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“I felt I would have a larger impact as a climate researcher”: Aditya Sengupta’s transition from physics to climate science

June 3, 2024 3:00 pm Published by Comments Off on “I felt I would have a larger impact as a climate researcher”: Aditya Sengupta’s transition from physics to climate science

Aditya Sengupta is a PhD researcher at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes studying the impacts of climate change on El Niño. After studying physics in India, and driven by the desire to make a change, Aditya decided to shift to climate science.

Tonga’s volcanic eruption could cause unusual weather for the rest of the decade, new study shows

May 31, 2024 6:23 pm Published by Comments Off on Tonga’s volcanic eruption could cause unusual weather for the rest of the decade, new study shows

The 2022 Hunga Tonga volcanic eruption produced the equivalent of 60,000 Olympic swimming pools of water vapor, which ended up in the stratosphere. Researchers have studied its impact on climate and suggest that it could lead to unusual winter weather for years to come.

Floating robots reveal just how much airborne dust fertilises the Southern Ocean – a key climate ‘shock absorber’

May 16, 2024 1:21 pm Published by Comments Off on Floating robots reveal just how much airborne dust fertilises the Southern Ocean – a key climate ‘shock absorber’

Researchers have found that windblown dust delivers enough iron to support a third of the Southern Ocean’s phytoplankton growth. This finding sheds light on the vital role that dust-fuelled productivity plays in the ocean's capacity to absorb and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Why did rainfall increase in the third year of the recent triple-dip La Niña?

May 9, 2024 3:09 pm Published by Comments Off on Why did rainfall increase in the third year of the recent triple-dip La Niña?

It seems counterintuitive that rainfall increases in the later years of a multi-year La Niña event. Yet, this is what occurred during the recent triple-dip La Niña. Even more interestingly, this increase happened despite no strengthening of La Niña in the tropical Pacific. So, what's the reason behind it?

The heat is on: what we know about why ocean temperatures keep smashing records

April 16, 2024 5:44 pm Published by Comments Off on The heat is on: what we know about why ocean temperatures keep smashing records

To us, a warmer ocean might feel pleasant. But the extra heat manifests underwater as an unprecedented series of major marine heatwaves, which can lead to mass death or mass migration for marine mammals, seabirds, fish and invertebrates and cause widespread coral bleaching.

Why is Australia’s east coast copping all this rain right now? An atmospheric scientist explains

April 5, 2024 5:02 pm Published by Comments Off on Why is Australia’s east coast copping all this rain right now? An atmospheric scientist explains

Parts of Sydney were drenched in more than 100mm of rain overnight and the main dam that supplies the city’s drinking water is expected to spill in coming days. At least one man has died in Queensland floodwaters after torrential rain. This wild weather is caused by the "Black Nor'easter".

A 20-year ‘mega-drought’ in Australia? Research suggests it’s happened before – and we should expect it again

April 3, 2024 10:15 am Published by Comments Off on A 20-year ‘mega-drought’ in Australia? Research suggests it’s happened before – and we should expect it again

Natural variability in Australian rainfall can produce “mega-droughts” lasting 20 years or more. If we add in human-caused climate change, it suggests future droughts will be far worse than we imagined.