Aridification of the Australian dryland margins. This project aims to investigate how Australia evolved to become a fossil desert, and to identify what climatic conditions might cause these landscapes

Description

Aridification of the Australian dryland margins. This project aims to investigate how Australia evolved to become a fossil desert, and to identify what climatic conditions might cause these landscapes to become active again in future. Insights into the rates and timing of desert margin expansion will be gained using novel generation of large spatial and temporal datasets, and innovative integration of these data with climatic and hydrological models. Expected outcomes include clarifying how, and at what rate, aridification developed over time; the impact of land-use following European settlement; and recent triggers for dryland activity. The knowledge generated will improve our resilience to future climate change and enhance Australia’s reputation as a world leader in dryland research.. Scheme: ARC Future Fellowships. Field: 3709 - Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience. Lead: A/Prof Kathryn Fitzsimmons