Antarctic marine diatoms: Key to predicting the effects of global climate change on a temperature-sensitive ecosystem. This project aims to determine the effects of global climate change on Antarctic diatoms. Diatoms are a major component of the polar phytoplankton. They are sensitive to changes in their marine environment, detection of which is an essential part of the Antarctic climate change strategy. Understanding the environmental processes that cause natural variation in extant diatoms ....Antarctic marine diatoms: Key to predicting the effects of global climate change on a temperature-sensitive ecosystem. This project aims to determine the effects of global climate change on Antarctic diatoms. Diatoms are a major component of the polar phytoplankton. They are sensitive to changes in their marine environment, detection of which is an essential part of the Antarctic climate change strategy. Understanding the environmental processes that cause natural variation in extant diatoms will make it possible to reconstruct the response of fossil diatoms, preserved in marine sediments, to past climate change. This understanding is vital for predicting the effect of future anthropogenic warming on this ecosystem.Read moreRead less
PAST EAST ANTARCTIC ICE SHEET AND GLOBAL SEA-LEVEL VARIATIONS. Unique fossil-bearing, open marine sediments occur inland from the modern Antarctic coastline. These were deposited when a now-glaciated Antarctic basin became a marine embayment, during intervals of significantly reduced ice sheet volume and elevated global sea-level in the past. Urgent palaeontological, sedimentological and geochemical research on these sediments are vital to provide: directly datable in situ evidence for major i ....PAST EAST ANTARCTIC ICE SHEET AND GLOBAL SEA-LEVEL VARIATIONS. Unique fossil-bearing, open marine sediments occur inland from the modern Antarctic coastline. These were deposited when a now-glaciated Antarctic basin became a marine embayment, during intervals of significantly reduced ice sheet volume and elevated global sea-level in the past. Urgent palaeontological, sedimentological and geochemical research on these sediments are vital to provide: directly datable in situ evidence for major ice sheet retreat and global sea-level rise in the past; and quantifiable data concerning the environment during such events; an innovative opportunity to improve predictions of Antarctica's response to global warming and answer international debate about past Antarctic Ice Sheet stability.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
High-resolution records of climatic change in Australia, both on land and at sea covering the last 20,000 years. This project aims to determine climatic changes in the Australian region since the deglaciation commenced 20,000 years ago at a century scale or better. The information is to be obtained from high-quality records of carefully selected lakes and deep-sea cores in the Australian region. The project will rely on high-resolution chronological records of environmental changes. Several geo ....High-resolution records of climatic change in Australia, both on land and at sea covering the last 20,000 years. This project aims to determine climatic changes in the Australian region since the deglaciation commenced 20,000 years ago at a century scale or better. The information is to be obtained from high-quality records of carefully selected lakes and deep-sea cores in the Australian region. The project will rely on high-resolution chronological records of environmental changes. Several geochemical and micropalaeontological techniques will be used to determine conditions in the lakes and ocean, and links to atmospheric conditions will be determined. This information is of relevance to the international climate community which aims at modelling high-quality and high-resolution records of climate change.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.
Exposure dating with manganese-53, neon-21 and beryllium-10: a new toolkit for studying long-term landscape evolution. Australia today is the driest inhabited continent but this was not always the case. Tens of millions of years ago the climate of Australia was considerably wetter. Then, several million years ago, aridity in Australia developed producing most of the desert features of the red Centre that we see today. The age of our deserts and other arid features are not, however, well known. T ....Exposure dating with manganese-53, neon-21 and beryllium-10: a new toolkit for studying long-term landscape evolution. Australia today is the driest inhabited continent but this was not always the case. Tens of millions of years ago the climate of Australia was considerably wetter. Then, several million years ago, aridity in Australia developed producing most of the desert features of the red Centre that we see today. The age of our deserts and other arid features are not, however, well known. This project will determine the age of desertification in Australia, thereby enhancing our understanding of such processes and the response of our landscape to changing climate.
