The science behind climate extremes is fascinating and diverse.
Our experts love to share their work with the media, websites like The Conversation and here at climateextremes.org.au – here’s some of their latest articles.
Note: sometimes we also share work and articles from researchers and organisations not directly affiliated or funded by our Centre. We love to share interesting work done by others in our field. If you’d like to share or adapt our work, please get in touch – email clex@unsw.edu.au
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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.
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Bizarre trends in Southern Ocean precipitation lead to new discovery
New research suggests that increasing precipitation trends in the Southern Ocean might not be real and could be due to errors in the data caused by changes in satellite instruments over the region.
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Never two without three: how three successive heatwaves impacted Western Australia in February 2024
Jarrad Rowe, a heatwave expert at the Centre, explains how hot air from the central Australian desert contributed to scorching temperatures in Western Australia.
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What we know about last year’s top 10 wild Australian climatic events – from fire and flood combos to cyclone-driven extreme rain
In 2023, Australia was hit by a broad range of particularly intense events, with economy-wide impacts. Here’s a summary of 10 major extreme events from last year, ranging from early fires to low snowpack to compound events.
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Dangerous climate tipping points will affect Australia. The risks are real and cannot be ignored
Climate scientists have known for a while that there are “tipping elements” in the climate system. These elements can undergo an abrupt change in state, which becomes self-perpetuating and irreversible for a very long time.
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Ocean warming: new study shows how ocean fronts have changed in oceanic hotspots and how this could impact global fisheries in the future
Ocean fronts affect phytoplankton and marine food webs, including commercially important fisheries. As the ocean warms, any change in fronts could have considerable socio-economic impacts.