The composition of the atmosphere and ocean can change quickly (like the weather) or slowly (like the climate).
Fast fluctuations include pollution episodes, volcano eruptions and dust-storms. Slow changes include the build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere or the generation and recovery of the ozone hole. Researchers in Atmospheric Composition study such changes and their links to physical changes.
Atmospheric Composition researchers also participate in the development of new technology for monitoring the atmosphere.
Examples of current research questions include:
- Is the Australian biosphere a net source or sink of CO2?
- How much mercury is transported to and deposited in Antarctica?
- How will climate change affect the recovery of the ozone hole?
- Can we monitor the Kyoto protocol by satellite?
AIRBOX mobile air chemistry laboratory
AIRBOX is a custom-built laboratory in a shipping container, which can carry out comprehensive atmospheric monitoring and take campaign measurements in hard-to-access places.
Ozone hole animation
This animation, using six-hourly output from the Australian Community Climate and Earth-System Simulator Chemistry Climate Model (ACCESS-CCM), shows the evolution of ozone and polar stratospheric clouds and the formation of the Antarctic ozone hole over the course of a typical year in the 2000s. Please click here to learn how the ozone hole forms and how the Montreal Protocol is succeeding in protecting the ozone layer.
More information
Our researchers
- Professor David Karoly
dkaroly@unimelb.edu.au
+61 3 8344 4698 - Professor Peter Rayner
prayner@unimelb.edu.au
+61 3 8344 9708 - Dr Robyn Schofield
robyn.schofield@unimelb.edu.au
+61 3 8344 1661 - Dr Jeremy Silver
jeremy.silver@unimelb.edu.au
+61 3 8344 1660 - Dr Steven Utembe
steven.utembe@unimelb.edu.au
+61 3 9035 7782