Unraveling ocean mixing and air-sea forcing along the Indo-Pacific exchange. This project aims to collect unprecedented observations and develop high resolution model simulations to examine changes in the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) north of Australia. This project expects to develop new knowledge of ocean-atmosphere interactions along the path of the ITF from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean, which are the powerhouse that drives changes in winds and rainfall around Australia and the entire Indo ....Unraveling ocean mixing and air-sea forcing along the Indo-Pacific exchange. This project aims to collect unprecedented observations and develop high resolution model simulations to examine changes in the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) north of Australia. This project expects to develop new knowledge of ocean-atmosphere interactions along the path of the ITF from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean, which are the powerhouse that drives changes in winds and rainfall around Australia and the entire Indo-Pacific region. Expected outcomes include a 1000-fold increase in the observations of mixing in the Indonesian seas and new understanding of the ocean-atmosphere processes that control water property change along the ITF. This should lead to strong improvement in the skill of climate forecast models in the Australian region.Read moreRead less
Coupling tropical cyclone and climate physics with ocean waves. It is argued that without accounting for the wave effects directly, the physics of large-scale air-sea interactions is inaccurate and incomplete. The project will introduce explicit coupling of large-scale atmospheric and oceanic phenomena with the physics of surface waves which should lead to improved predictions of tropical cyclones and climate.
Atmospheric CO2, global temperature, and surface ocean acidity response to fossil carbon burning - insights from an ancient analogue. Sequestration of anthropogenic CO2 emissions by the oceans and the impacts of resulting ocean acidification and greenhouse warming upon marine ecosystems are vital to understanding the course of future environmental change. This research will improve knowledge of the biological and chemical responses in the ocean to past changes in atmospheric CO2 levels and incre ....Atmospheric CO2, global temperature, and surface ocean acidity response to fossil carbon burning - insights from an ancient analogue. Sequestration of anthropogenic CO2 emissions by the oceans and the impacts of resulting ocean acidification and greenhouse warming upon marine ecosystems are vital to understanding the course of future environmental change. This research will improve knowledge of the biological and chemical responses in the ocean to past changes in atmospheric CO2 levels and increased ocean acidity. This will assist in predicting the consequences of different fossil fuel burning scenarios for climate and marine life, especially the future viability of organisms like corals, molluscs, and calcareous plankton that underpin key tourism and marine production systems.Read moreRead less
DEEP SEA CORALS AS HIGH RESOLUTION RECORDERS OF SOUTHERN OCEAN NUTRIENT CHEMISTRY AND CIRCULATION. There is compelling evidence that the Earth has been warming dramatically since the end of the 19th century as a consequence of increasing atmospheric CO2. This study aims to understand the long-term role of the Southern Ocean as a 'store-house' for CO2, and its significance in controlling changes in the Earth's climate. We will use coral skeletons from the deep oceans as archives of ocean circu ....DEEP SEA CORALS AS HIGH RESOLUTION RECORDERS OF SOUTHERN OCEAN NUTRIENT CHEMISTRY AND CIRCULATION. There is compelling evidence that the Earth has been warming dramatically since the end of the 19th century as a consequence of increasing atmospheric CO2. This study aims to understand the long-term role of the Southern Ocean as a 'store-house' for CO2, and its significance in controlling changes in the Earth's climate. We will use coral skeletons from the deep oceans as archives of ocean circulation and nutrient levels. This information will help unravel how biological activity in the Southern Ocean has responded during previous episodes of climate change, and how this has controlled the levels of CO2 in the Earth's atmosphere. This will provide a better understanding of greenhouse warming and its effect on our future 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
Iron sources and cycling in the Tasman Sea. Determining factors that influence the health and vitality of coastal and open-ocean regions is crucial to maintaining marine biodiversity and the Earth's climatic balance. This research project will determine the role iron plays in influencing phytoplankton growth, which ultimately regulates the drawdown of carbon dioxide by the oceans.
Understanding the Southern Ocean overturning circulation and its sensitivity to climate variability. Our ability to understand and ultimately predict climate is critically dependent on understanding the Southern Ocean circulation and its sensitivity to atmospheric variability. The project will use a combination of observations and high-resolution numerical models to provide insights into the dynamics of the Southern Ocean overturning circulation.
A Laboratory Study of Ocean-Atmosphere Coupling in the Antarctic Circumpolar Wave. A laboratory model of the southern hemisphere mid-latitude ocean-atmosphere system will be used to investigate the dynamics of ocean-atmosphere coupling contributing to the Antarctic Circumpolar Wave (ACW). The ACW is a recently discovered multi-year climate oscillation which has considerable effect on Australian and New Zealand precipitation. This will be the first laboratory model to include global scale ocean-a ....A Laboratory Study of Ocean-Atmosphere Coupling in the Antarctic Circumpolar Wave. A laboratory model of the southern hemisphere mid-latitude ocean-atmosphere system will be used to investigate the dynamics of ocean-atmosphere coupling contributing to the Antarctic Circumpolar Wave (ACW). The ACW is a recently discovered multi-year climate oscillation which has considerable effect on Australian and New Zealand precipitation. This will be the first laboratory model to include global scale ocean-atmosphere processes, and will be used to test proposed mechanisms for the driving of the climate oscillation that is attributed to the ACW. The project will provide knowledge required for improved computational modelling and climate predictions.
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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