Any plan to dam or extract water from some of Australia’s last wild rivers must carefully consider the consequences. Prawn, mud crab and barramundi fisheries could suffer in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Alaska has at least 120 glacier-dammed lakes, and almost all have drained at least once since 1985, a new study shows. Small ones have been producing larger floods in recent years.
A better understanding of the interactions between the boreal forest and snow will make it possible to improve hydrological models and ensure optimal management of the resource.
There’s a rule of thumb that rainfall intensity increases by about 7% per degree Celsius as temperatures rise. But the increase is much higher in the mountains, scientists found.
Kevin Trenberth, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
As the atmosphere warms, it can hold more moisture. This brings more intense downpours but also accelerates warming – because water vapour is a powerful greenhouse gas.
Timothy Welch, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
A new report sets out the practical ways New Zealand can improve its urban resilience to flooding due to climate change. But time, rather than money, is of the essence.