Hydrological changes in Australia and the South Pacific. This project plans to use stalagmites from the South–West Pacific to generate continuous rainfall records for the last 2000 years. Stalagmites contain uncorrupted data that are not available in other archives, and provide unparalleled accurate chronologies. The spatial and temporal variations of the data may highlight the interplay of climate drivers, such as El Niño Southern Oscillation, and how they change the distribution of rainfall in ....Hydrological changes in Australia and the South Pacific. This project plans to use stalagmites from the South–West Pacific to generate continuous rainfall records for the last 2000 years. Stalagmites contain uncorrupted data that are not available in other archives, and provide unparalleled accurate chronologies. The spatial and temporal variations of the data may highlight the interplay of climate drivers, such as El Niño Southern Oscillation, and how they change the distribution of rainfall in the Pacific. This knowledge would increase our scientific understanding and enable better predictions of the recurrence of droughts and wet events in Australia.Read moreRead less
Reconstructing changes in atmospheric circulation over the mid-latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere during the past 3000 years. The climate of the mid-latitudes of the southern hemisphere is of global significance and yet past changes have proved difficult to reconstruct due to the dearth of records. Working across the Southern Ocean region using tree rings, lake sediments and ice cores, the project will produce the first comprehensive reconstruction spanning the last 3000 years.
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL100100195
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,981,452.00
Summary
Tipping points in Records of Extreme Events in Australasia: Using the Past to Understand and Plan for Abrupt Future Climate Change. This project will generate the fundamental science outputs required to extend historical records of change and understand the complex linkages between Australian and global atmospheric, terrestrial and marine processes in the climate system, thereby assisting in: (i) identifying the mechanisms of past and future climate variability; (ii) developing and validating me ....Tipping points in Records of Extreme Events in Australasia: Using the Past to Understand and Plan for Abrupt Future Climate Change. This project will generate the fundamental science outputs required to extend historical records of change and understand the complex linkages between Australian and global atmospheric, terrestrial and marine processes in the climate system, thereby assisting in: (i) identifying the mechanisms of past and future climate variability; (ii) developing and validating methodologies for improved climate reconstruction and robust chronological frameworks; (iii) predicting the response of Australian ecosystems to future climate change; and (iv) communicating the research outputs to the general public and state, national and international decision makers, helping scientific understanding and aiding resource management.Read moreRead less
Integrating past ice sheet dynamics with palaeoclimate in the Weddell Sea sector to evaluate current and future change in Antarctica. This project will extend historical records of change and understand the complex linkages between Antarctic climate and ice sheet dynamics, thereby assisting in: (i) identifying the mechanisms of past and future ice sheet stability, and (ii) communicating the research outputs to the general public, helping scientific understanding.
How will climate change affect sub-daily precipitation? This project will examine changes in sub-daily precipitation due to climate change. It will improve our understanding of the mechanisms that cause the changes at regional and local scales. Regional climate change projections produced will be freely available, and at a spatial and temporal scales suitable for impacts and adaptation studies.
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
The Limits of maritime jurisdiction: overcoming uncertainties and safeguarding Australia's interests. Research on the definition of baselines along Australia's long, complex and dynamic coastline will assist in the stable definition of the limits of its vast maritime claims. Allied to research on key oceans governance and maritime security challenges, the research will help to safeguard Australia's significant and growing marine resource interests.
Risks of rapid ocean warming at the Antarctic continental margin. This project aims to comprehensively understand the interconnected processes by which oceanic heat is circulated towards Antarctica. The risk of rapid ocean warming at the Antarctic margin is profound, with change already detected via deep ocean warming, land-ice melt, and ice shelf collapse. Yet this region remains poorly understood, with only limited observations due to both a harsh environment and a lack of standard data stream ....Risks of rapid ocean warming at the Antarctic continental margin. This project aims to comprehensively understand the interconnected processes by which oceanic heat is circulated towards Antarctica. The risk of rapid ocean warming at the Antarctic margin is profound, with change already detected via deep ocean warming, land-ice melt, and ice shelf collapse. Yet this region remains poorly understood, with only limited observations due to both a harsh environment and a lack of standard data streams. This project will use high-resolution global and regional ocean/sea-ice models to examine mechanisms for rapid warming of Antarctic continental shelf waters via both large-scale drivers and fine-scale processes, including mesoscale eddies, tide-topography interactions, and bottom boundary flows. This work will better constrain future rates of ice melt around Antarctica by providing vital knowledge of the ocean processes, dynamics, and feedbacks relating to warm water intrusion onto the Antarctic continental shelf.Read moreRead less
Understanding the drivers and impacts of long-term Antarctic ice sheet change. This project will extend historical records of change and develop an understanding of the complex linkages between the climate and Antarctic ice sheet dynamics. The results will thereby assist in identifying the mechanisms of the past and future ice sheet stability and be communicated to the general public by enhancing scientific understanding.
Reproductive plasticity and climate change: insights from a region of opportunistic birds. Understanding how animal species respond behaviourally and physiologically to climatic variability is key to predicting how they will adapt to a changing climate. Australasia is home to a number of native and introduced species that breed across a range of climates and seasons. This project will establish collaborative infrastructure and a research network to systematically study and identify the constrain ....Reproductive plasticity and climate change: insights from a region of opportunistic birds. Understanding how animal species respond behaviourally and physiologically to climatic variability is key to predicting how they will adapt to a changing climate. Australasia is home to a number of native and introduced species that breed across a range of climates and seasons. This project will establish collaborative infrastructure and a research network to systematically study and identify the constraints and adaptations that birds have to adjust to a variable climate across Australasia. This large-scale comparative project will provide important insight into the globally observed patterns of reproductive failure and changes in breeding and migration times in birds, which have been related to a changing climate and pose a threat to biodiversity.Read moreRead less