Australian Drought 2019 Flashcards
What was the physical cause of the drought
An extreme positive Indian Ocean dipole with lots of upwelling of cold water of Australias coastline
Climate changes impact
It lead to the Indian Ocean dipole being more frequent and intense
how much did Over abstraction increase in the great artesian basin
Increased by 100% since 1980s
How much of australias water comes from groundwater
1/3
What were the economic and land damages of the event
$100 billion in damages and 18 million hectares of land effected
2 reasons for increased forest fire risk
1- the dry season meant the shrubbery was more susceptible to brining
2- traditional management practices abandoned by colonial powers meant shrubs were too close together
How much has shrub biomass increased in Australia since colonial powers took charge
48% leading to more likely forest fires
How much water does the great artesian basin hold
65,000 km cubes of water
What happens as pressure in the GAB declines
The water table drops and there are less surface points to collect it’s water as mound springs weaken making it more expensive to abstract
How much stronger was the 2019 IOD than the 2015 one
30-40%
