Chapter 3 Climate Applications and Services

Environmental Management

Climate is one of the key drivers for ecosystems, and ecosystems have important feedbacks on climate.

A team of scientists from Geoscience Australia is investigating the health of coastal lakes. The scientists will be carrying out surveys in the Great Lakes district in NSW, to determine their environmental status and how susceptible they may be to algal blooms and changing water quality. This is especially important in times of drought, as these conditions can make coastal lakes more susceptible to poor water quality. In drought conditions, reduced water flow can lead to low oxygen levels and high levels of nutrients in the lakes.

The West Australian Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources and Bureau of Meteorology’s Western Australian Regional Office assisted an environmental consultant to determine meteorological parameters that represent worst case conditions for low level sound propagation. The study of coincident surface winds under low-level temperature inversions at Perth and Kalgoorlie-Boulder Airports also provided data to test the accuracy of current meteorological standard parameters used in modelling low level noise propagation from mining and other industries.