Climate forecasting is set to change forever thanks to new ground-breaking research from ANSTO’s* Director of Environment, Professor Ann Henderson-Sellers and Dr Kendal McGuffie, University of Technology Sydney, revealed exclusively today in The Bulletin magazine.
Professor Henderson-Sellers recently returned to ANSTO after six months overseas conducting research into two rare water isotopes which are said to be the ‘key’ to accurately tracking the evaporation and precipitation cycles of the world’s major river basins.
According to Professor Henderson-Sellers the research will fill in the holes in traditional climate forecasting methods. These use atmospheric and oceanic models based on total water movements.
"We believe this research is the missing link in climate change prediction so we are terribly excited. It will eventually enable meteorologists to more accurately predict global and regional climate change," she said.
"Currently regional climate change predictions are uncertain as details in computer models lead to many varied outcomes. Action to reduce the impact of climate change is delayed because of this uncertainty," said Professor Henderson-Sellers.
The two water isotopes are found in all types of water but only occur once in 500 molecules and once in 6500 and both are heavier than common water isotopes. It is the weight that is the key as these isotopes behave very differently to the others so following their paths can reveal exactly how water moves through its various cycles.
The Bulletin article, written by Anthony Hoy, points out that nuclear scientists have been monitoring isotopes since the 1960s so it has been a long process of discovery.
The research was recently presented and well received at the 10,000 strong American Geophysical Union conference in San Francisco and has been published in scientific journals including the Journal of Climate and Geophysical Research Letters.
Published: 18/02/2004