Efficient and Robust Prediction at Ungauged Catchments. Hydrological models are an integral part of virtually all environmental models formulated at the catchment scale. They are used in the planning, design and operation of water infrastructure. Despite the importance of these models limited rainfall and streamflow gauging forces these models to be routinely applied at ungauged locations where predictive power is poorly understood and almost always unsatisfactory. This project will directly ben ....Efficient and Robust Prediction at Ungauged Catchments. Hydrological models are an integral part of virtually all environmental models formulated at the catchment scale. They are used in the planning, design and operation of water infrastructure. Despite the importance of these models limited rainfall and streamflow gauging forces these models to be routinely applied at ungauged locations where predictive power is poorly understood and almost always unsatisfactory. This project will directly benefit model users by providing (a) robust framework for quantifying uncertainty and (b) improved predictions at ungauged basins. This will provide more realistic guidance for design engineers and policy makers and be of significant benefit to a large range of Australian water users.Read moreRead less
Reactive flow through porous media by micro-imaging. Australia is embarking on the development of major gas fields offshore Western Australia. These developments are very costly and techniques to manage the risk in development are well sought after. This project assists in risk management of tertiary recovery methods and CO2 storage. Further, it can contribute significantly to the accurate forward modelling of storage of hazardous materials and pollution remediation strategies. The project could ....Reactive flow through porous media by micro-imaging. Australia is embarking on the development of major gas fields offshore Western Australia. These developments are very costly and techniques to manage the risk in development are well sought after. This project assists in risk management of tertiary recovery methods and CO2 storage. Further, it can contribute significantly to the accurate forward modelling of storage of hazardous materials and pollution remediation strategies. The project could shape important decisions in the future and impact on environmental risk assessment.Read moreRead less
Riparian rehabilitation and ecohydraulics: interactions between flow, sediment, vegetation and bank erosion in longstem tubestock rehabilitation works. Riparian lands are important for maintaining viable ecosystems, improving water quality and reducing sediment yields in rivers and streams. Research in Australia has shown that streambank erosion is the most significant processes in the continuing physical and ecological degradation of riparian zones. The recently developed longstem tubestock sys ....Riparian rehabilitation and ecohydraulics: interactions between flow, sediment, vegetation and bank erosion in longstem tubestock rehabilitation works. Riparian lands are important for maintaining viable ecosystems, improving water quality and reducing sediment yields in rivers and streams. Research in Australia has shown that streambank erosion is the most significant processes in the continuing physical and ecological degradation of riparian zones. The recently developed longstem tubestock system has shown promise in controlling streambank erosion using native vegetation. However, rehabilitation practices rely on ad-hoc recipes without a thorough scientific understanding of near-bank processes. This research will fill this gap by combining field and laboratory experiments on tubestock plantings in order to develop guidelines and predictive tools for riparian zone management.Read moreRead less
Geo-hydrodynamic modelling and estuarine evolution. We have accumulated considerable knowledge of the geomorphology, sedimentology and hydrodynamics of estuarine systems in southeastern Ausralia. This project represents the first rigorous attempt to combine these diverse factors to provide a process-based mathematical model of long- to medium-term sedimentation that can be used for environmental management. To be predictive the model has to use documented changes in the sedimentation histories o ....Geo-hydrodynamic modelling and estuarine evolution. We have accumulated considerable knowledge of the geomorphology, sedimentology and hydrodynamics of estuarine systems in southeastern Ausralia. This project represents the first rigorous attempt to combine these diverse factors to provide a process-based mathematical model of long- to medium-term sedimentation that can be used for environmental management. To be predictive the model has to use documented changes in the sedimentation histories of different estuary types over the past 8000 years in order to predict their evolution over the next 1000 years. The models that are developed can be applied to estuarine systems both nationally and internationally.Read moreRead less
Role of vegetation patchiness and self organisation in the ecohydrologic response of water limited ecosystems to climate variability and change. The semi-arid Australian rangelands are some of the most sensitive regions to degradation and climate change, particularly with respect to hydrology and ecology. Our predictive ability in these environments is quite poor, however, climatic change (particularly changes in rainfall regimes) are expected to intensify vegetation patterning, intensify erosi ....Role of vegetation patchiness and self organisation in the ecohydrologic response of water limited ecosystems to climate variability and change. The semi-arid Australian rangelands are some of the most sensitive regions to degradation and climate change, particularly with respect to hydrology and ecology. Our predictive ability in these environments is quite poor, however, climatic change (particularly changes in rainfall regimes) are expected to intensify vegetation patterning, intensify erosion and reduce runoff. This project will develop a modelling framework to better understand the impact of these natural (climate variability and change) and anthropogenic (grazing, deforestation) disturbances on runoff and erosion in these regions.Read moreRead less
Computer simulation and field application of tidal buffering and sub-surface alkaline barrier techniques to enhance acid sulphate soils management. In low-lying coastal areas, groundwater drawdown due to deep flood mitigation drains and prolonged droughts has exacerbated sub-surface pyrite oxidation, forming sulphuric acid. The distribution of acid following rainfall affects soil-water quality. The pressures of urban development in the Shoalhaven floodplain (civil infrastructure, agriculture, aq ....Computer simulation and field application of tidal buffering and sub-surface alkaline barrier techniques to enhance acid sulphate soils management. In low-lying coastal areas, groundwater drawdown due to deep flood mitigation drains and prolonged droughts has exacerbated sub-surface pyrite oxidation, forming sulphuric acid. The distribution of acid following rainfall affects soil-water quality. The pressures of urban development in the Shoalhaven floodplain (civil infrastructure, agriculture, aquaculture and recreational industries) necessitate the accurate prediction of acid migration. Therefore, the key challenge will be the development of comprehensive numerical models, which include complex estuarine hydrogeology and tidal dynamics, supported by field monitoring. Using these models, the novel concepts of 2-way floodgates that promote tidal flushing and the effectiveness of sub-surface alkaline barriers can be tested in the Shoalhaven, and subsequently applied globally.Read moreRead less