S4 Climate change — C level

Previously, we looked at rainfall data across Australia for the whole year. We couldn’t see a trend.

But there are trends if you look at different seasons and different parts of Australia.

Look at the rainfall maps on the bottom half of this page about Australian climate change.

Questions

For April to October:

1. Which parts of Australia are getting more rain since the 1970s?
2. Which parts of Australia are getting less rain since the 1970s?

For October to April:

1. Which parts of Australia are getting more rain since the 1970s?
2. Which parts of Australia are getting less rain since the 1970s?

The website you just looked at also says this:

Heavy rainfall events are becoming more intense.

Observations show that there has been an increase in the intensity of heavy rainfall events in Australia. The intensity of short-duration (hourly) extreme rainfall events has increased by around 10 per cent or more in some regions and in recent decades, with larger increases typically observed in the north of the country. Short-duration extreme rainfall events are often associated with flash flooding, and so these changes in intensity bring increased risk to communities. This is particularly so in urban environments where the large amount of impervious ground cover (e.g. concrete) leads to increased flooding during heavy downpours.

Questions

1. What is the change in the way rain falls in Australia?
2. What emergency happens when a lot of rain falls in a short time?
3. What problem do roads and concrete make when rain falls heavily?
4. Do you think that it’s possible for Moree to have less rain overall, and also more floods? What is the reason for your answer?