Benthic Processes and Oceanic Internal Waves. Direct observations will be made of the turbulent motion and sediment re-suspension near the sea bed of the ocean in regions strongly influenced by tides and internal waves. Combined with numerical models, the study will provide new insights into processes that are of fundamental importance to understanding the global dissipation of tidal energy and the role of internal waves in these processes. With observations from the continental slope region of ....Benthic Processes and Oceanic Internal Waves. Direct observations will be made of the turbulent motion and sediment re-suspension near the sea bed of the ocean in regions strongly influenced by tides and internal waves. Combined with numerical models, the study will provide new insights into processes that are of fundamental importance to understanding the global dissipation of tidal energy and the role of internal waves in these processes. With observations from the continental slope region of the Australian North West Shelf, results will also benefit the offshore engineering industry through knowledge of sediment scour and loadings on offshore structures.Read moreRead less
The Southern Ocean Meridional Overturning Circulation: New observations of vertical mixing. The Southern Ocean and Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) play profound roles in Australian and global climate. However, we know little about how they will be affected by global warming. New velocity observations will tell us how the vertical mixing that contributes to the meridional overturning circulation, and ACC strength, change with the seasons and from year to year. The observations will also gi ....The Southern Ocean Meridional Overturning Circulation: New observations of vertical mixing. The Southern Ocean and Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) play profound roles in Australian and global climate. However, we know little about how they will be affected by global warming. New velocity observations will tell us how the vertical mixing that contributes to the meridional overturning circulation, and ACC strength, change with the seasons and from year to year. The observations will also give us a better understanding of the oceanic and atmospheric processes that drive these changes. This new information will allow climate models to be better constrained so they can more accurately predict changes to Australian and global climate.Read moreRead less
Observations of remarkable eastward flows in the South Indian Ocean. The Indian Ocean drives much of the variability of Australian weather and rainfall and is rapidly evolving. Innovative new observations of remarkable eastward flows in the South Indian Ocean will be combined with models to understand these circulations in a region that has significant economic value for Australia.
Advancing dynamical understanding in the East Australian Current: Optimising the ocean observation and prediction effort. The East Australian Current is a highly dynamic system, thus is very difficult to observe, measure and predict. Our aim is to advance the dynamical understanding of this complex system and to quantify the value of specific observations in improving ocean state-estimates. State-estimates are critical for robust ocean predictions in a region that is warming faster than anywhere ....Advancing dynamical understanding in the East Australian Current: Optimising the ocean observation and prediction effort. The East Australian Current is a highly dynamic system, thus is very difficult to observe, measure and predict. Our aim is to advance the dynamical understanding of this complex system and to quantify the value of specific observations in improving ocean state-estimates. State-estimates are critical for robust ocean predictions in a region that is warming faster than anywhere else on the planet. This project will integrate innovative numerical modeling techniques with a state-of-the-art ocean observing system. The expected outcomes will guide future ocean observing efforts; maximising impact while reducing cost. The results will be readily applicable to analogous systems around the world and our team is well placed to implement them internationally.Read moreRead less
Eddy mixing and water mass formation in the Southern Ocean in a global 1/4 degree model. The next generation of ocean climate models will rely on linkages between experts in large-scale oceanography, mesoscale ocean physics and computational techniques. This project brings together such expertise. It will result in the development of better ocean models for use in climate prediction by improving the representation of eddy contributions to air/sea interactions. Australia's climate is extreme, wi ....Eddy mixing and water mass formation in the Southern Ocean in a global 1/4 degree model. The next generation of ocean climate models will rely on linkages between experts in large-scale oceanography, mesoscale ocean physics and computational techniques. This project brings together such expertise. It will result in the development of better ocean models for use in climate prediction by improving the representation of eddy contributions to air/sea interactions. Australia's climate is extreme, with harsh droughts, severe bushfire seasons, soil loss, and salinity all posing potentially enormous socio-economic challenges over the next fifty years. Improving climate models is thus highly significant for Australia, as mitigating the effects of climate change depend on reliable climate prediction systems.Read moreRead less
