A major component of the research in the Drought program over the past four months has focused on the interface between real-world data and climate models. The aim of much of this research has been to improve how land surface models represent some of the key processes that influence the length, and severity of drought.
Despite what has been a very challenging year, the Extreme Rainfall research program continues to produce high-quality research, develop deep and wide datasets, extend the reach of our citizen science, and has seen our researchers continue to achieve at a national and international level.
CLEX researchers and colleagues investigated how El Niños may change in the future using paleoclimate data in combination with CMIP5 and CMIP6 model runs.
Using a novel methodology applied to CMIP5 projections CLEX researchers found that the local temperatures experienced by 90% of people would be substantially higher in a transient (still warming) climate than an equilibrium climate where the temperatures have plateaued, for the same global temperature.
The drought program explains what is unusual about the current drought in Australia and in examining flaws in the Aridity Index explores how drought may change in the future.
Melbourne’s existing water supplies may face pressure if global warming hits the 2℃ level. The effects of drying and warming in southern Australia are expected to reduce natural water supplies. If we overshoot 2℃ of warming, even the desalination plant might not provide enough drinking water to a growing population.
The CLEX node at University of Melbourne is offering several PhD scholarships on a competitive basis. Details of how to apply can be found on this page along with some example projects offered by our researchers.
Dr Mandy Freund and CLEX colleagues have produced a world first 400-year long record of El Niño activity. It's a record that was previously considered impossible to extract from coral cores.
The past four months since out last newsletter has been tightly packed with the official launch of CLEX, the legacy event for ARCCSS and an acceleration in important research across all of our programs.
The Extreme Rainfall Research Program has put personnel in place and is working on research into how extreme rainfall is represented in models.