Climate Change In Australia

The Australia had had a love-hate relationship with the sea and the water held in the many rivers running through its landscape. The climate change in Australia is likely to affect the marine ecosystems, agriculture, water security, average rainfall and temperatures. According to the article Climate Change Impacts on Australia, ‘Crop production is likely to be affected directly by changes in average rainfall and temperatures, in the distribution of rainfall during the year, and in rainfall variability. The productivity of livestock industries will be influenced by the changes in the quantity and quality of available pasture, as well as by the effects of temperature increases on livestock.’ During the recent years, with the change in rainfall

Some major floods happened in Australia in last 60 years due to the rainfall and temperature. The Black February Flood happened in 1893, because the extreme weather conditions and heavy rain in the tropics of Cyclone Bundinyong. As Carbone (2012)recorded that ‘914mm of rain in a 24-hour period and another gauge recorded almost 889mm of rainfall in Brisbane's water catchments.’ From the data, we can conclude that the heavy rain tends to the ground is quickly saturated, thus lead to the flooding. The climate change has not only led to the disaster, but also lead to the temperature is rising. Average temperatures in Australia have risen by approximately 0.8°C since 1910. In the 1990s, it has become the warmest decades and the second warmest decades is in the

An increase in temperature and rainfall also lead to the change in sea temperature and sea levels. Jennifer (2006) notes that, ‘Sea surface temperatures in many tropical regions have increased by almost 1°C over the past 100 years (some tropical seas up to 2°C) and are currently increasing ~1–2°C per century. In the Great Barrier Reef, sea surface temperatures have increased 0.46°C per century in the north to 2.59°C per century in the waters off Townsville. Sea surface temperatures on the Great Barrier Reef in early 1998 were the warmest in the past 95 years of instrumental record and were associated with significant coral bleaching.’ The annual sea temperature is rising and it will result in many wild animals died in the Great Barrier Reef. The average sea level has risen by approximately 8 centimeters per decade. The scientist predicted that the average sea levels will be continuously increased by 20 centimeters in the 21th century if the situation of the environment does not change over the next few years. Additionally, as the emissions of greenhouse gases into the air, the ocean absorbs the toxic gases, thus making the ocean more