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Historic Content you are reading content from a previous reporting year.

Showing 30 of 121 results

State and trends of soil erosion by water and wind

2016, 2011
Land
State and trends
Assessment summary

Land State and trends Soil: Formation and erosion Year...

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Figure LAN23 Estimated net soil loss due to wind erosion, 22–23 September 2009

2016
Land
State and trends
Map

Download as pngDownload dataset Source: Dustwatch Australia, as published in Butler et al. (2013) Figure LAN23 Estimated net soil loss due to wind erosion, 22–23 September 2009 Soil: Formation and erosion

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The physical environment: The atmosphere—climate and weather patterns

2016
Antarctic environment
State and trends
Report Content

2016 Antarctic environment State and trends Antarctica The physical environment includes both the nonliving factors that characterise an ecosystem (e.g. weather patterns, ice coverage, the...

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Soil: Formation and erosion

2016
Land
State and trends
Report Content

2016 Land State and trends Murray Darling East Coast Greater Sydney Under steady state, erosion rates are equal to soil formation rates. The...

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Resilience of Australia’s air quality 2016

2016
Ambient air quality
Resilience
At a glance

At a glanceThe frequency, duration and severity of episodes of poor air quality in urban centres are influenced by short-term meteorological conditions, in combination with local topography and/or atypical emissions. Air quality is usually restored to acceptable levels once the immediate...

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Figure ATM25c Monthly median particle number concentration at Cape Grim, under baseline wind conditions, 1976–2015

2016
Atmosphere
Graph

c Monthly median particle number concentration at Cape Grim, under baseline wind conditions, 1976–2015 Monthly median particle number concentration at Cape Grim, under baseline wind conditions, 1976–2015 Monthlymedianparticlenumberconcentration(particlescm-3)...

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Figure ATM25a Monthly mean concentrations of carbon dioxide and carbon dioxide equivalent at Cape Grim, under baseline wind conditions, 1976–2015

2016
Climate
Graph

a Monthly mean concentrations of carbon dioxide and carbon dioxide equivalent at Cape Grim, under baseline wind conditions, 1976–2015 Monthly mean concentrations of carbon dioxide and carbon dioxide equivalent at Cape Grim, under baseline wind conditions, 1976–2015...

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Introduction 2016

2016
Ambient air quality
Introduction
At a glance

Good air quality is essential for human health and the environment. Air quality is an important contributor to quality of life, and plays a role in the livability of our towns, cities and environment. Ambient air quality is determined by the types and amounts of pollutants emitted into the...

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Pressures affecting Antarctic historic heritage

2016, 2011
Antarctic environment
Pressures
Assessment summary

Antarctic environment Pressures Pressures on Antarctic historic heritage Antarctica Year...

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Figure LAN25 Grade of soil erosion for the physiographic provinces of Australia

2016
Land
State and trends
Map

Download as pngDownload dataset Note: Numbers on the map correspond to the regions listed in assessment summary: State and trends of soil erosion by water and wind Figure LAN25 Grade of soil erosion for the physiographic provinces of Australia Soil: Formation and...

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Australia’s marine environment is influenced by the cycles of several natural climate phenomena, including the El  Niño–Southern Oscillation, the Indian Ocean Dipole and the Southern Annular Mode

2016
Marine environment
Key Finding

2016  Variability in the phases of these climate phenomena change rainfall patterns, sea surface temperatures, surface winds and oceanic currents. These changes can influence the degree of vertical mixing through the water column and the relative location of cyclone events. Simultaneous...

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Marine renewable energy generation

2016
Marine environment
Pressures
Report Content

2016 Marine environment Pressures The marine renewable energy industry is an emerging industry globally. Ocean energy technologies and devices (e.g. offshore wind farms, wave energy generators) are being developed...

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Box ATM3 Fire weather

2016
Climate
State and trends
Case Study

Australia is one of the most fire-prone regions in the world. The fire season is distinctly different across the continent, occurring during the dry season in northern Australia, spring and summer in the subtropics, and middle to late summer in southern regions. The potential for...

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Figure MAR20 Spectrogram showing the main contributors to the marine soundscape in the Perth Canyon

2016
Marine environment
Pressures
Graph

Figure MAR20 Spectrogram showing the main contributors to the marine soundscape in the Perth Canyon An image of the sound spectrum from 5 to 2000 hertz for September 2012, showing the alterations in decibels, on a scale of 50 to 110, caused by the main contributors to the marine...

