Research & development > Environmental science

The biggest exposed fault on Earth

30 November, 2016 by Lauren Davis

Geologists conducting research off the coast of eastern Indonesia have identified what they claim to be the biggest exposed fault on Earth — a find that will help researchers assess dangers of future tsunamis in the area.


From bread to beer — the gene mutation in barley

24 November, 2016 by Lauren Davis

A research team led by Okayama University has discovered the gene mutation and enzyme that determine whether the dormancy of barley is long (better for food crops) or short (better for beer-making).


Bushfires decrease genetic diversity in frog populations

17 November, 2016 by Lauren Davis

The increasing intensity and frequency of bushfires in Victoria is having a significant impact on the genetic diversity of the state's frog populations.


State of the Climate 2016 — hotter days, warmer oceans, greater fire risk

28 October, 2016

Australia has warmed by around 1°C since 1910, according to State of the Climate 2016.


Newly discovered microorganisms contributing to climate change

18 October, 2016

Scientists from The University of Queensland have discovered a major group of microorganisms contributing to climate change.


A new way to find weakness in the Earth's crust

05 October, 2016

US and Australian scientists have developed a new method to estimate weakness in the Earth's outer layers. Their work will help explain and predict volcanic activity and earthquakes at a much smaller scale than previously possible.


3.7-billion-year-old fossils discovered

01 September, 2016

Australian researchers have uncovered the world's oldest fossils in a remote area of Greenland, pushing back the fossil record to near the start of the Earth's geological record and pointing to evidence of life on Earth very early in its history.


Human-induced climate change is older than you think

25 August, 2016 by Lauren Davis

When do you think global warming first began to take effect? If you answered any later than the Industrial Revolution, you're in for a shock.


The upshot of global warming: lower dengue risk

10 August, 2016

Australian health researchers have predicted that the transmission of dengue could decrease in a future warmer climate, countering previous projections that climate change would cause the potentially lethal virus to spread more easily.


CSIRO ordered to renew focus on climate science

04 August, 2016 by Lauren Davis

Greg Hunt has demanded that CSIRO restore its focus on climate science, less than six months after the organisation announced a number of job cuts in the area.


ANU and CSIRO open agriculture research lab

01 August, 2016

The Australian National University and the CSIRO have officially opened a collaborative centre that will focus on technologies relevant to environment, agriculture and global food supplies.


Balancing fire management and conservation

29 July, 2016

Victorian environmental scientists have collected one of the world's largest datasets on wildfires, transforming our understanding of how fire affects biota and contributing to changes in fire policy.


Drought-proof crops under development

19 July, 2016

ANU has led an international research effort into how plants, such as rice and wheat, sense and respond to extreme drought stress. Their study could lead to the development of next-generation, drought-proof crops.


Plate tectonics and pizza dough

18 July, 2016 by Adam Florance

The Earth's crust has more in common with pizza dough than you might think, according to an international team looking into the mechanics of plate tectonics.


What makes planes freeze?

28 June, 2016

Chinese researchers have investigated the process by which ice accumulates on the wings and tail of an aircraft flying during freezing rain.


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