PROJECT 2.3
Towards an ACCESS decadal prediction system
The marine, agriculture, energy and water sectors have consistently requested climate information at multi-year to decadal timescales. With new developments in innovative, multi-year-focused ocean data assimilation and prediction methods, we now have the capability to address these needs.
In this project, we’re developing the forecasting capability to fill the critical gap between seasonal climate predictions and multi-decadal climate projections, within ACCESS, Australia’s global climate model. This will enable the delivery of stakeholder-specific products to inform marine and agriculture policy and adaptive management strategies, for industry and the environment.
We’re also investigating and characterising the decadal-scale predictability of ocean temperature extremes around Australia. Ocean temperature extremes can have devastating consequences for marine life, fisheries, and aquaculture. Tracking and predicting changes in marine extremes are key to managing and reducing their impacts in these sectors. Fisheries and marine biodiversity managers will be able to use risk information from our predictability analysis to assist decision-making.
For more information
Dr Terry O’Kane, CSIRO
This project is contributing to meeting the following climate challenges:
Multi-year climate forecasts from this project will allow the water industry to take climate into account in meeting the year-to-year needs of water uses and in recognising and responding to potential challenges such as extended drought.
Agricultural, marine and land ecosystems vary in their stress and productivity in response to climate variations. A better understanding of climate variability and forecasts of these variations is critical to adapting to these changes and maintaining food security. Multi-year forecasts from this work will be applied in partnership with agricultural and fishery industries to reduce impacts from climate variability and better sustain the industry.
This project will provide a clearer understanding of the processes setting year-to-year variability in coastal currents and extremes, and provide forecasts so we can better prepare for changes in the likelihood of coastal impacts.
Climate extremes vary in their frequency and intensity from year to year in association with changes in the ocean and atmosphere. This project will forecast changes in the statistics of these events, allowing more comprehensive assessments of the risk of extreme events.
Publications and papers
- Franzke CLE, O’Kane TJ (Eds), 2017. Nonlinear and Stochastic Climate Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, 468 pp.
- O’Kane TJ, Monselesan DP, Risbey JS. 2016. A multiscale re-examination of the Pacific South American pattern. Monthly Weather Review, 145, 379–402, doi:10.1175/MWR-D-16-0291.1
- O’Kane TJ, Monselesan DP, Risbey JS, Horenko I, Franzke CLE. 2017. On memory, dimension, and atmospheric teleconnections. Mathematics of Climate and Weather Forecasting, 3(1), 1–27, doi:10.1515/mcwf-2017-0001
- Oliver ECJ, Benthuysen JA, Bindoff NL, Hobday AJ, Holbrook NJ, Mundy CN, Perkins-Kirkpatrick SE. 2017. The unprecedented 2015/16 Tasman Sea marine heatwave. Nature Communications, doi:10.1038/ncomms16101