Indian Ocean Key to Climate Forecasting

Professor Matthew England and his team at the University of New South Wales Climate Change Research Centre  are this year’s winners of the Land & Water Australia Eureka Prize for Water Research and Innovation.

Their innovative and timely research has linked Indian Ocean surface temperatures with rainfall patterns in Western Australia, and has implications for rainfall and drought prediction across Australia, Africa, Indonesia and New Zealand.

With the ability to now predict fresh water supplies in Western Australia with greater accuracy, this research benefits the whole community as well as the agricultural sector.

Professor England’s team included Dr Caroline Ummenhofer, Dr Alex Sen Gupta, Dr Agus Santoso and Dr Mike Pook.

More information

• The Australia Museum Eureka Prizes Website
• Science Shines at Eureka Prizes, UNSW Faculty of Science
• Indian Ocean is drought culprit (Sydney Morning Herald, 5 February 2009)
• Scientists blame Indian Ocean for Australia’s droughts (The Australian, 6 February 2009)