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Several factors, such as ocean acidification, increasing wind strength and changes in ocean circulation in the Southern Ocean, may affect the base of Antarctic food webs

2016
Antarctic environment
Key Finding

2016  Dissolved carbon dioxide acidifies the ocean and reduces the availability of carbonate ions that shell-making organisms require for calcification, reducing the ability of these organisms to form shells. This may affect their reproductive capabilities and recruitment. Changes in the...

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Planning and strategy

2016
Climate
Effectiveness of management
Report Content

2016 Climate Effectiveness of management South Coast An important role of government is to develop effective policies, implemented through supporting strategies and plans. Emissions...

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The living environment: Marine and terrestrial

2016
Antarctic environment
State and trends
Report Content

2016 Antarctic environment State and trends Antarctica Given its extreme conditions, the Antarctic has a surprising diversity of ecosystems. Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, driest and...

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Pressures on Antarctic historic heritage

2016
Antarctic environment
Pressures
Report Content

2016 Antarctic environment Pressures Antarctica The Mawson’s Huts Historic Site at Cape Denison in the AAT is Australia’s oldest and arguably most significant historic heritage site in...

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Introduction 2016

2016
Antarctic environment
Introduction
At a glance

Antarctica is the southernmost continent. Including all islands and ice shelves, it covers an area of about 13.9 million square kilometres (km2)—nearly twice that of Australia. The sea ice that surrounds Antarctica adds about another 19 million km2 at its maximum extent in September–October...

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Vegetation

2016
Land
Introduction
Report Content

2016 Land Introduction Like the soil that supports it, vegetation is fundamental to ecosystem processes and human survival. Vegetation is vital for: producing oxygen for animal and human life maintaining air quality...

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Box ANT6 Rapid collapse of an alpine ecosystem through dieback

2016
Antarctic environment
Case Study

Old-growth cushion plants and mosses on subantarctic Macquarie Island are being decimated by recent climate change, with rapid, progressive and widespread death across the island. Endemic Macquarie cushions (Azorella macquariensis), estimated to be hundreds of years old in some...

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Marine regions

2016
Marine environment
Introduction
Report Content

2016 Marine environment Introduction Tasmania Marine Temperate East Marine South West Great Barrier Reef Marine North...

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Pressures affecting the Antarctic terrestrial environment

2016, 2011
Antarctic environment
Pressures
Assessment summary

Antarctic environment Pressures Pressures on the terrestrial environment Antarctica Year...

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Outlook for the marine environment 2016

2016
Marine environment
Outlook
At a glance

At a glanceThe contribution of the marine environment to the economy is projected to continue to grow 3 times faster than Australia’s gross domestic product in the next decade. It is in Australia’s interest that our ocean ecosystems continue to bring economic, cultural and social benefits...

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Pressures affecting the Antarctic environment 2016

2016
Antarctic environment
Pressures
At a glance

At a glanceThe climate of Antarctica is changing. Compared with conditions prevailing in the 1950s, parts of West Antarctica—particularly the Antarctic Peninsula region—have warmed. In East Antarctica, where Australia operates, temperatures have also increased, but to a lesser extent. Across...

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Pressures from livestock production

2016
Biodiversity
Pressures
Report Content

2016 Biodiversity Pressures Livestock production is the dominant land use in the extensive land-use zone of Australia (see the Land report for further information). It is considered a major contributing factor to the...

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Understanding and research

2016
Climate
Effectiveness of management
Report Content

2016 Climate Effectiveness of management Tasmania Greater Melbourne In the 5 years since SoE 2011, international climate science has advanced significantly. The IPCC,...

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Box ATM5 Cape Grim: monitoring the health of the global atmosphere for 40 years

2016
Climate
Effectiveness of management
Case Study

The Cape Grim Baseline Air Pollution Station (Cape Grim BAPS), established in 1976 to monitor and study global atmospheric composition for trends as a result of human activities and natural variability, celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2016. The station is managed by the Bureau...

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Rainfall

2016
Climate
State and trends
Report Content

2016 Climate State and trends Greater Melbourne Broadly, Australia can be divided into 2 seasonal rainfall regimes: the north and the south. The northern half of the continent typically...

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Pressures on natural heritage

2016
Heritage
Pressures
Report Content

2016 Heritage Pressures Lake Eyre Our terrestrial and marine natural heritage is susceptible to the general pressures arising from climate change outlined above, as well as some of the...

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Australia State of the Environment 2016 has been prepared by independent experts using the best available information to support assessments of environmental condition, pressures, management effectiveness, resilience, risks and outlook.

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