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$254,078.00
Summary
A world-class rock magnetic facility to support Australian palaeomagnetic and environmental research. Magnetic properties of rocks and environmental particles provide information about a vast range of geological and environmental processes. We propose to develop a facility that will enable detection and interpretation of these magnetic signals to aid understanding of climate change, mineral exploration, and the geological development of Australia.
The Indian Ocean Dipole, Australasian drought, and the great-earthquake cycle: Long-term perspectives for improved prediction. The protracted drought across Australia and Boxing Day 2004 earthquake in Sumatra defied prediction, and are causing incalculable environmental, economic, and social harm. Knowledge of past climate extremes will enhance our ability to predict climate change, and alleviate adverse affects for Australasian nations who miss-out in the future redistribution of life-giving mo ....The Indian Ocean Dipole, Australasian drought, and the great-earthquake cycle: Long-term perspectives for improved prediction. The protracted drought across Australia and Boxing Day 2004 earthquake in Sumatra defied prediction, and are causing incalculable environmental, economic, and social harm. Knowledge of past climate extremes will enhance our ability to predict climate change, and alleviate adverse affects for Australasian nations who miss-out in the future redistribution of life-giving moisture. Insights into the great-earthquake cycle will help fulfil Australia's responsibility to predict tsunamis, for the benefit of nations fringing Australasian seismotectonic zones. Development of improved techniques in palaeoclimatology, palaeoclimate modelling, and palaeoseismology will provide new collaborations and opportunities for research, training, and education.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989067
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$950,000.00
Summary
The future of palaeoclimate and archaeological research in Australia: next generation instrumentation for chronology and environmental reconstruction. The outcomes of this project will promote a better understanding of Australia's arid continent and its surrounding marine environment, contribute to studies of global climate change, and provide new insights into the response of fragile ecosystems to such events and processes. The project addresses directly the National Research Priority 'Water - ....The future of palaeoclimate and archaeological research in Australia: next generation instrumentation for chronology and environmental reconstruction. The outcomes of this project will promote a better understanding of Australia's arid continent and its surrounding marine environment, contribute to studies of global climate change, and provide new insights into the response of fragile ecosystems to such events and processes. The project addresses directly the National Research Priority 'Water - a critical resource', 'Responding to climate change and variability', 'Overcoming soil loss, salinity and acidity', 'Sustainable use of Australia's biodiversity' and 'Understanding our region and the world'. It provides a consortium-type platform for highly productive collaborative research and training across eight universities and one research organisation in Australia.Read moreRead less