At this early stage in the research program, we have already seen significant progress on understanding how well temperature extremes can be simulated with CABLE coupled to the ACCESS system. Coupling has been improved and we have identified possible causes for the tendency for the model temperature to overstate extremes. This model focus will continue to be a priority in the early part of 2018.

The team has also identified specific continental heatwaves for initial investigation. At the same time, investigations have commenced on what caused the intensification of the East Australia Current and its contribution to the 2015/16 Tasman Sea marine heatwave.

Individually, there have been some noteworthy outcomes for our researchers. Partner Investigator from ETH Zurich Sonia Seneviratne has been named as the Co-ordinating Lead Author of Chapter 11, for the next Working Group 1 IPCC report, AR6. Associate Investigator Sophie Lewis has also been named as a lead author in the same chapter.

Co-lead investigator with the research program, Jason Evans along with chief investigator Julie Arblaster were co-winners of the AMOS Priestley Medal that honours the work of mid career researchers.

We are now at a stage where positions have been filled and research can commence in earnest.

 

Papers

  • Jason P Evans, Merlinde Kay, Abhnil Prasad & Andy Pitman (2018). The resilience of Australian wind energy to climate change. Environmental Research Letters. Vol 13, No. 2.
  • Oliver, E.C.J., Donat, M.G., Burrows, M.T., Moore, P.J., Smale, D.A., Alexander, L.V., Benthuysen, J.A., Feng, M., Sen Gupta, A., Hobday, A.J., Holbrook, N.J.,Perkins-Kirkpatrick, S.E., Scannell, H.A., Straub, S.C, and Wernberg, T., 2017. Longer and more frequent marine heatwaves over the past century. Nature Communications (accepted).
  • Oliver ECJ, V Lago, AJ Hobday, NJ Holbrook, SD Ling and CN Mundy, 2018: Marine heatwaves off eastern Tasmania: Trends, interannual variability, and predictability. Progress in Oceanography, 161, 116-130, doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2018.02.007.
  • Harris, R.M.B, Beaumont, L.J., Vance, T., Tozer,C., Perkins-Kirkpatrick, S.E., Mitchell, P.J., Andrew, N.R., Nicotra, A.B., Fletcher, M.-S., Keatley, M.R., Chambers, L.E., Wernberg, T., McGregor, S., Woodward, C.A., Hutley, L.B., Williamson, G., Duke, N.C. and Bowman D.M.J.S, 2017: The certainty of unpredictability: Climate change, extreme events and biodiversity impacts. Nature Climate Change, ​accepted 12/3/2018.