Climate Science & Impacts
Scientists have identified a wide range of processes that have changed our climate in the past; plate tectonics, solar variation, orbital variations, volcanism, and ocean variability. But now, overwhelmingly, it is human activity in the form of increasing greenhouse gases (mainly carbon dioxide) that are changing our global climate. Human activities which produce greenhouse gases are combustion (from burning fossil fuels in our homes, workplaces and transport) and land clearance.
The impacts of climate change are global and affect human activity, as well as the viability of other species. These impacts include: extreme weather events, such as more frequent bushfires; water scarcity, and therefore food scarcity in some regions; glacier retreat, resulting in sea level rise; ocean acidification; and, the expansion of tropical diseases.
Because of time-lags in the response of the climate system, the changes currently being observed do not fully represent the level of impact that we will have to face. In addition, there are a variety of climate change feedbacks that can amplify the initial forcing. For example, the warming of permafrost peat bogs in areas such as Siberia will release methane, a potent greenhouse gas. As the climate warms, these frozen peat bogs could form such a feedback: as more greenhouse gases are emitted into the atmosphere, so the climate warms and the thawing of peat bogs will increase; in turn, this leads to more methane being released into the atmosphere by the peat bogs, making the climate warmer still.
Related Publications
See publications related to this topic.
Grants and Projects
2007-2009
ARC Discovery: DP0773700
Improving climate models through new insights on long-term inter-hemispheric climate synchronicity from speleothems
Chief Investigator: Dr John Hellstrom
Dr Russell Drysdale, Dr Roland Maas, Dr Giovanni Zanchetta, Prof. Anthony E. Fallick, Prof. Gerrit Lohmann.
2007-2008
ARC Linkage: LP0562610
Derivation of long-term hydroclimatic sequences for water resources engineering, management and planning
Chief Investigator: Dr John Hellstrom, Earth Sciences
Assoc. Prof Stewart Franks; Dr Russell Drysdale Dr Roland Maas; Dr Ian Goodwin; Dr Edward Rhodes; Professor Wayne Erskine
Sydney Catchment Authority, University of Melbourne & University of Newcastle
2002-2004
ARC Discovery: DP0209968
Precise constraints on the timing and nature of late Quaternary glacial-interglacial climatic transitions in the Southwest Pacific region.
Chief Investigator: Dr John Hellstrom, Earth Sciences
2006-2008
ARC Discovery: DP0664621
Of caves, bones and climate change: new insights from old speleothems
Chief Investigator: Dr Jonathan Woodhead, Earth Sciences
Prof PW Williams; Dr F McDermott
2009-2011
ARC Discovery: DP0985214
Woodhead, Dr S. Frisia, Blyth.
Ancient weather stations of Australia: charting a continents descent into aridity and its ecological consequences
Dr Jonathan Woodhead, Earth Sciences
Dr Alison Blyth; Dr S. Frisia
Links and Multimedia
Prof. David Karoly, Profile
http://www.earthsci.unimelb.edu.au/php/view_profile.php?id=dkaroly
National Ecological Meta Database (joint project involving University of Melbourne)
http://www.bom.gov.au/nemd/
ClimateWatch (Australian Phenology Network)
http://www.climate-watch.org.au
Climate Change Chronology (C3) Lab
http://www.earthsci.unimelb.edu.au/isotope/research/C3.html
SmartGardenWatering Project
http://disweb.dis.unimelb.edu.au/staff/jonmp/projects/SGW/
http://smartgardenwatering.org.au/