Climate impact on hypersalinity in an Australian coastal bay
Edited book (chapter)
Chapter Title | Climate impact on hypersalinity in an Australian coastal bay |
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Book Chapter Category | Edited book (chapter) |
ERA Publisher ID | 3395 |
Book Title | Climate alert: climate change monitoring and strategy |
Authors | |
Author | Ribbe, Joachim |
Editors | You, Yuzhu and Henderson-Sellers, Ann |
Page Range | 213-237 |
Chapter Number | 7 |
Number of Pages | 24 |
Year | 2010 |
Publisher | Sydney University Press |
Place of Publication | Sydney, Australia |
ISBN | 9781920899363 |
Abstract | Recent work on episodes of hypersalinity in a subtropical east Australian coastal bay is reviewed. Hypersalinity is a response of coastal bays and estuaries to the local freshwater balance which fluctuates due to variable rainfall, river run-off, and evaporation. Longer lasting episodes of hypersaline conditions are a likely consequence of a drying and warming climate. The response of the coastal ocean to changes in the hydrological cycle has been observed in several Australian coastal systems, including the response to persistent drought conditions resulting in increased salinity and more frequent hypersaline conditions. In addition to observing hypersaline conditions in Hervey Bay off the central Queensland coast, first modelling experiments indicate that the frequency of hypersaline conditions has increased during the last twenty years. Coastal regions are important nurseries for Australian fisheries and the likely impact of persistent below average rainfall upon marine environmental conditions is yet to be assessed. This work indicates that routine monitoring of coastal salinity is essential in order to evaluate future impacts of climate change. |
Keywords | climate change; climate impact; coastal ocean; rainfall; hypersalinity; drought; Queensland; Australia; Hervey Bay |
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 370201. Climate change processes |
370202. Climatology | |
370803. Physical oceanography | |
Public Notes | File reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher/author. |
Byline Affiliations | Department of Biological and Physical Sciences |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/9z148/climate-impact-on-hypersalinity-in-an-australian-coastal-bay
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