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Quantifying coastal freshwater extremes during unprecedented rainfall using long timeseries multi-platform salinity
Neil Malan1,2, Moninya Roughan3,4, Michael Hemming3,4
1Coastal and Regional Oceanography Lab, School of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, 2052, NSW, Australia. n.malan@unsw.edu.au.
Nature Communications
|January 22, 2024
Summary
Extreme rainfall in Australia created a large freshwater plume, extending five times further than expected. This led to a new
Area of Science:
- Oceanography
- Climate Science
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Southeast Australia experienced its wettest year on record in 2022 due to extreme rainfall.
- The oceanic effects of extreme rainfall in typically dry regions are poorly understood and difficult to monitor.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the oceanic impact of extreme rainfall events in southeast Australia.
- To define and analyze extreme salinity thresholds inshore of the East Australian Current.
Main Methods:
- Utilized unique multi-platform time-series and spatial data.
- Conducted 36 autonomous ocean glider missions over 13 years.
- Defined an extreme salinity threshold to identify freshwater plume extent.
Main Results:
- The freshwater plume from extreme rainfall extended fivefold further than previously documented.
- Observed a novel 'double-stacking' stratification dynamic, primarily driven by salinity.
- Extreme salinity events were linked to fisheries species composition and coastal water quality degradation.
Conclusions:
- Salinity-driven stratification is a significant consequence of extreme rainfall events.
- Impacts on fisheries and water quality highlight the ecological importance of salinity extremes.
- Increased frequency of extreme rainfall necessitates comprehensive observing strategies for salinity monitoring.
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