Pelagic symbioses: teasing apart phytoplankton-bacteria relationships. This project aims to decode the intricate relationships between populations of phytoplankton and marine bacteria and interpret their influence on ocean productivity and chemical cycling. While oceanographers typically consider the ecology of phytoplankton and bacteria in isolation, this project suggests that the lives of these organisms are inherently entwined in symbiosis. This project is anticipated to aid in management of ....Pelagic symbioses: teasing apart phytoplankton-bacteria relationships. This project aims to decode the intricate relationships between populations of phytoplankton and marine bacteria and interpret their influence on ocean productivity and chemical cycling. While oceanographers typically consider the ecology of phytoplankton and bacteria in isolation, this project suggests that the lives of these organisms are inherently entwined in symbiosis. This project is anticipated to aid in management of Australia’s valuable marine estate and the ecosystem services and food security it provides.Read moreRead less
Defining the Microbial-scale Processes Governing Ocean Health . This project aims to resolve the foundations of healthy ocean function by employing innovative approaches to uncover the links between marine chemistry and microbiology. While the importance of microbes in governing ocean health is unquestionable, they are often studied over inappropriately large-scales, leading to inaccurate interpretation of the oceanic processes that ultimately influence fishery production and climate control. W ....Defining the Microbial-scale Processes Governing Ocean Health . This project aims to resolve the foundations of healthy ocean function by employing innovative approaches to uncover the links between marine chemistry and microbiology. While the importance of microbes in governing ocean health is unquestionable, they are often studied over inappropriately large-scales, leading to inaccurate interpretation of the oceanic processes that ultimately influence fishery production and climate control. We will develop new oceanographic tools and analytical techniques to provide a unique "microbes-eye-view" of the sea. The project's outcomes are anticipated to deliver transformative new knowledge on the controls of ocean productivity and sustainability, helping to safeguard Australia’s valuable marine estate.Read moreRead less
Causes of Enhanced Warming of the Southern Ocean. The Southern Ocean is critical to the global climate system in general, and Australian climate in particular. However, the Southern Ocean is poorly understood, poorly observed and poorly modelled by global climate models. The response of the Southern Ocean to increases in wind forcing (due to the ozone hole and global warming) will be examined. Climate impacts such as Australian rainfall trends, potential instability of the West Antarctic Ice She ....Causes of Enhanced Warming of the Southern Ocean. The Southern Ocean is critical to the global climate system in general, and Australian climate in particular. However, the Southern Ocean is poorly understood, poorly observed and poorly modelled by global climate models. The response of the Southern Ocean to increases in wind forcing (due to the ozone hole and global warming) will be examined. Climate impacts such as Australian rainfall trends, potential instability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and changes to the global overturning circulation will be quantified. Understanding these impacts will help to manage Australia's water resources and to predict the future Southern Ocean circulation.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140100076
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$394,585.00
Summary
Mixing hot spots in the Southern Ocean: processes, parameterisations and climate impacts. The Southern Ocean plays a critical role in the uptake of heat and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into the deep ocean. This uptake depends strongly on mixing processes due to ocean eddies, which are especially important in regions of steep topography, leading to localised mixing hot spots. These ocean eddies have scales of 10-100km and therefore can not be resolved in current global climate models. This ....Mixing hot spots in the Southern Ocean: processes, parameterisations and climate impacts. The Southern Ocean plays a critical role in the uptake of heat and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into the deep ocean. This uptake depends strongly on mixing processes due to ocean eddies, which are especially important in regions of steep topography, leading to localised mixing hot spots. These ocean eddies have scales of 10-100km and therefore can not be resolved in current global climate models. This project will examine these mixing processes using a combination of observations and innovative modelling approaches. This knowledge will be used to improve the representation of eddy processes in state-of-the-art climate models, which will ultimately allow Australia to more effectively respond to the challenge of climate change.Read moreRead less
IMPACTS OF RIVER NUTRIENTS ON THE GREAT BARRIER REEF LAGOON. While salinity was one of the first properties of the ocean to be studied, it is one of the last to be measured by remote sensing. A prototype air borne salinity mapper will be used in this project along with an airborne multi-spectral sampler to develop a new approach to the study of river plumes. The salinity and nutrient densities will be traced to determine the destination of river runoff. Outcomes will assist the management of ....IMPACTS OF RIVER NUTRIENTS ON THE GREAT BARRIER REEF LAGOON. While salinity was one of the first properties of the ocean to be studied, it is one of the last to be measured by remote sensing. A prototype air borne salinity mapper will be used in this project along with an airborne multi-spectral sampler to develop a new approach to the study of river plumes. The salinity and nutrient densities will be traced to determine the destination of river runoff. Outcomes will assist the management of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and land management near the coast, and will improve our understanding of the carbon sink in coastal waters.Read moreRead less