Climate change and sea-level rise in the Australian region

Characteristics of Australia’s future climate. Source: BoM, State of the Climate 2014, published by CSIRO and BoM.

"Future climate change over Australia will track global trends, causing warmer temperatures, changes to rainfall regimes, rising sea levels and more acidic ocean waters.

04 September 2018

At a glance

• Under a high greenhouse gas concentration scenario (RCP8.5), temperatures in Australia will increase by between 2.8 and 5.1°C by 2090 compared to 1986-2005.

• Rainfall trends are more uncertain, however rainfall amounts are expected to decrease over southern Australia, accompanied by more frequent and more severe droughts. 
• Global sea levels are expected to increase by 45 to 82 cm by 2090 for the high concentration scenario.  These levels may be higher if a tipping point is reached which commits one or more land-based ice sheets to irreversible melting. Projected increases around Australia are very similar.
• Extreme high sea-level events will occur more frequently in future, increasing the risks of flooding and erosion in coastal areas.
• In line with global trends, seawaters around Australia are becoming more acidic, as the oceans absorb some of the CO₂ released by human activities."

Go to CoastAdapt site 

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Sea Level Rise Can No Longer Be Stopped, What Next? - with John Englander