Climate Change - Research
Ocean waves and rain clouds
Understanding the changes occurring in the oceans surrounding Australia and the impact they are having on continental rainfall patterns is a key element of research at the UNSW Centre for Climate Change the UNSW Centre for Climate Change. A particular aspect of the Climate Centre’s studies is to develop an understanding of the drought cycles that regularly sweep across Australia. While El Nino has a role to play, UNSW climate change scientists are finding other important processes are also at work.
Professor Matthew England, Co-Director of the Centre, points to sea temperature warming as a contributing factor. When greenhouse gases rise, the atmosphere and oceans heat up. The more the oceans warm, the more effects we can see on climate and rainfall patterns. Incorporating sea temperature variations into climate forecasting is already paying economic dividends. In southwest Western Australia, farmers are benefiting from UNSW research linking rainfall cycles to Indian Ocean temperatures, which is resulting in improved cropping outcomes to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.
Other UNSW research is investigating how much carbon the oceans can absorb. Of all the carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere, about one-third is absorbed by the terrestrial biosphere. The ocean also takes up about one-third. This means our seas play a really important role absorbing carbon and also heat. Professor England and his team are looking at how much capacity the oceans have to absorb more carbon dioxide and to what extent the world can rely on their buffering effect in the future.
Professor Matthew England, Co-Director of the Centre, points to sea temperature warming as a contributing factor. When greenhouse gases rise, the atmosphere and oceans heat up. The more the oceans warm, the more effects we can see on climate and rainfall patterns. Incorporating sea temperature variations into climate forecasting is already paying economic dividends. In southwest Western Australia, farmers are benefiting from UNSW research linking rainfall cycles to Indian Ocean temperatures, which is resulting in improved cropping outcomes to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.
Other UNSW research is investigating how much carbon the oceans can absorb. Of all the carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere, about one-third is absorbed by the terrestrial biosphere. The ocean also takes up about one-third. This means our seas play a really important role absorbing carbon and also heat. Professor England and his team are looking at how much capacity the oceans have to absorb more carbon dioxide and to what extent the world can rely on their buffering effect in the future.
How climate change is
affecting our rainfall.
affecting our rainfall.
Getting the measure of climate change extremes
Almost all the research conducted on climate change to date has focused on the mean response of climate to increased levels of greenhouse gases. Professor Andrew Pitman, co-Director of the UNSW Centre for Climate Change, is investigating how scientists can reduce the uncertainty that presently exists in climate projections by teasing out and accounting for the extreme effects of global warming.
His research shows Australia’s plants are reacting to increased levels of carbon dioxide by reducing their ability to emit waste matter (transpiration). That’s making them hotter and while this only makes a relatively small “global” difference in temperature it can have large local impacts and affect the survivability of whole plant ecosystems.
By focusing on extreme patterns of temperature and rainfall occurring over the continent UNSW researchers are able to improve the reliability of climate projections. As the processes are added to modelling, they’ve found the overall effects of climate change are of great concern.
His research shows Australia’s plants are reacting to increased levels of carbon dioxide by reducing their ability to emit waste matter (transpiration). That’s making them hotter and while this only makes a relatively small “global” difference in temperature it can have large local impacts and affect the survivability of whole plant ecosystems.
By focusing on extreme patterns of temperature and rainfall occurring over the continent UNSW researchers are able to improve the reliability of climate projections. As the processes are added to modelling, they’ve found the overall effects of climate change are of great concern.
