2016  The oceans absorb CO2 and heat, and thus limit the rate and immediate extent of changes in climate. In recent decades, the oceans have taken up around 25 per cent of the annual anthropogenic (human) CO2 emissions. However, the capacity of the oceans to absorb CO2 is limited, because...

2016 Climate Resilience The ability of the climate system to recover from changes to the composition of the atmosphere (particularly increasing CO2 concentrations) is complicated by the fact that the removal of CO2...

At a glanceGreenhouse gases (GHGs)—carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, short-lived tropospheric and stratospheric ozone, nitrous oxide and synthetic GHGs—together with water vapour, and natural and industrial aerosols, influence Earth’s energy balance. Human activity, primarily the burning of...

2016 Ambient air quality Risks Motor vehicles are a significant source of anthropogenic CO2 emissions in Australia, comprising some 90 per cent of transport CO2 emissions, which made up 17 per cent of Australia’s net...

Greenhouse gas emissions by gas and sector, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change accounting, 2014–15 Greenhouse gas emissions by gas and sector, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change accounting, 2014–15 Carbon...

At a glanceCurrently, the Antarctic environment is still in a comparatively good condition. However, the pressures on the continent and the surrounding ocean will increase. For example, the extraction of marine resources is not only going to continue but will intensify in the future. Most...

At a glanceAlthough organisms living in Antarctica have evolved to cope with severe events, it is challenging to measure their level of resilience and to predict how future climate change will affect Antarctic ecosystems. This is largely because our understanding of key parameters is still...

2016 Land Introduction Soils form at the interface between land, the hydrosphere and the atmosphere. Their formation and placement are the result of complex interactions between differential weathering of primary...

At a glanceThe outlook for Australia’s climate depends on the effectiveness of international and national efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Without mitigation, surface temperature increases of 3.7–4.8 °C above 1850–1900 temperatures are projected. To remain below 2 °C warming above...

d Monthly median aerosol optical depth at 868 nanometres at Cape Grim, 1996–2015 Monthly median aerosol optical depth at 868 nanometres at Cape Grim, 1996–2015 MonthlymedianAerosolOpticalDepth(AOD) 01/19860.076446957 02/19860.06693375 03/19860.053308571...

2016 Pressures Climate change is an increasingly important and pervasive pressure on all aspects of the Australian environment. Although our climate and its high natural variability from year to year have always been a major influence on the state...