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High resolution warm ocean records from laminated sediment. This project will produce environmental records during ocean warming events in the geologic past to reveal processes associated with warm oceans similar to those anticipated in the coming century. New Australian technology allows investigation of sediment records at unprecedented time resolution providing insight into processes operating on societally relevant time scales of decades to centuries. This work will open an archive of climat ....High resolution warm ocean records from laminated sediment. This project will produce environmental records during ocean warming events in the geologic past to reveal processes associated with warm oceans similar to those anticipated in the coming century. New Australian technology allows investigation of sediment records at unprecedented time resolution providing insight into processes operating on societally relevant time scales of decades to centuries. This work will open an archive of climate information revealing feedback, thresholds and tipping points from past events previously inaccessible because of technical and conceptual limitations. It will provide critical inputs into models predicting future climate and to illuminate the risks and compensating feedbacks occurring with warming.
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Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0238524
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,424,000.00
Summary
The international Ocean Drilling Program - Collaborative Australian Involvement. The Ocean Drilling Program is supported by 21 countries. Australia contributes as a 1/3 member of a consortium with Canada, Chinese Taipei, Korea. The drillship JOIDES Resolution is the unique facility allowing researchers access to the environmental and geological data recorded in the seafloor.
In 2002 the JOIDES Resolution will be drilling sites of international importance in the study of the deep biosphere; deep ....The international Ocean Drilling Program - Collaborative Australian Involvement. The Ocean Drilling Program is supported by 21 countries. Australia contributes as a 1/3 member of a consortium with Canada, Chinese Taipei, Korea. The drillship JOIDES Resolution is the unique facility allowing researchers access to the environmental and geological data recorded in the seafloor.
In 2002 the JOIDES Resolution will be drilling sites of international importance in the study of the deep biosphere; deep sea gas hydrates; oceanic crust generation and evolution (utilising real time geochemical and geophysical experiments in the crust); and past ocean circulation, sea surface temperature and productivity. Fourteen Australian Universities, CSIRO and AGSO support ODP and provide scientists for pre- and post-drilling research and postgraduate training.
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Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0346854
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,363,123.00
Summary
The International Ocean Drilling Program - Australian Collaboration. The Ocean Drilling Program is supported by 21 countries. Australia contributes as a 1/3 member of a consortium with Canada, Chinese Taipei, Korea. The drillship JOIDES Resolution is the unique facility allowing researchers access to the environmental and geological data recorded in the seafloor.
2003 is the final year of the Program. The ship, during this historic year, will be drilling sites of international importance in the ....The International Ocean Drilling Program - Australian Collaboration. The Ocean Drilling Program is supported by 21 countries. Australia contributes as a 1/3 member of a consortium with Canada, Chinese Taipei, Korea. The drillship JOIDES Resolution is the unique facility allowing researchers access to the environmental and geological data recorded in the seafloor.
2003 is the final year of the Program. The ship, during this historic year, will be drilling sites of international importance in the study of oceanic crust generation; past extreme climates linked to mass extinctions; past ocean chemistry and circulation; and the formation of continental margins. Fourteen Australian Universities, CSIRO and AGSO support ODP and provide scientists for pre- and post-drilling research and postgraduate training.
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Ancient weather stations of Australia: charting a continent's descent into aridity and its ecological consequences. Australia has an enviable reputation as a leading innovator in geochronological and geochemical studies and this research will reinforce that standing. The outcomes will promote a better understanding of Australia's arid continent, contribute to studies of global climate change, and provide new insights into the response of ecosystems to such events. In these ways, the project addr ....Ancient weather stations of Australia: charting a continent's descent into aridity and its ecological consequences. Australia has an enviable reputation as a leading innovator in geochronological and geochemical studies and this research will reinforce that standing. The outcomes will promote a better understanding of Australia's arid continent, contribute to studies of global climate change, and provide new insights into the response of ecosystems to such events. In these ways, the project addresses directly our current national research priorities 'water - a critical resource', 'responding to climate change and variability' and 'the sustainable use of Australia's biodiversity'.Read moreRead less