Major coastal flooding in southeastern Australia, associated deaths and weather systems

2014 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 183-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Callaghan ◽  
S Power
2016 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 1139-1149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott B. Power ◽  
Jeff Callaghan

AbstractThe variability in the number of severe floods that occurred in coastal catchments in southeastern Australia since the mid–nineteenth century, along with the variability in both the frequency of the weather types that triggered the floods and the associated death tolls, is analyzed. Previous research has shown that all of the severe floods identified were associated with one of two major weather types: east coast lows (ECLs) and tropical interactions (TIs). El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is shown to strongly modulate the frequency of severe coastal flooding, weather types, and the number of associated deaths. The analysis presented herein, which examines links over more than a century, provides one of very few known statistically significant links between ENSO and death tolls anywhere in the world. Over the period 1876/77–2013/14 the average numbers of coastal floods, ECLs, TIs, and deaths associated with freshwater drowning in La Niña years are 92%, 55%, 150%, and 220% higher than the corresponding averages in El Niño years. The average number of deaths per flood in La Niña years is 3.2, which is 66% higher than the average in El Niño years. Death tolls of 10 or more occurred in only 5% of El Niño years, but in 27% of La Niña years. The interdecadal Pacific oscillation also modulates the frequency of severe floods, weather types, and death tolls. The results of this study are consistent with earlier research over shorter periods and broader regions, using less-complete datasets.


2020 ◽  
Vol 642 ◽  
pp. 163-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y Niella ◽  
AF Smoothey ◽  
V Peddemors ◽  
R Harcourt

In the face of accelerating climate change, conservation strategies will need to consider how marine animals deal with forecast environmental change as well as ongoing threats. We used 10 yr (2009-2018) of data from commercial fisheries and a bather protection program along the coast of New South Wales (NSW), southeastern Australia, to investigate (1) spatial and temporal patterns of occurrence in bull sharks and (2) environmental factors affecting bull shark occurrence along the coast of NSW. Predicted future distribution for this species was modelled for the forecast strengthening East Australian Current. Bull sharks were mostly harvested in small to larger estuaries, with average depth and rainfall responsible for contrasting patterns for each of the fisheries. There was an increase in the occurrence of bull sharks over the last decade, particularly among coastal setline fisheries, associated with seasonal availability of thermal gradients >22°C and both westward and southward coastal currents stronger than 0.15 and 0.60 m s-1, respectively, during the austral summer. Our model predicts a 3 mo increase in the availability of favourable water temperatures along the entire coast of NSW for bull sharks by 2030. This coastline provides a uniquely favourable topography for range expansion in the face of a southerly shift of warmer waters, and habitat is unlikely to be a limiting factor for bull sharks in the future. Such a southerly shift in distribution has implications for the management of bull sharks both in commercial fisheries and for mitigation of shark-human interactions.


Geology ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 28 (9) ◽  
pp. 787-790 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arjun M. Heimsath ◽  
John Chappell ◽  
William E. Dietrich ◽  
Kunihiko Nishiizumi ◽  
Robert C. Finkel

Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 372 (6543) ◽  
pp. 745-749 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim J. Peterson ◽  
M. Saft ◽  
M. C. Peel ◽  
A. John

The Millennium Drought (southeastern Australia) provided a natural experiment to challenge the assumption that watershed streamflow always recovers from drought. Seven years after the drought, the runoff (as a fraction of precipitation) had not recovered in 37% of watersheds, and the number of recovered watersheds was not increasing. When recovery did occur, it was not explained by watershed wetness. For those watersheds not recovered, ~80% showed no evidence of recovering soon, suggesting persistence within a low-runoff state. The post-drought precipitation not going to runoff was found to be likely going to increased evapotranspiration per unit of precipitation. These findings show that watersheds can have a finite resilience to disturbances and suggest that hydrological droughts can persist indefinitely after meteorological droughts.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 566
Author(s):  
Nelly Florida Riama ◽  
Riri Fitri Sari ◽  
Henita Rahmayanti ◽  
Widada Sulistya ◽  
Mohamad Husein Nurrahmat

Coastal flooding is a natural disaster that often occurs in coastal areas. Jakarta is an example of a location that is highly vulnerable to coastal flooding. Coastal flooding can result in economic and human life losses. Thus, there is a need for a coastal flooding early warning system in vulnerable locations to reduce the threat to the community and strengthen its resilience to coastal flooding disasters. This study aimed to measure the level of public acceptance toward the development of a coastal flooding early warning system of people who live in a coastal region in Jakarta. This knowledge is essential to ensure that the early warning system can be implemented successfully. A survey was conducted by distributing questionnaires to people in the coastal areas of Jakarta. The questionnaire results were analyzed using cross-tabulation and path analysis based on the variables of knowledge, perceptions, and community attitudes towards the development of a coastal flooding early warning system. The survey result shows that the level of public acceptance is excellent, as proven by the average score of the respondents’ attitude by 4.15 in agreeing with the establishment of an early warning system to manage coastal flooding. Thus, path analysis shows that knowledge and perception have a weak relationship with community attitudes when responding to the coastal flooding early warning model. The results show that only 23% of the community’s responses toward the coastal flooding early warning model can be explained by the community’s knowledge and perceptions. This research is expected to be useful in implementing a coastal flooding early warning system by considering the level of public acceptance.


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