earth science

Fewer rain storms across southern Australia

Published by CSIRO on 4 July 2011

Decreasing autumn and winter rainfall over southern Australia has been attributed to a 50-year decrease in the average intensity of storms in the region – a trend which is forecast to continue for another 50 years.”Our recent work on climate model projections suggests a continuation of these trends over the next 50 years.”

In an address today to the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics conference in Melbourne, CSIRO climate scientist, Dr Jorgen Frederiksen, said these changes are due to reductions in the strength of the mid-latitude jet stream and changes in atmospheric temperatures. The jet stream comprises fast moving westerly winds in the upper atmosphere. [continue reading…]

Earthquakes, tsunamis, floods – our planet in all its moods

From tomorrow, for nearly two weeks Australia is hosting a huge meeting of earth scientists – many of them flying directly from their work at recent hot spots.

They will be providing the most up-to-date information on the Japanese tsunami, the safety of nuclear installations, the Christchurch earthquake, Cyclone Yasi, the ash clouds and more. They will also be putting all of this in context and reveal the bigger picture about our planet in all its moods.

The conference is Earth on the Edge, the 25th General Assembly of the International Union of Geophysics and Geodesy (IUGG), and it has attracted almost 4,000 delegates from around 100 countries. [continue reading…]

How life survives in unlikely places, gender barriers and more – L’Oréal For Women In Science update

In this bulletin: Finding life in extreme physical environments: expatriate Australian Professor Jillian Banfield among the five Laureates announced for 2011 L’Oréal Australian Fellows win 2010 Eureka Prizes Recent US survey shows that gender is still a major barrier for women in science Applying for Australian Fellowships for 2011 The signature of life…international Laureates announced […]