Climate Variability & Change

The Earth’s climate is influenced by interactions involving the Sun, atmosphere, ocean, clouds, ice, land and life.

Scientific observations indicate that the Earth’s climate has changed in the past and will continue to change in the future. Importantly, changes in climate conditions on timescales of years to decades can have significant effects on natural ecosystems, agricultural productivity, water availability and human health.

Scientists in our research group use a variety of research tools, including climate model simulations and observations, to better understand climate variability and change across Australia and the globe.

Active research projects include:

greenhouse climate change;
stratospheric ozone depletion;
reconstructing past climates;
detection and attribution of climate change;
impacts of climate change on weather extremes;
remote sensing and data assimilation; and
future carbon emission scenarios.

Recent publications include an examination of southeast Australian climate variability from 1860 to 2009, and an assessment of the anthropogenic contributions to Australia's record summer temperatures of 2013.