Australian climate extremes and predictability in a changing CO2 world: the unique role of the Southern Hemisphere extratropical ocean-atmosphere

澳大利亚的气候极端，严酷的干旱、严重的森林火灾季节、气候变化、土壤流失和盐碱化，都可能在未来50年带来巨大的社会经济挑战。因此，对气候变异性、极端和可预测性的研究对澳大利亚非常重要，并将支持保护我们的生物多样性和确保国家环境可持续性的努力。我们建议在温带气候分析方面发起一项重大的新倡议。这项工作将为依赖季节间-年际气候预测的许多社会部门带来重大好处。突出的例子包括农业、能源、淡水供应、森林火灾控制、空气质量、健康和旅游业。

Australia's climate is extreme, with harsh droughts, severe bushfire seasons, climate change, soil loss, and salinity all posing potentially enormous socio-economic challenges over the next fifty years. Research into climate variability, extremes, and predictability is thus highly significant for Australia, and will underpin efforts to protect our biodiversity and ensure the nation's environmental sustainability. We propose to launch a major new initiative in extratropical climate analysis. This work will have significant benefits for the many sectors of society reliant on interseasonal-interannual climate prediction. Prominent examples include agriculture, energy, freshwater supply, bushfire control, air quality, health, and tourism.