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
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
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.
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
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
Nonhydrostatic waves and instabilities in rotating fluids. This project addresses a fundamental gap in our understanding of the ocean circulation. The benefits of the program will be to improve the way we model and predict the ocean circulation and the response of the ocean to climate change. The project will thereby assist National Research Priorities on global change and link with a major new ANU Marine Science Strategic Initiative.
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
Winter temperature and salinity profile measurements in the Southern Ocean using elephant seals as ocean sampling platforms. As a result of the paucity of winter data in the Southern Ocean, sophisticated ocean models such as the GFDL MOM are hampered in their ability to properly represent the complex processes in the Antarctic sea ice zone. Elephant seals forage in the Southern Ocean throughout winter, and traverse the water column between 0 and 800 metres many times each day, providing an oppo ....Winter temperature and salinity profile measurements in the Southern Ocean using elephant seals as ocean sampling platforms. As a result of the paucity of winter data in the Southern Ocean, sophisticated ocean models such as the GFDL MOM are hampered in their ability to properly represent the complex processes in the Antarctic sea ice zone. Elephant seals forage in the Southern Ocean throughout winter, and traverse the water column between 0 and 800 metres many times each day, providing an opportunity to collect profiles of temperature and salinity. The resulting data will contribute to oceanographic studies of water mass formation and frontal variability, including comparisons with historical data and assimilation into a complex ocean model.Read moreRead less
An Investigation into Oceanic CO2 Variability and its Influence on Atmospheric CO2 Concentrations. Carbon dioxide is a powerful greenhouse gas whose observed atmospheric increase is the central cause
of climate change. The associated environmental, social and economic impacts to Australia could be
staggering via coral reef degradation, loss of agricultural production, coastal erosion and extreme climate
events. This work aims to better our understanding of how the oceans may mediate the effec ....An Investigation into Oceanic CO2 Variability and its Influence on Atmospheric CO2 Concentrations. Carbon dioxide is a powerful greenhouse gas whose observed atmospheric increase is the central cause
of climate change. The associated environmental, social and economic impacts to Australia could be
staggering via coral reef degradation, loss of agricultural production, coastal erosion and extreme climate
events. This work aims to better our understanding of how the oceans may mediate the effects of climate
change for Australia and therefore has a strong national benefit. Quantifying the importance Australia's
oceanic CO2 sink will be important for Australian policy makers within international climate negotiations
and also for better management practices to ensure the future prosperity of Australia's coral reef
ecosystem.Read moreRead less