Tropical convection and its contribution to climate variability. This research will provide the necessary data to test and improve the representation of tropical convective clouds in weather forecast and climate simulation models. This will lead to more robust estimates of future climate change, and improved prediction of precipitation in the Australian tropics. This project will also provide training to undergraduate and postgraduate students in using modern computer models; such models will be ....Tropical convection and its contribution to climate variability. This research will provide the necessary data to test and improve the representation of tropical convective clouds in weather forecast and climate simulation models. This will lead to more robust estimates of future climate change, and improved prediction of precipitation in the Australian tropics. This project will also provide training to undergraduate and postgraduate students in using modern computer models; such models will be a key component of weather forecasting in the future.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
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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Wave-Induced Upper-Ocean Mixing. The wave-induced mixing is of principal importance for air-sea interaction models since heat capacity of 2-3m of the ocean water is equal to the capacity of the entire atmosphere. This project will study and implement such mixing, including the newly described physical phenomenon of wave-induced turbulence, into a variety of models. As a result, wave models and global climate models will be coupled. It is believed that such coupling will enhance our ability to pr ....Wave-Induced Upper-Ocean Mixing. The wave-induced mixing is of principal importance for air-sea interaction models since heat capacity of 2-3m of the ocean water is equal to the capacity of the entire atmosphere. This project will study and implement such mixing, including the newly described physical phenomenon of wave-induced turbulence, into a variety of models. As a result, wave models and global climate models will be coupled. It is believed that such coupling will enhance our ability to predict the impact of global climate change. As part of the project, predictions of changes to the global wave climate will be developed. Such predictions are important to a nation such as Australia where significant population and economic assets are located close to the coast.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
Hydrodynamics and Mixing around Coral Reefs. The Great Barrier Reef is one of Australia's great natural resources, an international environmental icon and a major contributor to the tourist industry in Queensland. The issues we will address are aligned with GBRMPA strategic priorities concerning effects on the ecology of climate change. This research will help delineate the physical processes responsible for the most serious potential impacts, which are of importance to management strategies to ....Hydrodynamics and Mixing around Coral Reefs. The Great Barrier Reef is one of Australia's great natural resources, an international environmental icon and a major contributor to the tourist industry in Queensland. The issues we will address are aligned with GBRMPA strategic priorities concerning effects on the ecology of climate change. This research will help delineate the physical processes responsible for the most serious potential impacts, which are of importance to management strategies to be determined by GBRMPA. Other policy related issues range from sewage dispersal from coastal communities to marine accidents and fuel spills. Informed management strategies are crucial to successful future reef management. Read moreRead less
Sensitivity and Change in the Global Ocean Overturning. The dynamics of the global, deep overturning circulation in the oceans and the way this adjusts to increasing greenhouse forcing will be examined in order to improve our conceptual knowledge of the oceans and the accuracy of climate models. By understanding how the ocean responds to changing surface heat and freshwater fluxes, and particularly the global role of rapid changes in high-latitude seas, we aim to help refine estimates of climate ....Sensitivity and Change in the Global Ocean Overturning. The dynamics of the global, deep overturning circulation in the oceans and the way this adjusts to increasing greenhouse forcing will be examined in order to improve our conceptual knowledge of the oceans and the accuracy of climate models. By understanding how the ocean responds to changing surface heat and freshwater fluxes, and particularly the global role of rapid changes in high-latitude seas, we aim to help refine estimates of climate response times and the warming expected for a given increase in atmospheric greenhouse gases. These two important characteristics of the climate system underlie climate change policy decisions.Read moreRead less
From The Ocean Depths To Abrupt Climate Change - Missing Processes In The Global Overturning Circulation. The overturning circulation of the oceans is a driver of large and surprisingly abrupt climate shifts. We aim to understand the factors that control the rate of overturning, and whether it might soon slow down or cease owing to global warming. We also aim to resolve one of the biggest conundrums in oceanography by reconciling theoretical and measured rates of mixing in the deep ocean. Improv ....From The Ocean Depths To Abrupt Climate Change - Missing Processes In The Global Overturning Circulation. The overturning circulation of the oceans is a driver of large and surprisingly abrupt climate shifts. We aim to understand the factors that control the rate of overturning, and whether it might soon slow down or cease owing to global warming. We also aim to resolve one of the biggest conundrums in oceanography by reconciling theoretical and measured rates of mixing in the deep ocean. Improved knowledge of deep ocean dynamics, particularly in the Southern Ocean, will help us gauge the likely nature and pace of imminent climate changes in the Australian region, an essential step in assessing the impacts on water resources, ecosystems, agriculture, and energy demands. The research will add to a major new initiative in marine science at ANU.Read moreRead less
Mixing and dissipation in the ocean: Processes for the next generation of climate models. The circulation of the oceans is a crucial factor in governing the variability and long-term change in the earth's climate. A major weakness in current ocean and climate models is a lack of knowledge of energy flow within the ocean. This project will examine the nature and role of eddy interactions with the ocean boundaries, which is a critical question for future development of more accurate high-resolutio ....Mixing and dissipation in the ocean: Processes for the next generation of climate models. The circulation of the oceans is a crucial factor in governing the variability and long-term change in the earth's climate. A major weakness in current ocean and climate models is a lack of knowledge of energy flow within the ocean. This project will examine the nature and role of eddy interactions with the ocean boundaries, which is a critical question for future development of more accurate high-resolution ocean models and improved climate predictions.Read moreRead less
A Dynamical Systems Approach to Mapping Southern Ocean Circulation Pathways. Climate change can be expected to have complex, long-term consequences for Australia's biodiversity, for our agricultural and marine production systems, and for regional communities. The Southern Ocean is a critical driver of global climate, connecting the three major oceanic basins. Using sophisticated mathematics to analyse state-of-the-art global ocean models, this project will create a detailed picture of hitherto i ....A Dynamical Systems Approach to Mapping Southern Ocean Circulation Pathways. Climate change can be expected to have complex, long-term consequences for Australia's biodiversity, for our agricultural and marine production systems, and for regional communities. The Southern Ocean is a critical driver of global climate, connecting the three major oceanic basins. Using sophisticated mathematics to analyse state-of-the-art global ocean models, this project will create a detailed picture of hitherto invisible Southern Ocean circulation 'pathways'. The newly discovered pathways will greatly enhance our understanding of the Southern Ocean circulation, lead to improved coupled climate models, and increase our ability to predict future climate change and threats to marine populations. Read moreRead less