Improved rainfall measurement using mobile phone tower link attenuation. The project aims to use the microwave link data between mobile phone towers to complement the sparse rain gauge network in urban areas, to allow more accurate near-real-time monitoring of rainfall. Accurate near-real-time precipitation data at high resolution are critical to flash flood forecasting in and around Australia's capital cities. Current estimates suffer from the limited availability of rain gauge data in urban ar ....Improved rainfall measurement using mobile phone tower link attenuation. The project aims to use the microwave link data between mobile phone towers to complement the sparse rain gauge network in urban areas, to allow more accurate near-real-time monitoring of rainfall. Accurate near-real-time precipitation data at high resolution are critical to flash flood forecasting in and around Australia's capital cities. Current estimates suffer from the limited availability of rain gauge data in urban areas. However, mobile phone towers abound and the microwave links between them can provide information on rainfall intensity, meaning that these data could be used to supplement the rain gauge data. This project plans to develop the technology to generate precipitation maps using mobile phone network link, rain gauge and weather radar data.Read moreRead less
A new strategy for design flood estimation in a nonstationary climate. Evidence suggests that global warming will result in an increase in the frequency and/or magnitude of heavy rainfall, leading to flooding with potentially devastating consequences. This study provides a renewed focus on design flood estimation that takes into account a changing climate where assumptions of stationarity are no longer tenable.
Water information services to boost irrigation productivity. This project aims to develop an integrated irrigation scheduling, benchmarking and forecasting capability delivered through a water ordering portal that is used by most Australian irrigation farmers and many farmers internationally. Ensuring adoption is critical and this will be facilitated through integration into the existing water ordering system. Expected outcomes include improved ability to manage irrigation water through better u ....Water information services to boost irrigation productivity. This project aims to develop an integrated irrigation scheduling, benchmarking and forecasting capability delivered through a water ordering portal that is used by most Australian irrigation farmers and many farmers internationally. Ensuring adoption is critical and this will be facilitated through integration into the existing water ordering system. Expected outcomes include improved ability to manage irrigation water through better use of existing weather observations and forecasts, irrigation data, and satellite observations to inform farmer decisions. This is expected to result in improvement in water productivity, leading to economic benefit and an improved ability to meet growing global food demands.Read moreRead less
A framework for model emulation and ensemble modelling. For improved water resource management there is a need for further development of appropriate hydrologic models. This project will undertake a collection of hydrologic modelling activities performed at multiple catchments in Australia. A modeling framework that is flexible, extendible and accounts for potential forecast uncertainties will be developed.
A unified approach for estimating coastal flood risk. The project aims to develop a unified approach to quantifying flood risk. Because flooding is caused by multiple mechanisms such as extreme rainfall, storm surge and astronomical tide, accurately estimating flood levels in the Australian coastal zone is challenging. By quantifying flood risk in terms of these mechanisms, the project is expected to provide reliable flood risk estimates for both historical settings and future climate scenarios. ....A unified approach for estimating coastal flood risk. The project aims to develop a unified approach to quantifying flood risk. Because flooding is caused by multiple mechanisms such as extreme rainfall, storm surge and astronomical tide, accurately estimating flood levels in the Australian coastal zone is challenging. By quantifying flood risk in terms of these mechanisms, the project is expected to provide reliable flood risk estimates for both historical settings and future climate scenarios. The improved estimation should enable Australian water agencies and policy-makers to effectively design defence infrastructure (e.g. drainage systems) and urban planning policies to adapt to future flood risk.Read moreRead less
Development of a generic catchment classification framework in hydrology. Hydrologic models play a vital role in water resource planning and management, but identification of a suitable model for a given catchment remains a basic problem. This research develops a generic framework to classify catchments into groups and sub-groups, and will offer a significantly better way for hydrologic model development and application.
A decadal to inter-decadal streamflow prediction system. This project will develop the first ever decadal streamflow prediction system for Australia, leading to predictions of streamflow for the next 10 years and beyond that take into account both natural climatic variability (driven by factors such as the El Nino Southern Oscillation) and changing greenhouse gas concentrations due to a warming planet.
Uncertainty quantification in terrestrial hydrologic systems. This project aims to develop a framework to simulate, quantify and analyse the uncertainty in streamflow and vegetation dynamics via approximate Bayesian computation. Water is a fundamental resource, and a difficulty in water resource management is to make predictions in a changing environment. Uncertainties in predictions of natural systems due to observational and model error make this more difficult. It is anticipated that the resu ....Uncertainty quantification in terrestrial hydrologic systems. This project aims to develop a framework to simulate, quantify and analyse the uncertainty in streamflow and vegetation dynamics via approximate Bayesian computation. Water is a fundamental resource, and a difficulty in water resource management is to make predictions in a changing environment. Uncertainties in predictions of natural systems due to observational and model error make this more difficult. It is anticipated that the results from this project will advance uncertainty analysis in hydrology and help understand how different types of data and information can inform model characterisation. This will be useful in providing vital information on the attributes and extent of uncertainty to inform water resources analysis, management and decision making.Read moreRead less
Megadrought likelihood and its water resource impacts in Australia. This interdisciplinary project plans to assemble a world-class team of hydrologists, climate scientists and water managers to investigate the history and future risk of decadal to multidecadal droughts (megadroughts). Despite Australia’s vulnerability to water scarcity, the likelihood of persistent megadroughts has not been assessed in Australia. This has resulted in inadequate capacity to prepare for and adapt to megadrought un ....Megadrought likelihood and its water resource impacts in Australia. This interdisciplinary project plans to assemble a world-class team of hydrologists, climate scientists and water managers to investigate the history and future risk of decadal to multidecadal droughts (megadroughts). Despite Australia’s vulnerability to water scarcity, the likelihood of persistent megadroughts has not been assessed in Australia. This has resulted in inadequate capacity to prepare for and adapt to megadrought under future climate change. For the first time, palaeoclimate reconstructions and climate change projections will be used to constrain future hydroclimatic variability, advancing the decision-making capacity of Australian water resource managers.Read moreRead less
Optimum design of hydraulic structures in rural and urban Australia: dealing with floods and droughts. Australia's long-term forecast suggests the occurrence of longer and more frequent droughts, and more intense flood events. The project will study the fundamental hydrodynamic processes in hydraulic structures and aims to develop new innovative designs derived from process based approach for optimum operation in rural and urban Australia.